Calling all Engineers, Architects, Designers, Sculptors, Builders, Chefs, Agriculturists, Videographers, Technologists, Artists and Makers of all kinds! You supply the vision and plan. We’ll supply the funds, 100+ energetic campers and staff and 700+ acres of forest, mountain and lakes as studio, canvas and workshop.
THE PROJECT
Every year Beam commissions unique large-scale collaborative Projects that serve as centerpieces of each Beam session. Our Project Team works with the Project Masters to “translate” the Project blueprint into the camp context. Beam Campers and Staff work together to make the Project happen.
THE CAMP
Beam Camp is a 8-week summer program comprised of two sessions for kids aged 7-17 in Strafford, New Hampshire. Beam Campers cultivate hands-on skills while exploring innovative thinking, design and the creative process. They transform ideas into artifacts and personal achievement into community success. Teams of campers work on different aspects of the Project each morning. In the afternoons, they participate in unique, in-depth, hands-on explorations in the arts, sciences, athletic or cultural fields.
PROJECT IDEA SCOPE
Take a look at our past Beam Projects; these will give you an idea of the kinds of Projects we have executed in the past. We are interested in big ideas that result in a unique, ambitious, and spectacular product. We are interested in working with creative individuals from all walks of life: Engineers, Architects, Designers, Artists, Builders, Chefs, Agriculturists, Filmmakers, Technologists, etc… We cast our net far and wide, because we know that good ideas can come from anywhere. We are always excited to try something new, and special consideration may be given to proposals that include techniques, disciplines, and/or materials that have not been utilized in previous Beam Projects.
One example:
In “Navigating Dreams, Matthew Springett Associates proposed that Beam campers and staff construct a new night sky of LED constellations controlled and navigated by a boat-machine. Says Springett, “I have long been inspired and haunted by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story ‘Light is Like Water’ and the idea of imagined, dream-like, navigation into the world beyond; of using one element (light) in place of another (water) to create an opportunity for escape. The lost art of navigating by the stars will be explored as we develop our own stellar landscape with which the navigator can chart their journey and interact. We will navigate our dreams in a world of light.”
Projects should be of a scale that is large enough to busy 108 campers supervised by 20+ adults for approximately fifty hours. Each camp session is 25 days long, with six, three hour work days per week. We have a big crew, and we can get a lot done.
Projects should take advantage of Beam’s outdoor space and rural location, but they need not be about camp, children, or nature.
Project proposals should communicate your idea as clearly as possible. While much of the proposal process is written, we invite you to include images, movies, audio, and/or anything else that will help us to understand what it is that you are proposing.
Project proposals should represent your or your team’s expertise. You should be able to tell us exactly how a group of adults would execute the kind of idea you propose.
Project proposals do not need to provide specific information and/or guidelines as to how your project will be realized by 108 campers and 20+ staff members; translating great ideas into the Beam context is what we do best. We will work with selected finalists to develop the proposal into a Beam-ready Project.
PROJECT TIMELINE
October 14, 2013: 2013 Beam Project Call for Proposals opens
January 12, 2014, 11:59PM EST: Deadline for submissions
January 20, 2014: Semi-Finalists Selected
January 22-29, 2014: Discovery meetings/calls with Semi-Finalists
February 10, 2014: Final Projects Selected
March – May, 2014: Weekly Project Development Calls
May 16, 2014: Project Prototype Due
June 2, 2014: Project Detailed Plans/Blueprints Due
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
– Beam Camp will pay Project Master stipend of $2,500.00.
– Beam Camp will allocate $10,000.00 for the development, prototyping and execution of Beam Project.
– Beam Camp will reimburse Project Master’s reasonable travel costs.
– Project Masters will participate in bi-weekly calls with Beam Project Staff April-June
– Project Masters will participate in 3 in-person meetings with Beam Project Staff March-June
– Project Master will be present at Beam Camp in New Hampshire for at least 4 days during the session at which Project is executed.
Click here to see the Beam Project Gallery
HOW DO I SUBMIT A PROPOSAL?
Submit your Beam Project Proposal now.
For further inquiries and to submit supplementary materials to your proposal please email: projectproposals [at] beamcamp.com
