In 2027, BTB will mark ten years of commissioning with a major survey exhibition at The Harris, Preston. Bringing together works and stories from across BTB’s programme, the exhibition will reflect on a decade of artistic responses to textiles, labour, place, materials and making, while looking towards the future and bringing contemporary art to new audiences.
As part of the exhibition, British Textile Biennial and The Harris are seeking to co-commission a new interactive artwork incorporating textiles for audiences of all ages, creating a playful and participatory way into the ideas explored throughout the exhibition.
We are looking for an artist, designer or collective to develop an ambitious interactive work of scale that responds to the themes and ideas running through ten years of British Textile Biennial.
Across its programme, BTB has used textiles as a way of exploring wider questions about people, place and the world around us – from global connections, labour and making to fashion and consumption, migration, sustainability, traditional knowledge, technological innovation and our changing relationships with materials. We are interested in how these ideas might be encountered differently through participation. The commission must incorporate textiles, but its form and approach are open.
The work might be sculptural, spatial, sensory, digital and/or immersive, or bring together several of these approaches. It could invite visitors to play, explore, assemble, manipulate or contribute; evolve through participation over the course of the exhibition; or propose an entirely different form of interaction. The commission will occupy a dedicated space in the central room of the exhibition, measuring 3m × 6.6 m, with two walls available for hanging work to a height of 4.1m. Proposals should be developed with this space in mind, considering how visitors will enter, move through and interact with the work.
We are particularly interested in proposals that:
- Encourage open-ended play, experimentation and participation.
- Create an engaging experience for audiences across generations.
- Consider accessibility as an integral part of the work.
These prompts leave space for artists to interpret the opportunity through their own practice. We are interested in ideas that we haven’t anticipated.
Applicants do not need to identify as textile artists. We welcome artists and creatives working across disciplines who can incorporate textiles imaginatively into their response.
Please click here, or on the graphic below to open the PDF and find more information including budget and the application process. All applications and enquiries must be sent to emily@britishtextilebiennial.co.uk
