FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get asked about Lacuna Festivals and our events. If you don't find your answer here, feel free to get in touch. We aim to respond within 72 hrs (fingers crossed!) but please do remember we are only a tiny team of two!
What are the Lacuna Festivals?
Lacuna Festivals are international, contemporary art events ran by Sarah-Jane Mason and Simon Turner (The Lacuna Studios). Find out more about the team by clicking here.
Who are the festivals for?
Lacuna Festival events are for Artists and Creatives from all fields including, but not limited to: Fine Art, Literature, New Media Art, Carnival Arts, Arts and Crafts, Fashion, Architecture, Dance, Jewellery Design, Performing Arts, Spoken Word, Poetry, Theatre, Circus Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Traditional Crafts, Music, Sound and more.
Where can I see previous editions of the festivals?
You can see what has happened in previous editions of the festivals by visiting the Lacuna Festival archives which can be found by clicking here.
Looks good...How can I apply?
When applications are open for the next edition you will be able to apply here on the website.
What is the theme?
2024 - Our Bodies / Our Homes
2023 - Metamorphosis
2022 - Clash
2021- Distance
2020 - Lost
2019 - Surface/Support
What are the criteria for a successful application?
All applications that meet the year's advertised theme will be accepted into that Lacuna Festivals edition. The only criteria is that your work meets the theme of the year you are applying for.
When is the deadline for applications?
There is not an open call at present. However, the deadline for the next edition will be advertised here.
When will I hear about my application?
All applicants will be notified two weeks after the deadline for applications unless otherwise stated.
When do the festivals take place?
The festivals are an event that usually takes place annually in the summer and last for around a month. This format may change now that we have relocated!
Where are the festivals?
Lacuna Festivals have a new home! We are now based in the South of Spain in a beautiful olive grove - you can see our location on the map at the bottom of the page.
Historically Lacuna Festivals HQ was in a Punta Mujeres, a small fishing village in the North of Lanzarote. In 2019, the festivals took place in locations across the island of Lanzarote including (Arrecife, La Geria, and La Santa). In both 2020 and 2021 the festivals were planned to take place in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. However in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic struck and took the 2020 festivals to digital platforms for a 100% virtual festival. In 2021 we hoped to have a more blended approach incorporating physical and virtual exhibitions and events. However, with the impact of the pandemic still affecting so many people in so many countries around the world we decided to hold a mainly virtual festival again with just two physical events and one physical exhibition in Yaiza, Lanzarote. 2022 was a further blended approach with two physical gallery spaces (Yaiza and Haría) as well as online galleries and events. This blended approach continued in 2023 with two physical gallery spaces (El Aljibe in Haría and ArtenMala in Mala) alongside ten online galleries and many events. You can see what happened in previous years in the festival archives by clicking here.
Is there any funding available for artists to participate and/or perform online and/or physically?
Lacuna Festivals are not funded or supported financially either by private companies, local councils or government funds. Our sole source of income is through a crowdfunding page on GoFundMe, which can be found by clicking here. Sarah-Jane and Simon, The Lacuna Festivals team, organise and deliver the festivals completely voluntarily, donating lots of time and energy to make sure they are an successful and enjoyable event for all those involved.
As such, there is no funding through Lacuna Festivals for artists. However, we are happy to support artists in applying for their own funding by providing supporting letters that can be included in funding applications and/or contributing text to application forms. We have had many artists successfully apply for funding through their country's Arts Council and research boards, the EU based mobility fund - Culture Moves Europe and through the ongoing funding stream from the European Festivals Association, EFFEA.
What is EFFEA?
EFFEA is the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists an initiative of the European Festival Association. In 2023, Simone Tetrault successfully applied for funding as an emerging theatre practitioner in residency at TIQ/Teatro In Quota (Italy) in partnership with Lacuna Festivals, Gogolfest (Ukraine) and Volta International festival (UK). This is why we have previously had the EFFEA logo displayed on our promotional materials, social media channels and website. You can find out more about EFFEA by clicking here.
What is the European Festivals Association, FestivalFinder.EU and the EFFE 'remarkable festival' label?
The European Festivals Association unites distinguished Arts and Culture festivals around Europe and runs many initiatives to support European Arts Festivals. These initiatives include a website where you can search for festivals happening around Europe and a special stamp of approval, called the EFFE label, that is evaluated and awarded by international experts in the festival world. You can find out more about this by clicking here.
How can I support Lacuna Festivals?
You can support the Lacuna Festivals in so many different ways, below are a few options.
- Donate through our GoFundMe page.
- Subscribe to Lacuna Festivals YouTube channel.
- Follow us on Instagram.
- Tweet about us #lacunafestivals and tag us in @LacunaFestivals
- Find us on Facebook.
- Volunteer your time, expertise, skills etc.
Can I visit in person?
Yes, absolutely! We love meeting travelling artists and it brings a great buzz to the festivals when artists can physically meet each other and share experiences here on the island.
Why are the website/communications in English when Lacuna Festivals are based in Spain where the main languages are Castilian (Spanish) and Catalan?
The festivals are international and as such the common working language is English. To make things as easy as possible, we have embedded a Google Translate button at the bottom of each of our pages so that you can read all of the information in 100 different languages!
Will the festivals return?
Yes, it is absolutely our intention that Lacuna Festivals will continue in the future, we are just in the process of reformulating how it might look as we move forwards in our new location.
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