INTRODUCTION:

Following the success of the Intervention show in Handsworth in February 2002, The Sozo Collective - in partnership with The Public (formerly Jubilee Arts) - are staging an exciting new event called re:location. This will run in various forms from July to October 2003.

re:location is set in an old X-Ray factory on Foundry Lane, in an area of Smethwick called Soho. The building is almost opposite the Avery scales factory & Avery museum. The setting is one of existing heavy-industry sagging into decay and desolation.

The show is curated by Dave Pollard, curator of Intervention.

re:location is the overall name for a series of events & projects to be staged at the disused factory. re:location will culminate in an art show open to the public in mid September, titled RADIOACTIVE.

As the the timetable rolls out, events happen & the project unfolds, the public will have access on certain days to view our progress, and to find out about how we're converting our ex–industrial workspace into a public arts space & venue.

Following the success of re:location, The Sozo Collective plan to follow up with similar events nationally and internationally, spreading our ethos of open-access art with minimum bureaucracy.

It will be what we make it....

FACILITIES:

   varied gallery spaces
   a large events area with stage & sound amplification.
   a video, film & interactive-media projection area.
   cafe & meeting area.
   shop - clothing, postcards, art, catalogues, and merchandise.
   computers & net area - one PC, one Mac. Photoshop, etc.
   web-site, with curated photo gallery & weblog.
   a space about the building's history & the area's industrial heritage.
   transport of large items can be arranged at a modest cost.
   basic services: loos, water, electric, etc.

PUBLIC FUNDING:

The Sozo Collective will be in receipt of funding from The Public (formerly Jubilee Arts), through funds distributed by Arts Council England.

This public funding is allocated mainly to the materials & labour associated with converting the factory to a suitable temporary arts venue, with a small amount also available for artists' commissions or expenses.

In addition, some participants have attracted sponsorship or funding for their own projects. These will be staged under the umbrella of the re:location event.

"I'M AN ARTIST - LET ME IN!":

We intend to make this as easy as possible. You should make your initial approach verbally to Dave Pollard – pitch him your idea or proposal. You should have already thought about... 1) the materials & space you might need, 2) your ability to set aside time to realise your work, and 3) whether you are, or hope to be, in receipt of sufficient funding to cover your materials and costs - and if the cheque will be cashed within the re:location timetable.

ARTISTS' FUNDING:

Where you require funding to achieve your project, there are four possible sources of assistance:

   Some large projects by individuals may be funded up to a maximum of £5,000 by Arts Council England. BUT - deadlines are tight and applications should be made by mid July. If you're reading this on the web-site, then you've probably already missed the deadline. To be sure, contact: (p) 0845 300 6100 / (e) enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk

   The Public will be commissioning a number of artists on this project (speak to Dave Pollard).

   Sozo Collective – we hope to employ a number of artists to work with other groups on site during the weeks running up to the show. Further details will follow on the web-page front page.

   Private and/or business sponsorship. This option is entirely down to you. There are many large industrial businesses in the area, who may be able to offer free materials, transport or production facilities, or even some cash funding. But it's entirely up to you to to judge if you have the right project and the personal professionalism to approach them yourself. Please be tactful & polite. Please avoid contacting Avery & GKN since we are already in contact with them.

ARTIST'S AGREEMENT:

re:location will only happen if we all commit a significant amount of time & effort to the process. Artists taking part will be expected to sign an agreement, committing themselves to sharing the burden of staging the show through one or more of the following duties:

   General building and labouring work
   Painting & clearing up
   Catering
   Invigilating the show and associated events
   Sharing any useful specialist skills (e.g. plumbing)
   Staffing the 'shop'
   Marketing & distribution of promotional material
   Web-site design and maintenance

In return we hope all of our work will be seen by large numbers of art lovers in the region and beyond, and we are planning for significant exposure in arts and general publications, on the net, and on radio and TV. A number of international artists will be taking part and the networking possibilities are considerable.

Artists will also be required to receive a health & safety briefing.

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THE CATALOGUE: WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

We urgently need submissions from the artists included in the show, Deadline for submissions is Friday 22nd August 2003.

Submissions should be e-mailed to Graziano Milano on grazianomilano@thepublic.com or by post to: Graziano at The Public, Unit 1A Overend St, West Bromwich, B70 6EY.

We need the following:

1. Beside each artists name and image of work we want to put just one word next to RADIO. The word has to be relevant to your work for the show and/or to your art practice. The idea is to substitute the word ACTIVE from the title with a word which works together with RADIO explaining your activity/activation in the building and in the show (e.g.: RADIOMAD, RADIOFREE, RADIODULL).

2.MAXIMUM 100 WORDS of biography, about you and/or your practice, to include exhibition history if you wish.

3. Three images of the work in this show - either finished or in progress, or as a planning drawings, or as a text if your work is text/language based. If this is not possible then you may want to talk with Graziano or one of the other participants about using one of the site shots available. One of the image will be selected with the individual artist approval for publication in the catalogue. The other two may be used in the show's web-site.

4. NEW! You can include up to 100 WORDS describing the work you are making for the show.

Please note that the artists can submit the following format:

Photographs and/or slides and/or original work (A4 max) of a very high quality to be scanned (i.e. NO inkjet or laser prints - and do not scan your originals either)

Digital images saved as PC/MAC Photoshop .psd or .tif format, at 300dpi, A4 print size or greater. (i.e.: NO low-quality web images, .jpg or .gif files please!).

Images from digital cameras or video stills. Please make sure that the image is at the highest resolution available in your digital camera, video camera or video editing software, saved as .jpg without any alterations or filters (if that is not an integral part of your piece of artwork).

The design of the catalogue and the selling-price is to be decided (all artists will have one for free), but it will be of high quality and branded as radioactive, staged by Sozo Collective in partnership with The Public, and also crediting all our sponsors.

We plan to scan the polaroids from the site noticeboard, to feature a "rogues' gallery" of participants in the catalogue. There will also be a written introduction.

We are also collecting any suitable images of the various stages of the re:intervention project - to be included in the catalogue and web-site. Please submit anything you think is relevant.

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Someone should be at the site every day - so please feel free to drop in or
contact us. Please contact us, just to be sure, before travelling long distances.