*budget areas to consider include: performer fees, venue and/or equipment rental, materials, transport, workshops, admin…
In terms of submission, please send your idea in no more than 400 words (ideally in word doc or pdf format), along with a brief biography and initial budget where applicable. Please use the words: LIBERTIES FESTIVAL OPEN CALL 2027 in your subject line and send to michael@thelibertiesfestival.com If the idea has reference points from elsewhere, we welcome you including these too. Please keep an eye on the size of any files attached, please - links are preferable.
A Q&A concerning the Open Call will happen on the week of October 19th. This will either be in person or online, depending on the level of interest. To register for this, please mail director michael@thelibertiesfestival.com with INFO CLINIC in the subject line and further details will be sent by October 14th.
If you struggle with written applications, please let us know so we can facilitate a chat.
All submissions will be acknowledged. We will create an initial short list by the end of February, some may need more lead in time for exploration or require further assessment. Our programme will not be finalised until late Spring 2027.
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO PROGRAMME INTERNATIONAL WORK AND WILL NOT CONSIDER SUBMISSIONS.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 4th November
- We programmed three events from the Open Call process in 2026. These were: (1) Threads of the Liberties, a tapestry of place which was co-created by artist Cristina Nicotra with local residents and displayed at our opening event attended by the President. (2) A Dish to Remember which invited community members to share stories about food memories and engage in a clay-making workshop with Ayelet Lalor to bring these to life. It resulted in a booklet being created and exhibition in Fusco’s. (3) A local Photowalk with Ste Murray capturing plant life that often goes unnoticed.
- We programmed three events from the Open Call process in 2025. These were: (1) All My Friends are in Australia, a debut play by an emerging theatre collective - Legroom - which took place upstairs in Arthur’s Bar; (2) A Matter of Time: Vol. 2, an exhibition and workshops in Tailor’s Hall by locally based photographer, printmaker and sound artist (3) A Soundwalk & workshop which culminated in a Sounds of the Liberties performance in Saint Catherine’s Church.
The scoring criteria is equally weighted between:
Concept (quality, innovation)
Relevance (community, accessibility)
Feasibility & Delivery capacity (cost, experience, space/location)
Gut Feeling (fit with other ideas/direction, excitement levels)
