On behalf of NGO IME, we have the pleasure of inviting you to submit a proposal for an art work, installation or performance or action to the Water Tower Art Fest in Sofia, Bulgaria

Dear friends and colleagues,

As the new edition of the Water Tower Art Fest is coming up, we invite you to submit a proposal to take part in the festival between 19 – 23rd of June 2013.

For a 7th year in a roll our festival is opening new and old spaces, known and unknown, both to the citizens of Sofia and their fellow artists from abroad.

The overall structure is going to be similar to the previous open calls, only the theme would be:

Temporary Protected Spaces

Protected – because we need to feel this way, by coming together and expressing ourselves freely.
Protected from whom? Protected from the raging forces of ego based battles within the society, from the mass illiteracy leading to intolerant and rude attitude towards matters of the heart.
Protected by whom? By the group of artists expressing their motivation to come together and create, by the notion itself of making a festival for the arts and not a LTD company for any kind of business binding to the forces of capitalism
And last but not least – why spaces? Because we have the time, and are in need of a space.

VENUES (please click on hyper links to see albums in our facebook profile of venues):

Water Tower, Venue N:1 – Sofia (Main/first exhibition venue) – site specific installations are welcomed
Built 1910

Sofia Arsenal Museum of contemporary art (SAMCA) Venue N:2 – 2nd floor unfinished reconstruction

Musical School center of Sofia , Venue N:3
Built 1930

Kazichene Royal family train station Venue N:4
Built 1920 – one day action

Possibility for short travelling exhibition at beginning of September 2013 at the cities of (tba):

Russe
Vidin – old synagogue and city gallery
Lom tbc
Veliko Turnovo(tbc) – old post office in partnership with Dupini art group
Gabrovo tbc

Please state a detailed explanation and concept of your proposed art work including:
concrete technical requirements and material needed for its implementation
sketches (if applicable) describing its specifics
or photographs
short CV

SELECTION COMMITTEE:
Nia Pushkarova (BG) – artist and organizer of the initiative Water tower art fest, Director of NGO IME
Adam Klimczak (PL) – artist and co-founder of Wschodnia Gallery, Lodz, Poland
Professor Kenneth G. Hay (UK) – artist and Chair of Contemporary Art Practice, The School of Design, The University of Leeds, co-founder of Moorland productions and Frozen academy

NOTE: Artists are responsible for their own travel, unless otherwise arranged, under third parties relations made in advance. What we can do is send an invitation to be used for applying to available fundings and grants at selected artist’s countries of residence.

What you can expect from us during WTAF:
* Extended coverage in media and official catalogue of the fest and site
* Assistance in finding affordable accommodation – hostel or private based
* Recommendations and invitations for travel funding
* Technical and other assistance during the festival
* Overall guidance and assisting in production of work by volunteers and technical team
* Possible meeting at airport and accompanying to hotel or accommodation
* In case your artwork requires special equipment hire, please state this in your application, so further arrangements can be made
* Great time interacting with different artists, both local and international, a chance to get valuable contacts for your professional and personal life
* Generally meeting great people and experiencing festival’s frenzy in its full
* NGO IME reserves the right to change the mentioned locations due to unforeseen circumstances

DEADLINES:
Open call launch – 10th of March, 2013
Deadline for proposals – 20.04.2013
Announcing the results – 05.05.2013

Actual festival 19–23rd of June 2013

Please distribute or repost this open call freely.

Water Tower Art Fest Team
10.03.2013, Sofia

P.S. The festival is under the Cultural Calendar of Sofia Municaplity for 2013, as a proof of being an important part and taken into consideration about our candidature for Sofia Capital of Culture 2019.

Contacts:
www.watertowerartfest.com
watertowerartfest@gmail.com

9 Bogatica Street, app. 12
Sofia 1421
Bulgaria

Nia Pushkarova
Director of NGO IME and organizer/curator of Water tower art fest
Member of Board of Directors of Bulgarian Festival Association (BFA)