Pocc, Clear Channel and Shutterstock Launch Second Year of Art Fund to Support Underrepresented Artists
Pocc, the creative network driving cultural change, has partnered with UK out of home media owner Clear Channel UK and Shutterstock to bolster the second year of their Art Fund designed to champion the work of underrepresented creatives in 2022 whilst bringing art to the outdoors through an artist-in-residence programme.
In 2021, Pocc and Clear Channel’s Art Fund promoted the profiles of 41 underrepresented and overlooked Black, Brown and ethnically diverse artists through outdoor media and social channels, delivering an estimated 6 million impressions. This year, alongside offering free outdoor media space in the UK to artists, with the support of Shutterstock, they will also be investing £15,000 on championing UK artists through artist grants. Across the year, Pocc will be launching four themes for artists to respond to in a bid to support a diverse range of creators with unique perspectives on topics that are relevant to the world today.
This month, they’re kicking off with the first theme of the year: EQUITY - What Does It Mean To you? Artists are invited to submit their artistic expression of this brief for a chance to win £500 and have their work displayed across outdoor media in the UK.
WHO CAN ENTER?
This opportunity is open to all visual and verbal artists of Black African, Caribbean and Asian descent residing in the UK. This is inclusive of photographers, illustrators, artists, painters, designers, motion graphic designers, creatives, copywriters. There is no age limit. For details on how to enter, please see here.
WHAT HAVE PREVIOUS ARTISTS SAID ABOUT THE FUND?
"Opportunities like Pocc x Clear Channel give a voice and platform for those that wouldn’t usually get highlighted. If you told me a year ago that I'd see my work on billboards across the UK, I’d probably laugh because opportunities like these are unheard of in communities like mine. Opportunities where people get to see your work and discover who you are and what you do makes it all worth it." - Jael - Gender Equality Artist In Residence
"I think it’s important to use art to raise awareness, start conversations and help bring about change. Being featured in this campaign felt good to contribute to something important. Being part of the LGBT community, it was cool to be able to say my thanks to Marsha." – Sarah Harris, Pride Artist In Residence
"Being a finalist has fuelled my passion to create more art, whether that’s in poetry or creative writing, knowing that someone out there will find comfort in it the way I have found solace in creating it." - Cam - Mental Health Week Artist In Residence.
“In my present working, there are a lot of interactions with the public, but those interactions are invisible to me. Being featured in the Clear Channel x Pocc Artist in Residence campaign gave the opportunity to stretch that a little. To see how it sits in space and how that space sits with it. The experience was definitely a part of my working out." - Kaysha - Gender Equality Finalist
WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
Clear Channel, who previously partnered with POCC and Facebook to amplify the Making Britain Great Since campaign and generating over 11 million impressions in the process are excited by this year’s Art Fund.
Caroline Forbes, Head of Sales - OOH Agencies and Fairness Executive Sponsor at Clear Channel said: “Having launched the Clear Channel x Pocc Art Fund last year, we have been blown away by the response from the artists and so proud to showcase their powerful artworks across our digital screens nationwide. We have been championing Out of Home as an inclusive channel and are committed to continue using our medium to give underrepresented communities more visibility in public spaces. With Shutterstock joining our efforts this year, we hope to make the 2022 Art Fund even bigger and more impactful.”
Shutterstock and Pocc also collaborated earlier this year to award six $1000 USD artist grants to Black artists residing in the U.S. and artists of East and South East Asian descent to celebrate U.S. Black History Month and Lunar New Year.
“We are thrilled to partner with Pocc and Clear Channel to continue advocating for creative communities of color, amplifying the great work that they do,” said Meeckel Beecher, Global Head of DE&I at Shutterstock. “We hope these grants will help to support their work and we invite them to be a part of our network of two million contributors worldwide, to add their unique perspective to our collection, and help us on our mission to achieve authentic representation both behind and in front of the camera.”
Pocc was cofounded by Kevin Morosky and Nana Bempah to drive cultural change within the creative industry. Now home to 1000+ creative professionals of African, Caribbean and Asian descent spanning the U.K., Amsterdam and the U.S., Pocc builds programmes, events and opportunities to support the needs of their growing creative community. Alongside this Pocc also provides a range of cultural and creative services with Pocc Studios and Pocc Productions to create the work they want to see in the world with like-minded brands and partners.
“Personally, I love nothing more than providing a platform for fresh and seasoned talent alike to shine bright. These works will provide light and inspiration to many throughout the year. It really is at the heart of what we do at Pocc, and to be in this position once again with Clear Channel, this time with additional support from Shutterstock, is phenomenal”. Tash Beecher, Executive Creative Director at Pocc.
