Mas ar y Maes with Pride launches brand new call-out for LGBTQ+ artists

Mas ar y Maes with Pride, a partnership between the National Eisteddfod, Stonewall Cymru, Glitter Cymru, Pride Cymru, Pontio, Bangor University and the LGBTQ+ community in Wales, has launched an open call for freelance artists, performers, and practitioners, within the LGBTQ+ community, and the aim is to commission five new and exciting pieces of artwork to be exhibited at various festivals in summer 2023.

The work has to be suitable for display at summer festivals and can involve any genre or style to fit any space, including outdoor work, theatre, cabaret, a piece to be exhibited in a gallery – the choice is yours – and this opportunity is open to artists of all genres working across all mediums.

The successful works will be performed at up to four different venues over the summer, including the National Eisteddfod, Glitter Cymru, Pride Cymru and Pontio Arts Centre in Bangor.

Three types of commissions are available as part of the scheme funded through the Arts Council of Wales’ Connect and Flourish Fund, starting from £3,000 for a small-scale project to £12,000 for a large-scale commission.  The partnership will select five schemes, and tall the details and information on how to apply are available here, https://eisteddfod.wales/2023-mas-ar-y-maes-commissions.  The successful artists will also be offered the opportunity to collaborate with Elgan Rhys, Emmy Stonelake, Marc Rees, Mirain Iwerydd, Osian Meilir and Rahim El Habachi, who are part of the network and are mentors on this scheme.

Applications are particularly encouraged from applicants from a minority / majority global ethnic background, people with disabilities, Welsh learners or anyone belonging to another minority group.  At least one commission will be awarded to a person of colour / minority / majority global ethnic background, and at least one will be given to a project providing focus and engagement within the community and with community groups.

Mas ar y Maes with Pride was created in summer 2022, building on the work started by the LGBTQ+ community in Wales, Stonewall Cymru and the National Eisteddfod in 2018, nurturing and developing new talent and elevating historically underrepresented voices and communities.  The mapping and the new commissions will help us to reach new audiences within the LGBTQ+ communities both by creating exciting queer cultural projects and collating the excellent work already happening across Wales.

The deadline to apply for the commissions is 09:00, Monday 20 February.  Applicants can contact project officer, Osian Meilir for a chat before applying by emailing osianmeilir@gmail.com.