Guidelines and Information

Provided are core guidelines and information about the Spring Tide Project. This Project is funded by the Groundswell Climate Collective. For any questions, please contact us at info@groundswellclimatecollective.com.

General Information

• The Spring Tide Project is an international contest open to youth and young people who are 29 years old or younger

• This project determines commission rates based on age of the applicant(s) and the medium they choose. Commissions can range from $50 - $500.

• If an artist is under the age of 13, they will need to have a parent, guardian, or sponsor sign a consent form along with their submission. This will be included in the application form.

• We welcome both individual and group submissions. Please contact us prior to submitting to ensure that we can honour a group commission rate. If you are applying as a group, all youth must be under 29 years old or younger 

• For any artwork submitted to the Spring Tide Project we are unable to cover the cost of materials and supplies.

How do I Enter into the Spring Tide Project? 

The Spring Tide Project is based on commissioning artwork from youth and young people.  To apply for a commission spot you need to fill out an Expression of Interest form on our site!  A commissioned artwork means we will pay you to create an artwork for the Spring Tide Project.  Commissioned-based entries must be original works and be made in response to the Project’s call for themes/ submissions. These open calls can be a range of topics and are grounded in our core goals to foster creativity, inquiry, resiliency and to imagine possible futures through your work. 

More details and information will be provided once you apply. Please note that individuals entering into the project that are 18 and under must provide a contact who will be an Adult Sponsor for you. It’s important to also provide contact information that we can easily reach you at to send our project rules, future contracts, and more.

What is the Process to Apply to the Spring Tide Project? 

This process is for submissions to our commissioned-based entries. Please be aware that for commission-based entries, only original artworks that respond to the Spring Tide Project’s call for submissions are eligible.  We welcome other types of creative entries but cannot guarantee commissions for work that is not related to our calls for submissions. 

Process: 

1. You can visit the Spring Tide Project page on our website, and review current calls for Spring Tide Commission Spots.

2. If you are interested in applying for a Spring Tide Commission Spot, fill out an Expression of Interest form - available on our website.  We accept applications on a first-come first-serve basis.

3. Once you submit your Expression of Interest form and any accompanying parental consent forms, you will hear from us in about a week. We will confirm your commission spot, share more details about the work of art you will create for us, finalize the amount we will pay you, and make sure all parental consent forms are submitted.  

4. You have about 6-8 weeks to complete your artwork. 

5. You will submit your work digitally via any file sharing method you choose (email, Google Drive, DropBox, WeTransfer, Vimeo, Youtube,etc.) We also ask you to include an artist statement, bio, and any additional information to support us in sharing your work! 

6. Once we receive your final work, we will confirm the payment method and pay you! 

General Notes:

• For every open call for Spring Tide Commission Spots, you can only apply once per round.

• If there are no open calls for Spring Tide Commission Spots - check back soon and subscribe to our mailing list!

• Unfortunately, at this time we cannot accept any incomplete expression of interest forms.

• We accept these file formats (depending on medium): .jpg, .png, .tiff, .eps, .pdf, .doc, .mp4, .mp3, links to Vimeo/Youtube

How Will I Receive My Commission Payment? 

Once we have your final work and we’re all set - we will check in with you with what type of payment is the most accessible. We can pay you by: 

• Cheque

• E-transfer/ PayPal

• A pre-paid visa card (electronic)

• A gift card purchase to an organization/ business (e.g. a local business, a larger business or delivery organization, etc.)

How Will My Artwork Be Used After I Submit to the Spring Tide Project?

This is a really important area for artists and creatives to consider when commissioning work! At the Spring Tide Project we want to ensure that the artist(s) reserves the rights to their original work they have submitted to our Project. By submitting to our project, the artist(s) consents that the Groundswell Climate Collective (and the Spring Tide Project) has the right to reproduce the image/ documentation of the work you’ve submitted to promote the Collective, share the work made by our community, and to also be involved in future projects or initiatives.

What this means is that the images and information that you provide as the final submission to our project (e.g. a final digital illustration) can be used for things such as website posts, social media posts, virtual exhibitions, marketing materials and inclusion in presentations, articles, publications, and books that the Groundswell Climate Collective or the Spring Tide Project might create in the future. We will ensure that the artist(s) will be cited in any works with the name, year, and title provided in their final application. We also will also share the artist(s) website, social media information, and more if we are able to!

If someone inquires about the sale of a work, we will contact you/ the artists with an interested buyer and it’s your responsibility to handle any details regarding the potential sale of your original work.