COVID-19 Statement
Like many others, the NEoN team is working remotely at home until further notice. At the moment we are working on the assumption that our November festival will still go ahead, although we anticipate it might be in a slightly different way.
It’s likely there will still be restrictions on international travel – making the transportation of artwork and the participation of artists abroad more challenging. Therefore we’re expecting NEoN Digital Arts Festival 2020 to have much more online activity than usual, as well as a more local focus. These are just some of the things we will be considering over the coming months.
In the meantime we will be digging through our archives and bringing you digital delights that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. For example, over the years NEoN has commissioned and worked with a number of artists to produce and present online work. We have pulled together a few here, on our recent blog ‘Why Go Outside When You’ve Got NEoN?‘. Also we still have an active call out for our ‘Indeterminacy/Share Commission’, where we seek project proposals that suggest connections and commonalities between sharing and indeterminacy. Submission deadline: 20th April 2020.
We will be looking at alternative ways to bring you new digital works and highlight what others are doing to help audiences stay connected. If you have any thoughts or ideas contact us via our social media channels.
Creative Scotland have put together a funding and resource directory for those working in the creative community. Take a look here. SCAN have also put together more detailed information about the coronavirus, which is being continuously updated, at Coronavirus – Updates and Advice | News.
Stay Safe!
NEoN
Can You Help?
As we are a digitally based arts charity, we are in a very privileged position. Our work can continue, staff have access to digital devices and access to the internet. However a new report has highlighted the growing problem of ‘digital exclusion’. It provides new evidence that government efforts to move services online are particularly disadvantaging low-income groups, including older people and those with disabilities. Over a third of the poorest children in the uk do not have the internet or a computer at home.
Consider lobbying your local MP to tackle digital poverty and exclusion in your area, or support UK wide charities such as Learning Foundation and Citizens Online to help them reduce the digital divide.
NEoN (North East of North) aims to advance the understanding and accessibility of digital and technology driven art forms and to encourage high quality within the production of this medium. NEoN has organised exhibitions, workshops, talks, conferences, live performances and public discussions and established itself as a platform to showcase national and international digital art forms. By bringing together emerging talent and well-established artists, we aim to influence and reshape the genre. We are committed to helping our fabulous city of Dundee, well known for its digital culture and innovation, to become better connected through experiencing great art, networking and celebrating what our wee corner of Scotland has to offer in the field of digital arts.
NEoN digital arts festival is produced by NEoN (North East of North) and supported by Creative Scotland through RFO funding (regular funded organisation). Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.
Image: Touchy: The Human Camera by Eric Siu
