We invite artists of all disciplines and speakers from all fields to make the 4th annual THREADS: Cultural Conversations spectacular!
Hosted by the Saskatoon Open Door Society, THREADS is diverse in both its representation and its execution. Part academic conference, part artistic celebration, and part sharing circle, THREADS strives to unite all peoples through storytelling, knowledge sharing and creativity. For more information about THREADS, click here.
The THREADS theme for 2024 - Evolving
With this year's theme, our intention is to foster diverse perspectives on humanity's evolution and our understanding of it. How do we evolve as social beings? How does our cultural environment shape the way we think and act with one another? Do all nations evolve in a good way, or the same way, based on their history, geography and culture? How will the environment evolve, in light of climate change? How have science and technology influenced our place and role on the planet?
With this submission process, our goal is to assemble a strong and diverse collection of works that explore our theme. We are therefore calling for submissions that respond to the theme of evolving in relation to:
Evolving Social Relations Evolving Landscapes
Evolving Environment Evolving Homes
Evolving Communication Evolving Technology
Evolving Identities Evolving Worldviews
How to Submit
THREADS is seeking submissions from:
Visual artists – You may submit paintings, drawings, photography, mixed media, digital, printmaking, installations, ceramics, fabric, jewelry, sculpture, and other 2- and 3-dimensional media
Performing artists/storytellers - You may submit a 5-10-minute video of poetry, short stories, or other written explorations. You may also submit a video answering one of the following questions:
- How has your life changed/evolved since Covid?
- How do you think humanity will evolve in the future? (i.e. how changes in technology, environment, communications and other fields will impact humans)
You can submit as both a visual artist and a performing artist or speaker, and submit both a still image and recording, accordingly.
You can submit multiple images or recordings of different artworks or various views of the same artwork.
Making the submission
Please describe each visual artwork and the story behind it or present each story/idea/performance in a digital video of 3-6 minutes.
Include a digital image/images of the visual art and/or an excerpt/excerpts from recordings of performances.
Send your digital files using WeTransfer: https://wetransfer.com/ to Parastoo Dokouhaki pdokouhaki@sods.sk.ca
Please also send your name and the name of your video file to threads_registrations@sods.sk.ca to let us know you have submitted your video.
Deadline: Submissions must be received by midnight on December 15, 2023.
The work you submit must be your own original creation.
Work that has previously been published or presented elsewhere is eligible. Work previously published or presented by THREADS: Cultural Conversations and the Saskatoon Open Door Society is not eligible.
Selection process
All submissions are screened for eligibility. Each eligible submission is evaluated by members of the THREADS: Cultural Conversations team, based on its relevance to this year's theme.
If you submitted more than one image of a single work and your work is selected, the THREADS team will choose which of the images is to be used.
If your work is selected
You will be notified 6-8 weeks after the submission deadline.
Your work will:
· Appear in THREADS: Cultural Conversations 2024, either during the two-day on-line event or in the THREADS Library – a key resource for personal and professional development with 120+ digital recordings.
· Be listed/appear in the THREADS 2024 agenda and/or the THREADS Library archive.
THREADS: Cultural Conversations is promoted in Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts to our local, national and international followers, as well as on CBC Saskatoon and CFCR radio, and in various magazines and newspapers like The Walrus, Canadian Immigrant, Star Phoenix, and Eagle Feather News, to list a few.
There is a small honorarium ($250 CAD) for successful submitters.
Legal considerations
We do not represent artists or sell their work.
All images and stories submitted to THREADS: Cultural Conversations remain the property of the artist and the artist retains the copyright. Successful applicants grant THREADS: Cultural Conversations permission to feature their selected entry in displays, marketing and promotional materials, and in the THREADS Library archives. Credits for each work will give the artist's name and the artwork's title.
With this process, we hope to build relationships with artists to be included in SODS and THREADS activities in the future!
If you have questions, please email threads_registrations@sods.sk.ca.