TWO THOUSAND & TEN EXTRAORDINARY IDEAS

Workshop Invitation from National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund:

Do you have lots of fantastic creative ideas and interested in doing work in unusual places but don’t know what to do with them? Don’t know where to begin?

One of the first steps towards realising creative ideas is finding a way to develop and communicate them in a clear, compelling and professional way. Whether approaching a gallerist, arts organisation or sponsor, being able to put together a strong proposal is essential to getting other people invested in what you are doing.

Equally importantly, developing your concept into a proposal can also to help to clarify what it is exactly that you want to do, why you want to do it and how you might actually go about turning it into a reality.

The Visual Arts Network of South Africa will convene a series of two-day workshops on proposal-writing for artists around the country. VANSA is doing the workshops in the context of – and in preparation for - an exciting public art programme that will be staged in small rural towns across the country with support from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) – Two Thousand and Ten Reasons to Live in a Small Town.

The workshops will also include some background on the project, stimulating presentations on local and international public art programmes, practical advice on writing and a critique on ideas.

Five artists will be selected to realise five projects that re-imagine the world of small towns through public art interventions, working with a team of leading art professionals from around the country. Attending the workshop will provide an inside track on this exciting project and how to be part of it.

Durban workshops are planned for July 10 and 11, with workshops taking place in Johannesburg (June 19 and 20); Cape Town (June 19 and 20); Bloemfontein (July 3 and 4) and Grahamstown. A date for the Grahamstown workshop is still to be confirmed but it is expected that it will coincide with the National Arts Festival between the June 20 and July 4, 2010

For regular updates, check the website at www.vansa.co.za

Those wishing to attend should send a short CV and motivation (not more than 300 words, with one or two of your inspiring ideas thrown in) to email: 2010reasons@vansa.co.za.

For those unable or unwilling to send this material via email, phone 011 833 7908 to find out how your material can reach us through the VANSA network in your area. Some financial assistance is available for accommodation and travel. Please indicate in your application, along with a motivation, if you would need to take advantage of this.

A separate Call for Proposals will be issued relating to the Two Thousand and Ten Reasons to Live in a Small Town project.