Press Release – Solo Art Project

100 artists – £100 commission – 100 new artistic creations by local arts organisation, Tinderbox Theatre Company

These are extraordinarily difficult times for so many of us, and we have been particularly concerned about the freelance artists of Northern Ireland, most of whom have found themselves suddenly without work and without a basic income. The Covid-19 situation is challenging, both medically and financially and we all need to be supportive and take care of each other during this difficult time. Freelance artists are the beating heart of the sector and it is our responsibility as an arts organisation to do what we can to support the arts sector.

Tinderbox theatre company believes in the incredible power of creativity and we are equally inspired by the many forms and shapes it shapes to tell our stories. Now is the most important time to tell our stories and entertain. Now more than ever, people need to connect with a piece of art to feel inspired, rejuvenated and resilient in their mindsets. Now is the time to show the nurturing power of art in as many forms that we can.

On 17th March 2020, Tinderbox proposed the Solo Art campaign on social media. Using £3k of unrestricted income, we put out a creative call for 30 artists (of all artforms) in Northern Ireland to create a small piece of art (a poem, a short story, performance piece) in exchange for a small commission of £100 to help cushion the financial implications of COVID-19. We then achieved an additional £2k through public fundraising and on 21st March we were delighted to announce that Solo Art was in partnership with BBC and their Culture in Quarantine Programme. This partnership has secured £5k match funding for the project and has provided the opportunity for the work to be shared on their global digital platform.

Solo Art has since collaborated with 60 artists so far and the celebration of creative expression has been fantastic. Each artist received a small fee of £100 for their artistic contribution but the integrity and value of their work have been priceless. As we continue the Solo Art Programme, we aim to continue to highlight Northern Irish talent and champion the resilience, diversity and strength of our unique voices and culture despite these challenging times.

All examples of Solo Art so far can be found on the Tinderbox Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tinderboxtheatre/

If you require any further information, please get in touch: info@tinderbox.org.uk – 02890 439313