This opportunity listing has expired and may no longer be relevant!
1 May 2020

Compete Birth Rites Collection Biennial Competition for New Works

Birth Rites Collection Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Opportunity Description

International Deadline: May 15, 2020 (new date) – Submissions for our Birth Rites Collection Bi-annual award are now open!

The Birth Rites Collection is the first and only collection of contemporary artwork dedicated to the subject of childbirth. The aim of the collection is to encourage debate and increase awareness around childbirth practice, an issue that affects every individual. It uses art to consider the social, political and cultural implications of birth.

The collection currently comprises of photography, sculpture, painting, wallpaper, drawing, new media, artist and documentary film. It has been shown at the Glasgow Science Centre, The Manchester Museum, the Royal Exchange Theatre, and, in part, at The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester and the Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians in London. It is currently housed in the School of Midwifery, Nursing, and Social Care at the University of Salford.

The Birth Rites Collection is looking for new or existing artwork, in any medium, which deals with the subject of childbirth.

The Birth Rites Collection is looking for new or existing artwork, in any medium, which deals with the subject of childbirth. This is an opportunity for your work to become a permanent part of the BRC. Your work will be featured as a constant on the Birth Rites website, will tour with the collection where it will be shown in future exhibitions, be available for loan to external shows and will be part of any publications released in line with the collection.

THEMES
Possible issues the art work could explore include: fears and expectations of childbirth; mysticism in the creation of human life; childbirth as social taboo; eroticism and childbearing; the impact of biomedical advances in technology on birth; social conditioning, women’s choice, or lack of, in the way they give birth; male attitudes to childbirth; potential dichotomies between woman as mother and worker, or lover, or other roles; attitudes to and/or memories of one’s own birth; cultural and/or geographical differences in birthing; the role of the others/outsiders in a birth. These are some ideas from an almost unlimited list.

JURY
The works submitted will be considered by our judges, Helen Knowles, Birth Rites Curator, Hermione Wiltshire, artist and lecturer at the Royal College of Art and Charlotte, writer and curator of Birth at TG Bolton and writer at Elephant Magazine.

A short list of chosen works will be showcased digitally at an evening event during the Birth Rites Summer School between the 6th to the 11th of July 2020.

AWARDS
At the showcase, one winner of the competition will be announced and their work will become part of the Birth Rites Collection. The prize winner will also be awarded a residency at The Departement of Midwifery, King’s College London.

In addition to securing a residency, Birth Rites Collection will provide a stipend of 250£ and winning work will be included in the Birth Rites Collection, Salford University.

ENTRY FEE
Artists may submit as many artworks as they like. Entry fee of £12 is payable for each entry.

APPLICATION
Download Application from our website.


About:
Founded by two women, BRC aims to facilitate the production of new cutting edge works by artists who might not normally address the subject because of it’s taboo status within contemporary art practice, to support the work of artists whose work already engages with issues on this subject and to acquire relevant existing works to expand the collection. The collection currently comprises of photography, sculpture, painting, wallpaper, drawing, new media and a documentary film.

Through the presentation and dissemination of the work in the public domain, BRC encourages debate and increases awareness around childbirth practice.

Birth Rites Collection
Manchester, United Kingdom


Opportunity Categories: + Open to Multi-Media. Opportunity Types: Compete. Opportunity Tags: Deadlines 05 May thru June, Extended Deadlines, and Open to Artists Worldwide. Benefits: Exhibition - Group, Exhibition - Online, Exhibition - Traveling, Residency, and Stipend.

Apply for this Opportunity