Application Guidelines

It is free to apply to present at Open Engagement 2017 using our Call for Proposals. Please read these guidelines BEFORE starting your application.

Deadline:
The 2017 Call for Proposals will close at 11:59PM PST on Monday, October 31st, 2016.
There will be no extensions granted.

Using the Call for Proposals online application:
– The proposal form does not save in progress applications. We highly recommend that you prepare your responses using a separate word processing application and copy and paste your responses into the submission form fields.
– Please watch your character count.
– Please write in the third person. Descriptions and bios are being collected for the selection process as well as, if selected, for publication.
– Each proposal will be limited to one category.
– Each proposal will have the option to be open to various session types within that category – for example submitting a workshop proposal that you would like considered for either a 45-minute session or a 90-minute session.
– Collective proposals are welcomed. Each proposal will be submitted under the name of one contact person and this will be main point of contact for all further communication.
– It is optional to submit up to three pieces of support material for each proposal. These three pieces of support material can come in the form of images (0.5–1.0MB max) and/or 60-second video or sound clips sent as links to Youtube, Vimeo or Soundcloud.

Proposal Categories:
Each proposal must be identified in one of the following categories: JUSTICE, Open Platform, or Continuing OE. Please read below for more information about each category so that you may select the one that best suits your proposal. 

JUSTICE
We are seeking proposals for programming that address our primary theme for 2017: JUSTICE. In past years, thematic programming has included a myriad of discussions, workshops, interventions, projects, panels, installations, and activities that have addressed the theme in practice and/or in theory.
This year, the theme is guided by the curatorial vision of Lisa Lee and Romi Crawford:
There is a fierce urgency of now for artists and cultural workers who audaciously believe in the immense capacity of art to help shift our sense of what is possible, to unleash our radical imaginations, to model and experiment with new ways of being in the world, to enact social change.
To read more, please see the full 2017 Curatorial Statement.

Open Platform
Open Platform consists of 10-minute presentations followed by 5-minutes of Q&A with the audience. This line of programming will be located in an open central space in order for conference goers and non-conference goers alike to drop in and out at their leisure throughout the weekend. Open Platform is designed to facilitate open dialogue and the sharing of many ideas, strategies, projects, actions, and efforts within the field.

Continuing OE
This line of programming explores pertinent issues surrounding socially engaged art and need not specifically address the JUSTICE  theme. Continuing OE creates a space at the conference to further the dialogue around teaching, supporting, and disseminating socially engaged art. In past years at the conference this has taken the form of summits on education for socially engaged art, workshops and panels on community art, curating, and funding, as well as public conversations bringing together museum professionals working in public engagement and social practice. Continuing OE programming creates a space for educators, practitioners, administrators, institutions, funders, and organizations to develop their practices, share skills and knowledge, and further dialogue.

Proposal Length & Type
You may propose the following kinds of programming under the JUSTICE or Continuing OE categories: 
Panel — a small group of people (6 maximum – including moderator) brought together to discuss, investigate, or debate a particular subject; 90-minutes
Workshop — hands-on activity or discussion; 90-minutes
Presentation — an informative talk about a particular subject or project; 30, 45, 60, or 90-minutes (If your discussion is less than 90 minutes, the OE curators will pair sessions to share 90-minute time slots.)
Project — original project created for Open Engagement; can include performances, tours, installations, and more; can be proposed for a specific timeslot, part or full day, or for the full length of the conference. 

Selection Process
Proposals received through the open call are reviewed by volunteer Selection Committees comprised of local and national partners, artists, activists, students, community members and scholars. The proposals selected for inclusion by the committees are then carried forward by the small group of people that make up the core OE team.
Applicants will be notified on the status of their proposal by January 2017.

Questions?
Please see the Open Engagement FAQ
Email us at [email protected]