The Dream Fund exists to unlock and resource the bold, creative, regenerative* dreams that are inside us and move them into the everyday consciousness of many.
“Why are we having a crisis of the imagination in 2020 when our survival depends on our imagination to reimagine and rebuild everything? We’re in a perfect storm of media, politics, austerity; anxiety and trauma, that is causing our imagination to shrink when we need it to expand.” — Rob Hopkins
Whilst Department of Dreams is a much longer term piece of work, we will be building upon Re_ Festival in the more immediate term to catalyse a Summer of Dreaming. We are therefore seeking proposals from those who want to make steps towards a collective future with us now, create work for a wider common good and reignite a country facing multiple crises – including one of imagination – with the capacity to dream.
This can only happen when working beyond any one space, approach or way of communicating, beyond galleries, labs, festivals, into the fabric of our lives.
It is for this reason that we are seeking proposals from those working in a range of different ways; from artistry of all kinds, storytelling, writing, design, to building, growing, playing, bringing people together and much more.
*The term “regenerative” describes processes that restore, renew or revitalize their own sources of energy and materials. Regenerative design uses whole systems thinking to create resilient and equitable systems that integrate the needs of society with the integrity of nature. See more.
The Dream Fund commissions can take the form of provocations, interpretations, as well as open frameworks that can be reused, reconfigured and reinterpreted by anyone. Whilst not limited by material, we are particularly looking for proposals that can be used as participatory activities, that encourage play and creativity, are society-centred, open source-able and can act as convening tools around dreams, imagination, foresight + identity.
Provocations
What are our visions for the future?
What questions do we need to ask of one another in order to get there?
Interpretations
What do these dreams mean about us and how do we communicate that?
Open Frameworks
How do we need to organise, make, play and work together to make our dreams possible?
Outcomes will need to be documented in a way that allows them to be shareable with and accessible to others. Initially commissions will form an online Dream Library to be shared digitally, with potential to be exhibited and distributed in forms such as printed matter, toolkits, build projects, events and more in the near and longer term future, but any additional contexts such as these will be discussed and paid for in addition to the initial commission amount.
Investments
It is our priority to get funds to a range of incredible practitioners at the fringes of support across the immediate and longer term, because we know these visions for the future we want to see must be plural, and actively challenge who, by circumstance, time and privilege, are resourced to dream for themselves, their communities and more broadly.
Please note: if you would like to contribute to the dreaming space but would not require this investment in order to do so, we ask that you do not apply for this Fund, and other ways to participate in Re_ will also follow soon.
We have tried to make the application process as simple as possible, and proposals can be submitted in the form of written, imagery, audio or video responses via a short google form. If there are other ways you’d like to respond or different ways you’d like to access this, let us know at info@civicsquare.cc.
The current round of Dream Fund applications is now closed. Check back soon for updates.
Considerations
- The Dream Fund is currently available to those in the UK only.
- Recipients must be able to invoice us in order to receive payment. We know can be a barrier for many, so we invite you to also consider how to distribute further funds to your networks of collaborators and communities for whom this might be the case through your proposal.
- You will have full agency over how your work is attributed, which can include working anonymously or within collectives of practice.
- A simple agreement will be exchanged before the commission begins to ensure things feel clear and fair for everyone involved.