Commissions Open Call

Creative Kernow is seeking proposals from Cornwall-based artists and collectives for five commissions as part of Flamm 2026, taking place 28 Feb – 1 Mar in Bodmin.

THE OPEN CALL IS NOW CLOSED

About Flamm

Flamm (flamm.creativekernow.org.uk) is a visual art-led event that brings internationally and nationally important work to Cornwall, enables ambitious new work by locally-based artists and engages communities and visitors in its multi-layered programme.

The 2023 pilot festival attracted over 13,000 visits to 22 events across 12 locations in Redruth. Audiences travelled from Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, and as far afield as London and Scotland. The festival was featured in The Guardian, Art Monthly, and a number of local and community media outlets.

For 2026, we are working with the theme of [Dis]Location. We will be working in partnership with intoBodmin in the delivery of the festival.

Flamm X Liverpool Biennial

In addition to the five new commissions, Flamm will present two pieces of moving image work which has been newly commissioned for Liverpool Biennial 2025: BEDROCK.

Dear Othermother is a new film which tells a personal tale of single motherhood in Toxteth, Liverpool by BAFTA Scholar and filmmaker Amber Akaunu. This autobiographical documentary-style film is inspired by the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child”, and centres around single parents and their best friends who have built alternative ‘villages’ through which they collectively raise their children. 

Touched by the trees in a forest of eyes is a new multi-screen video work by Norwegian video and sound artist Linda Lamignan. Referencing the artist’s ancestry, the knowledge systems of animism and geology, Lamignan explores how the idea of land as a resource has been perpetuated throughout time by tracing the history of the palm oil and petroleum trade between Nigeria and Liverpool. 

Flamm X Counterpoints Arts

Continuing our partnership with Counterpoints Arts from the 2023 festival, we hope to bring at least one recent commission from Counterpoints Arts to the 2026 festival in Bodmin. Commissioned artists will also have opportunities to benefit from further development support from Counterpoints Arts.

Open Call

As part of Flamm, we are commissioning five new works by artists or collectives based in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. Supported by Cornwall Council’s Experience Bodmin project, these commissions aim to enrich the Flamm programme, bring visitors and communities together and support contemporary artists living and working in Cornwall by enabling them to make and present new and ambitious work.

The commissions will be presented to the public in Bodmin over the weekend of 28 Feb and 1 Mar, as part of Flamm 2026. Four of the opportunities are co-commissions with partners in Bodmin, with one fully open to different forms of presentation for both in and outdoor spaces.

Information Sessions

In-Person – 3pm 29th July, Bodmin

If you missed the site visites to our commissioning partners on the 29th July, you can find short videos of the sites on our Instagram.

Locations of the sites above can be found on the map here. All partner sites are open to public, so you are welcome to visit them your self as well.

Online – 10am 7th August, Zoom

We held an online info event with Flamm producers Tonia Lu, Liam Jolly, and Experience Bodmin Manager Celine. You can find the recording of the session here. 

Proposal Reviews – 27th & 28th August, Zoom

Applicants can also book a 30-minute proposal review session with Flamm producer Liam Jolly on the 27th or 28th of August, you can book your time here.

Our Bodmin Partners


Bodmin Jail 

A historical site and visitor attraction, as well as being linked to a magnificent experiential hotel, Bodmin Jail invites proposals for a piece of temporary public artwork in its courtyard which is free to access for the public. This piece of work needs to reflect Bodmin as a town with links the history of the jail. Bodmin Jail is keen for the work to stay in the courtyard beyond the festival, and additional funds can be available if the work can be in situ for a longer term.

Bodmin Keep

Bodmin Keep is home to Cornwall’s Army Museum and an important Cornish heritage asset in its own right. The Museum shows different aspects of military life and British military history with a Collection some 12,000 documents and objects ranging from weaponry, uniforms and medals to regimental colours and military musical instruments alongside artefacts from the battlefield.

Bodmin Keep invites proposals for work that responds to its collection and the Keep and is open to the format of the artwork. Due to the temporary closure of the building, only external spaces are available for the commission.

Bodmin Railway 

Bodmin Railway runs the hugely popular heritage railway between Bodmin General, Boscarne Junction and Bodmin Parkway. Proposals for work that response to the railway and related themes of travel, transit and connection are welcomed, and the final piece be installed or take place on the train or at the Bodmin General station.

Discovering 42 

Discovering 42 is an art and science museum set up by couple Natalia and Roy Jones in 2020. Situated in Bodmin’s Priory Park, the museum builds and commissions installations demonstrating scientific principles and runs an engaging outreach programme. Discovering 42 invites proposals of interactive artwork that relates to science, which could be situated / take place in the current museum or in Discovering 42’s new site.

Locations of the sites above can be found on the map here.

Timeline

  • 8th Sept 2025: Open Call Deadline
  • 19th Sept 2025: Artists Selected
  • Sep – Dec 2025: Developing work and presentation supported by Creative Kernow and intoBodmin Team
  • Mid-Dec 2025: Event programme finalised
  • 16th – 27th Feb 2026: Installation
  • 28 Feb – 1 Mar 2026: Festival
  • Mar 2026: Debrief and Evaluation

Budget

Each commissioned artist /collective will be awarded £6,000 to cover their fee, expenses and material / production costs. The awardees can choose how to use the budget between fee, expenses and material / production, however, we want to see at least £2000 of the award go towards the artist’s/collective’s fee.

Further information about the budget can be found in the Application Guidance Notes.

Who Can Apply

You must:

  • be working professionally as an artist or collective;
  • live and work in Cornwall or Isles of Scilly;
  • have public liability insurance and be registered with HMRC (as self-employed or other entities if you are a collective).

Assessment Criteria

A. Suitability of the Proposal

  • Is the proposed project a good fit for the programme – how well does it address the themes;
  • Will the project engage with the audience effectively and provide a meaningful experience;
  • Is the project realistic and deliverable within the timeframe and budget;
  • For co-commission proposals, is the project the right fit for the location/partner.

B. Track Record & Quality of Work

  • Is the quality of their work well presented in the portfolio submitted;
  • Has the applicant demonstrated the relevance of their proposal to their practice and their ability to deliver all aspects of the project;

C. Opportunity for Development

  • Will this enable the applicant to produce new and ambitious work;
  • Will this make a significant positive impact on the artist’s work / career.

Further information about the criteria and how the application questions address them can be found in the Application Guidance Notes.

Selection Panel

  • Adie Dove, Founder & CEO, KBSK CIC – Adie will also be bringing a young person representative
  • Celine Holman, Experience Project Manager, Cornwall Council
  • Marie-Anne McQuay, Curator, Liverpool Biennial 2025
  • Dijana Rakovic, Senior Producer, Counterpoints Arts

Additional Panelist for Co-commissions

Each panelist will be involved in the selection process for the proposals relevant to their site.

  • Jess Marlton, General Manager, Bodmin Jail
  • Helen Bishop-Stephans, Director, Bodmin Keep
  • Bodmin Railway – TBC
  • Natalia Jones, Co-founder & Director, Discovering 42

How to Apply

Application Deadline 12noon Monday 8th September

All applicants must fill in the online form here. You will be able to save and edit your proposal before submitting. We strongly recommend all applicants consult the Application Guidance Notes while filling in the application form.

Applicants can also book a 30-minute proposal review session with Flamm producer Liam Jolly on the 27th or 28th of August, you can book your time here.

If you have any enquiries including any questions about the sites and what’s possible, please email us at flamm@creativekernow.org.uk, at least 2 working days before the deadline, and we will aim to get back to you within 2 working days.

FAQs

When will I find out whether my proposal has been successful?

We aim to inform all artists by the 19th of September.

Yes, if you are applying as a long-term collaborative practice, you can apply as long as one of the key collaborators lives and works in Cornwall. If you would like to collaborate with someone outside of Cornwall for this project specifically, we would encourage you to carefully consider the challenges you may have within the time frame and budget, and address those in your application.

Both the video and audio applications can be creative or just speaking. We don’t expect professionally edited/produced video/audio, this is a way to enable you to express your ideas in the best way you can.

We would like to be as open as possible for proposed ideas and will identify suitable spaces with the artist once the commission is selected. If you have a space in mind and you are confident that it’s available, please do mention that in the proposal; if you are unsure if it’s available, please provide a plan B.

If you have an idea of the type of spaces you’d like to work with, but are unsure whether that’s available in Bodmin, please get in touch with your idea at least two working days before the deadline, so we can advise and help.

We will be announcing the details of these soon, and if your practice naturally links to their work, we would welcome proposals connected to their work. The connection or the lack of would not be part of the selection process/criteria.

It will be a collaborative process, and all panellists are expected to follow the criteria laid out in the call out documents. The Platforma 7 co-commission will be selected separately, with the additional requirements in mind.

The Flamm and the wider Creative Kernow team will provide support to the selected projects, however, we don’t have additional budget set aside for people to engage their own support. We will look for additional funding to enable this.