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Since I started working with fungi to grow materials and furniture 8 years ago, access to material to work with has been one of the harder obstacles to get around without purchasing lab equipment and delving into a deeper understanding of mycelium materials, which can be a big investment of both time and money.

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I know, even from my own experience, how annoying working with living materials can be. Maybe the substrate hasn’t grown enough, has grown too much, has contamination... the list goes on. These things create bumps and blockages when trying to create and craft with fungi. This means there are potentially awesome ideas, designs and sculptures that simply aren’t being realised.

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We are a small studio at the moment, but we recognise the power of enabling others to create, which is why we’re going to test something out.

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Every 3 months, we will be opening a callout for submissions.​ For each callout, 3 people will be selected, and Goldbirch Studios will supply you with a batch of substrate to have a go at crafting your object.

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We are looking for people who want to realise an idea they have. This could partly incorporate mycelium materials or be made completely from them. It could be a piece of furniture, a sculpture, or an experiment — the brief is wide open.​ We will be judging submissions on the basis of novelty, forward thinking and the challenge to be achieved. Ideas and designs are more potent if they have a story or reason running through them.

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HOW TO APPLY

 

To submit an application, you will need to provide your contact details, the title of your project, a short description of what you are hoping to achieve, and the total volume of the object you want to make. Please also include any photos, drawings or files that you believe help represent what you are trying to achieve. These don’t need to be perfect — we just want to get a good idea of what you have in mind!

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If you are attaching files to the contact box below, please combine all the attachments you want us to see into a single PDF. If you have any problems submitting your files, feel free to send them directly to ashley@goldbirch.org. Just make sure to include your name so we know which submission is yours!

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​TERMS & CONDITIONS

 

The terms are that entries need to be based in the UK, or receiving the substrate in the UK, due to shipping regulations. Applicants must cover the cost of shipping or arrange collection. Designs that require large volumes are harder for us to supply, so we may consider applicants partly based on how much substrate is required to achieve the outcome.​ For the application, you will need to work out the total volume required — effectively, how much water the form would hold. If you are not sure how to do this, feel free to send us an email.

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As part of our offering, you agree that all media and publications relating to the work include a credit or link to Goldbirch Studio. If the work is selected for an award that results in a financial prize, we ask that you cover the value of the substrate that was provided, as well as considering any voluntary donation towards continuing our sponsorship award.​ This enables the award to continue funding further projects and, hopefully, grow to a point where we can sponsor larger volumes for bigger ideas.

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Successful candidates may also be offered further support, such as assistance hosting the casting in our lab to provide a clean-room environment, if required and available, to help enable their idea to come to life.

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If you want to foster innovation are willing to sponsor a round, please get in touch!

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Cheers, and looking forward to seeing what ideas are out there,

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Ash