Greenpeace: Bad Taste

Overview

They’re looking for work that sits at the intersection of art and activism to foster imaginative strategies that create change, and interventions in places of public, political and corporate structural power.

Three projects will be supported with grants of £10,000, a separate production budget, and a box of ash from burnt Amazon rainforest to incorporate into the project.

Recognising the injustices built into the industrial food system, this project prioritises the perspectives of artists and activists who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, people of colour and/or working class.

They welcome people identifying as disabled and neurodivergent, and will support access needs wherever possible.

What are they looking to support?

Ideas should confront the damaging nature of the industrial meat and dairy system in the UK by:

Exposing harms: exploring how corporations, such as major food brands or agribusiness, or the UK government, are complicit in the crises that industrial meat and dairy exacerbate for people, climate and nature.

and / or

Promoting solutions – making links between industrial meat and dairy reduction and climate and social justice.

They are looking to support artworks, creative actions and interventions that are:

Focused, simple and targeted to achieve maximum impact.
Conceptually compelling, imaginative, bold and ambitious.
Site-specific and take place in public, corporate or political spaces – perhaps without permission.
Subversive and find unconventional ways to confront corporate actors.
Action focused and can be delivered collaboratively with Greenpeace specialists, including climbing and/or boat teams.

See the the formal selection criteria for shortlisting in the info pack for applicants.

Other conditions

All projects must take place in the UK.
Participants must be available for a one-day collaborative workshop on 9 February 2023.
Participants must be willing to participate in Greenpeace’s nonviolent direct action (NVDA) training programme (one day) during the project development period, after grants have been awarded.
Participants should be comfortable with collaborative working and have an open and positive approach to shared learning.

Check the info pack for applicants for more guidance on eligibility and what we’re looking for.

Who can apply?

The open call aims to attract creative submissions from:

Artists who are interested in exploring direct action
Activists who have an artistic or creative element to their work

In recognition that there are inequities built into the industrial food system, this project prioritises the perspectives of artists and activists who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, people of colour and/or working class.

They welcome people identifying as disabled and neurodivergent.

What you’ll get

Three projects will be supported with:

A £10,000 grant to cover your time and fees.
A share of the £45,000 production budget, depending on individual project requirements.
An archive box of ash from a burned area of Amazon rainforest. You can decide how to incorporate the ash. If not in the final work, it must be demonstrably embedded in the creative process.
A package of expert support, training and mentoring tailored to your project and personal needs.

Learn more about the full grant package

Budget

3 x £10,000 grants are available to cover artists’ and activists’ time and fees. Please note the fee is £10,000 whether you are applying as an individual or collective.
A total production budget of up to £45,000 is available for distribution across the three ideas, depending on individual project requirements.

Materials

The three projects will be given an archive box of ash from burnt Amazon rainforest in Brazil (approximately 1 cubic foot). Artists and activists may decide how the ash is incorporated. If not in the final work, it must be demonstrably embedded in the creative process.

Other support

Mentoring, and strategic and practical support to develop proposals into impactful direction actions
Artistic and curatorial guidance to develop proposals into impactful artworks, creative actions and interventions
Legal advice and risk assessment support, tailored to lived experience
Access to production, collaborative logistical expertise, equipment and specific training where possible
Access to collaborations with specialist activist teams (boat and climb) will be available for one of the projects if appropriate
Documentation and archival quality prints of the work
A bespoke Greenpeace nonviolent direct action (NVDA) training will be a mandatory part of the development process

The Issue: About industrial food and climate change

Industrial meat and dairy production is driving climate change, destroying wildlife and ruining people’s lives – all for the benefit of a few giant corporations. The industry is part of an economic system that fuels racism and injustice – particularly against Indigenous Peoples in forest areas.

The climate impacts of industrialised food production are so severe that the biggest meat firms do as much damage as fossil fuel companies. Without significantly reducing meat and dairy, emissions from the global food system alone would make it impossible to keep climate change under control. Challenging this destructive industry is key to preserving a liveable planet.

Selection criteria and process

Ideas submitted through the open call will be reviewed by the core project team and relevant subject experts using the following criteria:

Prioritise the perspectives of Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and/or, the working class and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds above others.
Demonstrate strong impact potential and understanding of the power dynamics of the industrial meat and dairy system.
Push the boundaries of art-activism with creative ingenuity and artistic excellence.
Activate or animate the public’s imagination, and or physical spaces in the public, corporate, and or private realm.

Following the collaborative workshop, fully developed proposals will be reviewed by the core project team, Greenpeace staff, and independent representatives from across art and culture, activism, campaigning and food, land and climate justice spaces, who will support us to identify the most impactful and high-quality artworks, creative actions and interventions. Artist and activist, Tania Bruguera will join the panel reviewing proposals.

Eligibility criteria

The open call opportunity is open to individuals, collectives and groups who:

Self-identify as Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and/or working-class, or are from a low socioeconomic background, in recognition that there are inequities built into the industrial food system
Have an established art and/or activist practice, and experience of creating, producing and or delivering interventions
Are over 18+
Currently living in the UK
Have access to a UK bank account

Project requirements

All projects must take place in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
Participants must be available for a one-day collaborative Bad Taste workshop on 9 February 2023. Participants will be paid, and travel expenses will be reimbursed.
Participants must be willing to participate in Greenpeace’s nonviolent direct action training (one day) during the project development period, after grants have been awarded.
Participants should be comfortable with collaborative working and have an open and positive approach to shared learning.

Please note the project will not be able to support:

Commercial advertising and or, creative agencies
NGOs, or any voluntourism or initiatives that benefit the organiser(s) more than the communities they seek to serve
Greenpeace employees, or freelancers, who have worked with Greenpeace between 2019-2022

Access

Following the shortlisting process, Greenpeace will ensure the collaborative workshop is fully accessible to participants
If you have any access and or support requirements to be able to attend the workshop, please share at submission stage, and Greenpeace will be in contact to discuss this with you after the shortlisting process
Where possible, Greenpeace will cover reasonable childcare costs to support in-person attendance at the workshop, and any required in-person collaboration sessions during project development and NVDA training. To be discussed with shortlisted applicants
Covid safety will be taken into account and the workshop will take place online, if necessary

Track grant Notes