The University of Leeds and Opera North Open Admissions for DARE Art Prize

Challenging artists and scientists to collaborate on new approaches to the creative process, the £15,000 DARE Art Prize 2022/23, awarded by the University of Leeds and Opera North, is open for applications.

Part of the pioneering DARE partnership between the University and the Leeds-based opera company, and in association with the National Science and Media Museum and The Tetley, the fourth installment of the Prize will be awarded to an innovative, ambitious artist with an original proposal for creative works in partnership with leading scientists at the University of Leeds.

The three past Prize winners have each interacted with the work of the University and the Leeds-based opera company in unexpected, illuminating and very different ways, bridging the gulf between two fields that are often seen as mutually exclusive.

Composer and winner of the inaugural Prize Samuel Hertz worked with low-frequency infrasound, delving into climatology, the environment and the paranormal, with outcomes including a musical transcription of a glacier melting. Artist and researcher Anna Ridler (2018-19) spent her tenure investigating the points at which artificial and human intelligence coincide. Applying theories about the brain's response to unfamiliar tasks, with the collaboration of staff in the University of Leeds' School of Psychology, she taught a machine to draw, and employed an algorithm to process musical scores.

Poet and visual artist Redell Olsen overcame pandemic restrictions in 2020-21 with a web of multimedia works produced in close dialogue with each of the institutions, working remotely with scientists at the University's BioDAR insect radar unit, singers and music staff at Opera North, and objects in the collection of the National Science and Media Museum. Poems, collages and a Handel opera restaged for moths were among her unexpected, often poignant, body of works "somewhere between artistic, poetic and scientific research", in the words of the artist.

Application Guidance

The DARE Art Prize offers a bursary of £10,000 paid quarterly over twelve months, a budget of up to £5,000 for resources to create and present new work, and the chance to engage with scientific researchers and artists who share a vision, and whose specialist expertise can support the creation of something new. There are further opportunities for residencies at the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford and The Tetley, Leeds. Access to musicians, studio space and resources from Opera North may also be available.

There are no restrictions on the form of the outcome: it could be any public-facing artform or channel - a performance, a poem, an interactive website or a song cycle for example - but the project must be achievable within twelve months, ending in May 2023.

The proposal could be a continuation of an existing body of work or an entirely new project for the artist. To find out more about the University of Leeds' world-leading scientific research, take a look at the latest research news or the Research and Innovation section on the University's website.

How to apply

Individual, independent artists or collectives working in any discipline are invited to apply for the 2022/23 DARE Art Prize by submitting a CV and a 500-word proposal OR a video (up to a maximum of 5 minutes), that summarizes the area of their scientific interest and a genuine wish to engage with academic researchers, expertise and resources at the University of Leeds.

Accessibility

As a signatory of Sound and Music's Fair Access Principles, Opera North, together with all of the DARE Art Prize partners, is keen to attract the widest possible range of artists for the competition. The entry form is available in alternative formats, including Easy Read, Braille, hard copy and audio, and submissions can be accepted via audio or video. If there are additional costs for access needs above the £5,000 dedicated to creating and presenting new work, the DARE Art Prize partners will work with the artist to offer additional support. To discuss any additional needs or how to overcome further barriers to applying, please contact fern.pullan@operanorth.co.uk.

Deadline

Applications should be sent to dareartprize@operanorth.co.uk before 12 noon GMT on Thursday 31 March 2022.

Selection panel

The selection panel comprises, from the University of Leeds, Dr Joanne Crawford, Associate Professor and Head of the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies; John Ladbury, Professor of Mechanistic Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences; Opera North's Projects Director Dominic Gray, Head of Projects Jo Nockels and Head of Higher Education Partnerships Becky Smith; The Tetley's Exhibitions and Artist Development Curator Georgia Taylor Aguilar; and Interpretation Manager at National Science and Media Museum, Claire McAuley.

Interviews

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview on 6 May to discuss their practice and their proposal in greater detail. A celebration to formally announce the 2022/23 DARE Art Prize winner will be held on 30 May. For more information visit dareyou.org.uk.

Feedback will be available to those shortlisted to interview. This will be available on request and can be shared via email or a phone call. This feedback is based on the selection criteria above and the panelists' anonymized notes.

Photo Credits: Opera North

Pictured: Samuel Hertz performing