Greentop are honoured to be managing this legacy of Victoria Works as part of its support for emerging and experienced artists and teachers. Victoria Works was acquired as a semi-derelict building on a temporary meanwhile lease in 2013. Following several months of work by local performers, artists and volunteers it was transformed into a training, rehearsal and performance space for circus and other arts in Sheffield. It closed its doors in October 2021.

The Victoria Works Legacy Bursary Scheme: Aims

To support circus artists and community circus arts practitioners local to Sheffield to create new works, explore ideas and practice and to contribute to community engagement by means of a bursary scheme to individuals, groups or companies with a burning desire to explore, create, experiment or engage. There will be 2 awards in each of 2 activity areas:

1. Artist and creative development:

Promoting ambition, scale and artistic excellence that can take the form of:

• ·Creation of new work
• ·Research and Development of an idea or concept
• Exploration of creative practice

Main award of £6k: must include a minimum of a work in progress sharing, must be clear about trajectory of development and can be for a whole show.

Research and development award of £1k: For development of an idea or concept or exploration of a creative practice.

We are working with partners Theatre Deli and Sheffield University Enable US project and hope that the awards will also be support by:

• Creation space: times are to be confirmed and subject to availability
• Showcase opportunities
• Producer support

 

2. Community project:

Promoting community engagement and practice that can take the form of:

• Community workshops and outreach
• Support Troupe or other social circus performance.

Two awards of £2k: For the delivery of a project with a community that has both creative and social benefits for participants

To be eligible for the awards you must:

• Be an emerging or established artist/s in circus or related disciplines
• Live in Sheffield

We encourage:

• Projects that involve other artists, creatives and the local community
• Work that is at any stage of development
• Work that has artistic merit (eg not work designed for corporate entertainment.)
• Applications that reflect the diversity of Sheffield
• Submissions from artists at any stage of their career

The time scale and bursary is not restricted, so funds can be used to match further funding. We will provide opportunity to share your work if appropriate. We will want your involvement in informing our further creative development support and programme. This information is also posted here https://www.greentop.org/artist-development/

How to apply

Please submit a proposal of maximum 2 sides or a video/audio recording maximum of 2 minutes by email to manager@greeentop.org including:

• Appropriate contact details (If you are applying as a collective/company of artists please specify a main contact person).
• A brief biography detailing who you are, your background, professional experience and description of the creative team who will be involved.
• An artistic description contextualising the creative ideas you will develop.
• An outline of the development trajectory of the work, including previous development work, the intended project outcome and next stages of development.
• A rationale for the benefit of the award and why it is important to your development.
• Project timing.
• A summary budget of how your bursary is proposed to be spent
• If available, clips or links to examples of your previous work/work-in-progress

The selection panel will be independent of Greentop management.

Deadline for submission: midnight Sunday September 24th 2023

Awards announcement: By the end of October 2023

Project period: Timing of the project is open.

We actively encourage people from communities that are under-represented in the UK arts sector to apply to join us and bring their talent, experience and expertise to Greentop Community Circus Centre. We are particularly seeking applications from people of the global majority (BAME), D/deaf or Disabled people and/or transgender and non-binary people. Greentop Circus recognises the positive value of diversity, promoting equality and challenging discrimination. All staff have undergone Anti-Racism Training and Disability Awareness training to ensure Greentop continues to be a safe and encouraging space for people from all backgrounds.

These Awards are part of a broader programme to support creative development of artists and teachers and is made possible with legacy funds from Victoria Works with partnership support from Greentop Community Circus Centre.

 

Background

Victoria Works was acquired as a semi-derelict building on a temporary meanwhile lease in 2013. Following several months of work by local performers, artists and volunteers it was transformed into a training, rehearsal and performance space for circus and other arts in Sheffield.

Performing Arts North CIC was set up by those involved to oversee the running of the space in an open, transparent and accountable way. Run by artists for artists, it worked to create a nurturing and supportive environment for the creation of artistic works and we are very proud of what has been achieved over the past 8 years.

The project has now come to a conclusion with the loss of the building in October 2021. We have been unable to find any suitable alternative premises and so the decision has reluctantly been taken to wind-up Performing Arts North.

This bursary comes about as there are some accumulated funds in PAN’s bank account and we believe it is important to put this to good use within our local circus and arts community. In line with our objectives and obligations as a CIC we would like this to be distributed to the Sheffield creative community in order to research and develop new ideas and to make new work particularly in light of the devastating impacts of the pandemic on those engaged in live entertainment. The scheme is administered by Greentop Circus.