Culture
04 Feb 20

Electric Picnic launches 2020 'Art Caravan' competition with bigger grants

Calling all artists, architects, theatre-makers, performance groups, engineers and creators...

Electric Picnic's annual Art Caravan competition has begun. This year's Trailer Park will grow significantly and the festival organisers are giving out more grants than ever to aspiring artists.

The concept is simple -- turn a caravan, vehicle or trailer into something implausibly wonderful and Electric Picnic will give it a home in their Trailer Park, a haven of hilarious caravans, utilitarian mobile homes that have undergone surgery, vans re-functioned, campers converted.

Will Hardie, the master craftsman behind Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces and Shed of the Year, will choose the winners, who will receive financial aid to turn their ideas into reality and be invited to host the creation at Electric Picnic with a group of friends.

He commented: "I’m so delighted to be involved for the second year in this competition - I love how Trailer Park has supported the creative visions of so many people, and harnessed their passion for festivals. The idea of transforming the humble caravan into so many wonderful and wacky creations is part of the story - but to then be given the opportunity to unveil it at the largest and most artistically ambitious festival in Ireland is pure genius."

The hosts are hunting for ideas that are fun and bewildering, anything from tiny venues to oddball theatres to fun-clinics.

Artistic Director Roz Jellett said, "In Trailer Park we really do set out to make people laugh, inspire and engage. Projects that marry creativity, participation and style. This competition loves a good host, so if you have a gang of friends who like to make people around you have fun, simply think of how you might do that in the most unusual way, and either inside or in front of a room on wheels."

The deadline for grant proposals is March 4 and final decisions will be made by April 25. Irish applicants are also invited to be considered for the Trailer Park at Latitude Festival in the UK, with transport costs covered by the organisation. Apply here.