OPEN CALLS
Performances
The Steering Committee for the National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practices invites individual artists, groups, or industry professionals to submit proposals for performance.
This year, we are excited to call for artists to submit performance proposals that will be presented at Sloss Furnaces during the conference. We are interested in what you have been researching, creating, and your own ways of innovation. When thinking about your performance proposals, remember to center on accessibility and representation.
We are highly receptive to interdisciplinary proposals that do not solely utilize cast iron. We welcome considerate, thought-provoking and community-minded proposals for performance. Proposals should consider what their audience could learn, relate to, and be inspired by. Submissions that have a diversity of voices will be given preference.
​
See the details linked below for additional information, requirements, and application details!
​
​
Theme:
IRON WORKS: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Historically, neighborhoods were created around ironworks, industrial spaces responsible for iron production. People were not only dependent on the job that was provided by the ironworks, but also the programs, support, and community that were centered around the material. At Sloss Furnaces National Historical Landmark, iron casting has transformed from a large-scale, industrial operation, to a smaller, education-based model, yet the community that has been built around the material has remained.
It is within this community and at this conference that we find the ability to “work smarter, not harder.” Working in this manner doesn’t negate the effort, skill, or dedication put into a task or goal, nor is it about cutting corners. It could mean something different for everyone. Perhaps it’s about being more efficient in your labor, prioritizing and delegating tasks. Or it could be employing new technologies, methods, or processes to maximize time or minimize physical exertion. Maybe it is about leaning on your community to share the labor or their experience.
​It is our hope that the programming at the 2027 NCCCIAP connects you with a community of iron casters and artists that you can call on for knowledge, expertise, inspiration, or to just lighten the load.
--
​
​​
DEADLINE: OCTOBER 31, 2026
Questions? Email us at NCCCIAP@gmail.com​​