Nowhere 2012 art grants

Our aims and your guidelines

‘Art takes Nowhere from just being a party in the desert to being an amazing, unique event.’

Art and creativity are core to Nowhere. They are an important aspect of what sets it apart from other events. We would like to thank you for considering bringing art to Nowhere 2012!

One way Nowhere supports creative activity is by offering a limited number of financial grants:

Round 1: Grants of up to €750 – application deadline Sunday 11 March 2012

Round 2: Grants of up to €250 – application deadline Sunday 13 May 2012

Applications received after the deadlines will not be considered.

• Please note: We will only fund up to 70% of the total cost of your art project.
• Please only apply for the amount you need. This will allow us to fund as many projects as possible.
• Funding for any one project will be limited to the grant amounts shown above.
• As well as big ideas, we are also interested in small, intimate projects, which is why we offer smaller grants.
• We do not fund artists’ time, labour or personal travel expenses. We do fund materials and material transportation costs.
• We only pay grants in arrears, on the production of valid receipts.

Our aims

It is our aim to support diverse, eclectic and inspiring art projects. We strive to have a balance of physical, performance and static art. We encourage both experienced and less experienced artists to apply.

We are particularly keen to fund:

• art that is of very high quality
• both large- and small-scale projects
• a wide range of projects (in terms of media and impact), from a wide range people, all delivered effectively
• projects that respond well to the particular and unique environment of the event
• participatory projects

Participatory art requires human interaction to complete a piece. It prompts people to interact with one another, it responds to participants and/or the environment, it causes people to reflect on the larger community, and/or it belongs to the public and exists for the benefit of all.

Participatory projects might include:

• projects that engage with or cross the language barrier
• projects that work strongly with themes of group identity
• performances
• projects that bring disparate groups of people together
• projects that facilitate other people making art
• projects that are inspirational and that go beyond decoration or being ‘just’ spectacular

How to apply

To apply for an art grant, please:

1. Fill in the online application form in English, Spanish or your own language if you prefer (we will arrange for the translation). The online application form can be found on our website.  If you prefer a document version, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
2. Supply an adequate leave no trace plan. The form can be found on our website. Please email this to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
3. Send some supporting materials for your idea (eg pictures, drawings, video, audio files etc). Please email this to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Here is a breakdown of the questions on the form in more detail:

Basic information

We need your contact details and the name of your project. We also need a description of your project in 50 words or less. This is useful for us as an introduction to your ideas. The description will also be used for the Nowhere art map and guide.

Section A: Your ideas

What do you want to do?
This needs to outline the concept of your piece, what you want to do, with whom and why. It should also show the driving motivation behind the work, what you want to achieve with it and anything else you want to tell us about it. Try to imagine you are seeing the piece for the first time and describe how the audience will view and interact with the work.

How is it participatory?
Participation is at the heart of Nowhere. How is your project participatory?

Section B: Logistics

What previous experience have you had that would feed into the successful creation of this work?
It doesn't matter whether or not you have created art before. We want to know how viable the project is, how committed you are to its success and any other information that will show us that you can successfully create your work.

How will you raise the rest of the funds for the project?
Nowhere is about radical self-reliance. The funding available to support creativity is limited. Although we can go some way to financially supporting your work, we need to know how you will ensure the success of the project.

What equipment and other resources will you need for this project, and how will you get them?
Will you need power? Do you need a lot of volunteers? If it’s a land-based installation, what materials will you need and how will you get them? For example, you must think about how you will light your project at night.

How will you transport your project to and from the event?
We need to know that you have considered this.

How will you ensure the safety of your work and of the participants?
Please state what safety precautions you will be taking. This is especially applicable to large-scale building work. We will need to check your building work on site for safety. How will you light it at night? How will people know how to interact with it?

What is the timeline for the project?
Please specify how you will transform your ideas from plans to reality, including the practicalities of building any physical parts and details of transport arrangements. Please specify dates and times. All physical art needs to be assembled by Tuesday and stay up until Sunday. This schedule must reflect the proposed budget.

Section C: Budget

Please include a detailed, itemised breakdown of your overall budget. Please include all costs of the project, except labour and your own travel expenses.

Please remember:

• We will only fund up to 70% of any project’s total cost.
• We will not fund your time, labour or personal travel expenses. You will therefore need to cover the remainder of the costs independently.
• We will only pay the costs in arrears, on the production of valid receipts. If you really need the money in advance, let us know, and we may pay up to 50% in advance.
• If the receipts you hand us at the end are not what we agreed, we might not be able to pay your grant.
• You are responsible for getting your receipts to the art team by Sunday 12 August 2012.

Section D: Supporting materials

You can send anything you like here to show us how your idea has developed. You may like to include images of any past projects, as well as any other photos, drawings, videos, sketches or links you would like us to consider.

And finally

10% of the ticket income goes to art grants. Please think your application through carefully and make sure you meet all the criteria, otherwise we might not be able to fund you.

Feel free to contact the Nowhere Art team with any questions or concerns. If you need help developing a leave no trace plan, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it