Watershed in Bristol has announced a call for entries for a new £30,000 international award at the intersections of art, technology and culture.
The Playable City Award invites artists to use creative technologies to ‘surprise, challenge and engage audiences’. The winning work will be installed in a public space in Bristol before touring internationally.
The award is part of Watershed’s ongoing investigation into the idea of a ‘playable city’ – defined as a place where there is permission to be playable in public.
Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, whose bouncy castle-style Stonehenge recently travelled to Bristol as part of its UK tour, said: “We need to see more playfulness in our cities and public spaces. The Playable City Award encourages surprising interventions, and I look forward to seeing what is produced.”
Watershed’s Clare Reddington said: “The award is being co-funded by a network of creative and technology companies from Bristol to champion the city as an international hub for cutting-edge creativity. This unusual approach to sponsorship and support typifies the collaborative nature of a city where companies find a networked and open approach leads to creativity and competitive advantage.”
Submissions open today (24 October) and close on 5 December. The shortlist will be published in December and the winner announced in January 2013.
For more information on the award and how to apply visit www.watershed.co.uk/playablecity
