CALL FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS & GALLERIES

Signy Holm
Posted on April 18th, 2024
by Signy Holm

Nocturne 2024 Community Groups and Galleries Call for Submissions

We are excited to announce our call for Community Groups & Galleries for Nocturne 2024!

Kjipuktuk/Halifax museums, galleries, cultural and educational institutions, community groups, and local businesses are invited to submit their plans to participate in Nocturne. All applications are reviewed by staff based on category eligibility to participate; engagement of an artist; and selection criteria.

Community Group and Gallery projects will be part of our signature night-time art experience, showcasing installations, static projects, performances, and community projects on Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 6:00 PM - midnight.

We encourage proposals of all kinds: installations, performances, community engagement, workshops, collective creating, film screening, virtual, radio - and more!

Applications can be submitted via this online form. You can preview the form here.

This information provided will be used for our guide, website, and social media marketing. Make sure this information is accurate and finalized before submitting it!

PLEASE NOTE: Nocturne does not provide funding to participating Galleries and Community Groups - these should be self-funded projects.

2024 THEME: MICROCOSM

CURATOR: Shuvanjan Karmaker

This year, Nocturne’s 2024 curator, Shuvanjan Karmaker, has selected the theme of Microcosm as a platform for artists to consider and share stories and to create connections around shared love, experiences, tragedies, and/or responsibilities.

DATE: Saturday, October 19, 2024 6:00 PM - MIDNIGHT

CATEGORY DEFINITIONS:

COMMUNITY GROUP:

  • For-profit and non-profit community and cultural organizations, businesses (retail) and other cultural, educational and historical institutions, that do not meet the definition of a gallery, but will participate by coordinating their own nocturne arts event or activity, with the participation of artists or members of the arts community.

  • Includes other arts organizations (circus arts, dance, theatre), community groups, university galleries and other organizations.

GALLERY:

  • Organization or business whose day-to-day primary operations are the exhibition and/or promotion of visual arts and/or artists.

  • Includes public & commercial galleries, artist-run centres, arts cooperatives, university galleries.

MUSEUM

  • Organization in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.

LOCAL BUSINESS:

  • If you are a local business or for-profit group that does not fit the categories listed above, but wishes to participate in Nocturne: Art at Night, please contact us at [email protected] for further information.

Learn more: Nocturne 2024: Information for Local Businesses

ELIGIBILITY

Nocturne is a FREE, night-time festival featuring contemporary and performing arts of many different genres. Though the scope of the festival is quite wide, there are some key criteria that needs to be met for projects to be eligible. Community Group projects should:

  1. Take place within one of the following neighbourhoods:
    1. Downtown Kjipuktuk/Halifax, including Barrington Street, Hollis Street, Argyle Street and surrounding areas.

    2. Waterfront and Port: Lower Water Street, Waterfront, Kjipuktuk/Halifax Port and surrounding areas.

    3. Spring Garden Road and surrounding areas, SMU and Dalhousie Campuses

    4. North End & Quinpool Road (from Robie to Oxford Streets, Agricola and Gottingen Streets and surrounding areas).

    5. Downtown Dartmouth (from the Ferry Terminal to Pleasant Street and surrounding areas).

  2. Focus on the showcasing of local art and artists, or engage the community through the arts

  3. Be FREE and not require payment to engage with the artwork

  4. Be open specifically from 6:00 PM - MIDNIGHT on Saturday, October 19, 2024

  5. Have the staffing/volunteer resources to manage the project

  6. Have a venue or prospective venue

  7. Be self-funded. Nocturne does not provide funding to participating Galleries and Community Groups.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants should be aware that participation in Nocturne is not automatic solely on the basis of meeting the general eligibility requirements. All applications will be reviewed and selected against the following criteria:

  1. Merit

  2. Presentation

  3. Originality

All projects must exhibit contemporary art or present a high-quality, original project that reflects the scale and spirit of Nocturne.

Feasibility:

Your application should include details about:

  • your project and how you plan to do it.

  • production and technical requirements and a plan to meet those requirements

  • staffing and volunteer requirements

  • accessibility

  • health and safety needs and a plan to meet those needs (if required)

ARTIST ENGAGEMENT:

Nocturne celebrates Kjipuktuk/Halifax and Dartmouth's vibrant local art scene. Nocturne encourages Community Groups & Galleries to work collaboratively with an artist(s) or members of an arts organization. Nocturne also encourages fair financial compensation to any artist(s) involved with creating or collaborating on a project for a Community Group or Gallery.

INFO SESSION: Nocturne will host and information session for interested applicants on Tuesday, May 7th from 3:00-4:00pm AST. To register for the info session, click here.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Submit your proposal by completing this form.

The first section of the form will ask about eligibility criteria. If you cannot answer one or more of these questions, please contact us at [email protected] to proceed with your submission. Please include all relevant details pertaining to your proposal. We're here to help!

DEADLINE: August 1, 2024

We will process applications on an ongoing basis, and aim to notify participants within 1 month of receiving their application.

FAQ'S

  • How will projects be evaluated?

    Merit, Presentation, Originality: Is your project high-quality, original, and reflects the scale and spirit of Nocturne?

    Feasibility: Do you provide details about the production and technical requirements and how you plan to meet those requirements?

    Accessibility: How is your project accessible to diverse audiences and equity-seeking groups?

    Safety: All projects are reviewed for safety requirements as they are included under our liability insurance.

  • What type of groups are eligible to participate?

    COMMUNITY GROUPS

    • For-profit and non-profit community and cultural organizations, businesses (retail) and other cultural, educational and historical institutions, that do not meet the definition of a gallery, but will participate by coordinating their own nocturne arts event or activity, with the participation of artists or members of the arts community.
    • Includes other arts organizations (circus arts, dance, theatre), community groups, universities and other organizations.

    GALLERIES:

    • Organization or business whose day-to-day primary operations are the exhibition and/or promotion of visual arts and/or artists.

    • Includes public & commercial galleries, artist-run centres, arts cooperatives, university galleries and museums.

    MUSEUM

    • Organization in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.

    LOCAL BUSINESS:

    • If you are a local business or for-profit group that does not fit the categories listed above, but wishes to participate in Nocturne: Art at Night, please contact us at [email protected] for further information.


  • What are some examples of project proposals for this call?


    ART INSTALLATIONS or EXHIBITIONS: Installations can be view-only displays or immersive (where the public can interact with the work).

    PERFORMANCE: Proposals may also include live performances from individuals or groups.

    WORKSHOPS: Projects that engage with the public through either teaching a skill or creating collective artwork

    Please note that these are just examples, and feel free to think outside the box! Your project can fit into multiple categories and be multi-disciplinary in nature.

    To see more examples of past projects, visit our Project Archive.

  • Is there anything else I should know?

    Nocturne encourages Community Groups and galleries to work collaboratively with an artist(s) or members of an arts organization. If working with an artist, Nocturne also encourages fair financial compensation to any artist(s) involved with creating or collaborating on a project for a Community Group or Gallery.

    Nocturne is dedicated to providing safer spaces. We aim to host spaces that are widely accessible, amplify marginalized voices and leadership, and actively prioritize anti-oppressive principles. Our organizational goal is to provide inclusive events free from harassment and discrimination.

    Selected applicants must agree to adhere to Nocturne's Policies and Code of Conduct.

  • How do I apply?

    Apply by filling out the Submission Form before the deadline of August 1st, 2024.

    The first section of the form will ask about eligibility criteria. If you do not meet the criteria or you’re unsure and still want to participate in Nocturne, please reach out to us at [email protected].