Festival UK 2022 is the working title for new festival of creativity and innovation launched this week by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
With funding of £3 million going to up to thirty teams representing practitioners of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, this public engagement project will showcase the UK’s creativity and innovation talent both at home and abroad.
Dowden referred to the application process as, “an exciting and demanding competition to find the brightest and best innovators in the UK as we begin the countdown to Festival UK 2022. We’re looking for the finest creative minds to help show the world what is possible when England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland come together and champion all that is great about our United Kingdom. The winning applicants will receive £3 million to turn their ideas into spectacular, unforgettable realities. This investment will support jobs and create new work across these sectors in all four corners of the UK as we help our cultural and creative industries recover from the coronavirus pandemic.”
Martin Green is chief creative officer for Festival UK 2022 which will award funding of up to £100,000 per team whose first move will be to demonstrate they have the skills and collaborators needed to create ambitious and extraordinary projects.
From this group, a maximum of ten final projects will be commissioned.
The Festival, which will launch at the end of next year with a new name, has investment of £120 million, including £22.8 million to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The BBC will be the lead broadcast partner for the Festival which it is intended will create opportunities for jobs within sectors significantly impacted by the pandemic.
The deadline for submissions is 3PM on 16 October; R&D will run between mid-November to end January with shortlisting taking place in February.