Magnetic North is an award-winning theatre company based in Edinburgh. They aim to give artists from a range of disciplines and backgrounds the nourishment, focused support and production opportunities needed to continue developing and creating great work throughout their careers.
Rough Mix, in partnership with the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival and Magnetic North, is a paid creative lab for early-stage ideas and practice development: a two-week artist residency in February 2024. This is a practical opportunity for artists to try out new ideas or new ways of working. It brings together a small core group of practitioners from different disciplines and gives them time to start developing new projects in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere. This opportunity focuses on mid-career artists, with an aim of developing already established creative ideas, projects and possibilities.
Rough Mix encourages boldness and innovation in the work of the artists who take part by giving them a unique opportunity to have a creative interaction with artists from different disciplines in a focused and supportive atmosphere. It is curated and led by Magnetic North’s Artistic Director Nicholas Bone, who has developed a distinctive and widely-respected approach to developing new work and creating links between artists and art-forms. Previous participants include playwrights, choreographers, visual artists, film-makers, and composers. Previous editions of Rough Mix have been run in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Peebles, Perth, Auckland, Stirling and online. Rough Mix works effectively for artists who are open to stimulation from other artforms, want to explore new possibilities in their practice, and are keen to spend time engaging with other artists.
There are two categories available to apply for:
-Lead artists will have the opportunity to develop an idea or approach. They will usually have a significant track-record of making work professionally and have had their work produced, performed or exhibited over a period of at least five years (these do not need to be consecutive).
-Collaborating artists will have the opportunity to observe, support and collaborate with the lead artists. They will be interested in expanding their experience and will be professional artists from any art form who have had work produced, performed or exhibited. This is not open to students who have graduated in the last 2 years unless they had a previously existing professional practice.
All applicants will need to provide:
-An outline of their work and experience (up to 500 words)
-A CV
-Up to 3 examples of their work (files or links)
Lead Artists: you will also be asked to outline what you would like to develop at Rough Mix – this could be exploring an idea for a new project or trying out a new way of working – and to submit any background material that might be useful. You will need to say why you think your project might be particularly appropriate for Rough Mix; please read the Guidance below before completing your outline.
Collaborating Artists: you will also be asked to outline your work and experience, to provide a CV, and to say why you want to take on this role and what skills you will bring to the group.
Application forms for both Lead and Collaborating Artists can be found on the Magnetic North website. https://www.magneticnorth.org.uk/artist-development/roughmix
The next Rough Mix will take place at Cample Line, Thornhill, DG3 5HD, from 5–16th February 2024. The application deadline is the 20th of November 2023 at 10.00am.
We feel very lucky to be able to offer such incredible performing arts development opportunities here at the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, and encourage anyone across the region to apply.