Spring 2018 Launch Pad callout: We Want Writing!

Castlefield Gallery is inviting applications from members of CG Associates, our development scheme for artists, writers and curators, for the spring 2018 Launch Pad (16 – 25 February 2018).

Alongside Castlefield Gallery’s Curator Matthew Pendergast, choosing our spring 2018 Launch Pad will be guest selector, Poppy Bowers, Exhibition Curator at the Whitworth.

Launch Pads are ten-day projects that punctuate the gallery’s main exhibition programme; they provide an opportunity for artists, writers and curators to develop their practice critically and professionally with gallery support.

As part of Castlefield Gallery’s continuing commitment to developing critical writing in the region, for this Launch Pad we are particularly interested in projects in which a writer, or writing, plays a key part in the creative process. This could involve a back-and-forth between a writer and an artist; a writer/curator collaboration; the production of collaborative artwork; a written scenario that an artist then fulfils in some way.

A Launch Pad can be an exhibition; it can also be a research project, a series of performances or participatory events, a short residency, or the use of the gallery as a project space – as long as there is at least one opportunity for the public to engage with the project. Examples of  previous Launch Pads include 2016’s Powerhouse Liberation Movement by Manchester Left Writers and 2015’s edition of the publication Psychick Dancehall..

Successful applicants receive a budget of £1,000, advice and curatorial input where necessary, and support from the gallery technician for the installation and de-installation of the project.

Poppy Bowers is Exhibitions Curator at the Whitworth. Previously she was Assistant Curator at Whitechapel Gallery where she organized exhibitions and publications with artists including Richard Tuttle, Sarah Lucas and Giuseppe Penone as well as major outdoor exhibitions in Athens, in collaboration with NEON Foundation. In 2015 she was co-selector and co-curator of The London Open, and set up the independent exhibition space NEW STUDIO where she curated solo shows and produced limited editions by both British and international artists.

How to Apply

Please submit:
Project proposal (500 words max)
Artist info (250 words per artist max)
Images: maximum 12, or 4 per artist for group projects
Breakdown of the proposed budget (the gallery will provide up to £1,000; artists are welcome to supplement this from other sources)

For group projects at least one participating artist or writer, or the curator, must be a member of CG Associates for the duration of the application process and the project. The application must be submitted by a member of CG Associates.

Deadline: 12 noon, Wednesday 25 October 2017

Please provide all the information and images in a single pdf no more than 10MB in size, which can include hyperlinks to other images and videos, and send it to associates@castlefieldgallery.co.uk.