OPEN CALL: Openbare Werken 2025
In April 2025, the Ghent network Tot in de Stad! will jointly organise the city festival Openbare Werken (“public works”), in public spaces and semi-public places in Ghent. With this OPEN CALL, de Koer, Kunsthal Gent and VIERNULVIER are looking for an artistic proposal that has the potential to form an inspiring foundation for the festival.
- A thought-provoking artistic proposal that contributes to the imagination of the city. A challenging proposal that taps into the political, social, historical, architectural and/or wider societal significance of a place and its inhabitants. A proposal that connects and uses co-creation as one of its key strategies. A proposal that has the potential to become a breeding ground for other projects and practices presented during Openbare Werken.
- An engagement and regular presence in Ghent from January 2024 to April 2025.
- A contribution to the programme of Kunsthal Gent, VIERNULVIER and de Koer, between January 2024 and April 2025 (a.o. presence at Tot in de Stad! meetings between January 2024 and April 2025, presentation at Openbare Werken 2025)
- Individual artists and collectives.
- We support artistic projects at the intersection of various media and disciplines. Visual artists, theatre makers, musicians, filmmakers, performers,... are eligible. An interdisciplinary practice is preferred.
- Artists with an interest in the city of Ghent and its many urban challenges.
- Artists with a curiosity about inhabitants and the desire to connect with them.
- You are not required to be based in Ghent, but willing to be in Ghent very regularly. Ideally, you speak Dutch, but this is not a must. You do have the willingness to communicate and work in a connecting and respectful manner with both the organising partners and the various locals you meet.
- An inviting and inspiring environment to work in, based on the residency programmes of the Koer, Kunsthal Gent and Viernulvier's Stadsatelier.
- (Collective) workspace and use of an apartment (max. 3 weeks / 21 days).
- Follow-up in terms of content and production support of the plans and ideas.
- A presentation moment as part of the festival Openbare Werken in April 2025.
- A budget of €15,000 (paid in three instalments) to be spent on salary and/or materials, spread over a period of 18 months.
Using this online form, submit the following documents in 1 PDF by Sunday 12 November at the latest:
- A concise project proposal of max 500 words in which you share with us your idea, motivation, approach, where and with whom you want to work
- Explanation of how other artistic practices can connect or respond to your proposal
- Budget estimate
- Timeline
- A concise portfolio and CV of max. 4 pages A4
- You may also share your proposal in an alternative form, e.g. a video, voice message, etc. Keep it concise, think of it as a pitch of 3 to 5 minutes max. (In the second round, we will go deeper into the proposals)
Link to the online form to apply:
https://forms.gle/BAiqoHYSocG3tQyEA
- All proposals will be presented to the partners of the Tot in de Stad! network in the second half of November 2023. They will each invite a representative from their network to the jury so that a diversity of perspectives is present.
- Based on this, we will invite up to 5 artists/collectives to further elaborate their proposal and engage in a conversation. We plan the conversations to take place in late November/early December, potentially at the location relevant to your proposal. For this second round, we provide a fee of €300 excl VAT. per proposal.
- Based on the interviews, the partners of Tot in de stad! jointly choose one project.
- We aim to announce the results by 15 December. Please note that due to the workload, it is not possible to provide all the applicants with extensive substantive feedback.
- Curator & Artist Development - VIERNULVIER - Marieke De Munck, marieke@viernulvier.gent
- Artistic Coordinator - de Koer - Leontien Allemeersch, leontien@dekoer.be
- Artistic Coordinator - Kunsthal Gent - Danielle van Zuijlen - danielle@kunsthal.gent
- More info about Tot in de Stad! at www.dekoer.be/tot-in-de-stad/
- More info about VIERNULVIER via www.viernulvier.gent
- More info about De Koer via www.dekoer.be
- More info about Kunsthal Gent via www.kunsthal.gent
Tot in de Stad! consists of the Ghent partner organisations Manoeuvre, PILOOT, Kunsthal Gent, CAMPUSatelier, VIERNULVIER's Stadsatelier, de Koer, Jong Gewei, KASK & Conservatorium School of Arts and LUCA School of Arts. This network supports artistic practices working with/in/about dynamics in the city. The common denominator is that these artistic practices consciously enter into dialogue with residents and the environment, work bottom-up from what is already there and have a reflective and critical aspect within them. At (ir)regular intervals, the partners organise reflection and presentation moments.
Openbare Werken is a surprising journey of discovery in which artistic practices intertwine with the city, its periphery and its inhabitants. Artistic work is presented in public spaces and at various locations in the city. For the first time in 2025, this biennial festival will be jointly curated and organised by the partners of Tot in de Stad! In addition to the project resulting from this call, the partners will also present a series of other projects.
Launch: 5 October 2023 / open call deadline: 12 November 2023 /
Interviews second round: 27 + 28 November / Announcement: week of 4 December
