FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get asked about Lacuna Festivals and our events. If you don't find your answer here, feel free to get in touch. We aim to respond within 72 hrs (fingers crossed!) but please do remember we are only a tiny team of two!
What are the Lacuna Festivals?
Lacuna Festivals are annual, international and contemporary art events ran by Sarah-Jane Mason and Simon Turner (The Lacuna Studios). Find out more about the team by clicking here.
Who are the festivals for?
Lacuna Festival events are for Creatives from all fields including, but not limited to: Fine Art, Literature, New Media Art, Carnival Arts, Arts and Crafts, Fashion, Architecture, Dance, Jewellery Design, Performing Arts, Spoken Word, Poetry, Theatre, Circus Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Traditional Crafts and more.
Where can I see previous editions of the festivals?
You can see what has happened in previous editions of the festivals by visiting the Lacuna Festival archives which can be found by clicking here.
Looks good...How can I apply?
Applications have now closed for Our Bodies / Our Homes 2024.
What is the theme?
2024 - Our Bodies / Our Homes
Suggested by Karolina Podoska and voted for by Metamorphosis 2023 participants.
What are the criteria for a successful application?
The only criteria is that your work meets the theme of Our Bodies / Our Homes. All applications that meet this theme will be accepted into the Lacuna Festivals 2024 edition.
When is the deadline for applications?
The deadline was midnight on 31st March 2024 and so has now passed.
When will I hear about my application?
All applicants have now been contacted with the sad news that the 2024 edition of Lacuna Festivals has been cancelled.
When do the festivals take place?
The festivals are an annual event that usually takes place in the summer months. The 2024 edition of Lacuna Festivals has been cancelled due to extenuating circumstances.
Where are the festivals?
Lacuna Festivals HQ is in a small village in the North of Lanzarote. In 2019, the festivals took place in Lanzarote. In both 2020 and 2021 the festivals were planned to take place in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. However in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic struck and took the 2020 festivals to digital platforms for a 100% virtual festival. In 2021 we hoped to have a more blended approach incorporating physical and virtual exhibitions and events. However, with the impact of the pandemic still affecting so many people in so many countries around the world we decided to hold a mainly virtual festival again with just two physical events and one physical exhibition in Yaiza. 2022 was a more blended approach with two physical gallery spaces (Yaiza and Haría) as well as online galleries and events. This blended approach continued in 2023 with two physical gallery spaces (El Aljibe in Haría and ArtenMala in Mala) alongside ten online galleries and many events. You can see what happened in previous years in the festival archives by clicking here.
This year we are continuing with a blended approach and will host both online and physical gallery spaces and events throughout June 2024.
Is there any funding available for artists to participate and/or perform online and/or physically?
Lacuna Festivals are not funded or supported financially in any way other than our through a crowdfunding page on GoFundMe, which can be found by clicking here. The Lacuna Festivals team (Sarah-Jane and Simon) organise and deliver the festivals completely voluntarily, donating lots of time and energy to make sure they are an successful and enjoyable event for all those involved.
As such, there is no funding through Lacuna Festivals for artists. However, we are happy to support artists in applying for their own funding by providing supporting letters that can be included in funding applications and/or contributing text to application forms. We have had many artists successfully apply for funding through their country's Arts Council and research boards, the EU based mobility fund - Culture Moves Europe and this year through the new funding stream from the European Festivals Association, EFFEA.
What is EFFEA?
EFFEA is the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists an initiative of the European Festival Association. In 2023, Simone Tetrault successfully applied for funding as an emerging theatre practitioner in residency at TIQ/Teatro In Quota (Italy) in partnership with Lacuna Festivals, Gogolfest (Ukraine) and Volta International festival (UK). This is why we have got the EFFEA logo displayed on our promotional materials, social media channels and website. You can find out more about EFFEA by clicking here.
What is the European Festivals Association, FestivalFinder.EU and the EFFE 'remarkable festival' label?
The European Festivals Association unites distinguished Arts and Culture festivals around Europe and runs many initiatives to support European Arts Festivals. These initiatives include a website where you can search for festivals happening around Europe and a special stamp of approval, called the EFFE label, that is evaluated and awarded by international experts in the festival world. You can find out more about this by clicking here.
How can I support Lacuna Festivals?
You can support the Lacuna Festivals in so many different ways, below are a few options.
- Donate through our GoFundMe page.
- Subscribe to Lacuna Festivals YouTube channel.
- Follow us on Instagram.
- Tweet about us #lacunafestivals and tag us in @LacunaFestivals
- Find us on Facebook.
- Volunteer your time, expertise, skills etc.
Can I visit in person?
Absolutely! We love meeting travelling artists and it brings a great buzz to the festivals when artists can physically meet each other and share experiences here on the island.
What is it like to visit Lanzarote?
The island of Lanzarote is a beautiful place to visit and there are lots of amazing places to stay from boutique BnB's and rural fincas to purpose built tourist complexes and Air BnB's. The island is small, about 1hr15mins drive from Orzola in the North to the tip of Playa Blanca in the South and about 35 minutes from East to West, so getting around is easy if you hire a car. Public transport is available (buses and taxis) but services vary drastically from one place to another. For example in the rural village of Ye there are only four buses a day where as in the tourist resort of Costa Teguise there are four an hour. We have one airport (Arrecife) located in the centre of the Southern coast of the island with regular flights from most European countries and the USA. The airport has good connections by bus and taxi to Arrecife (the capital), Costa Teguise, Puerto Del Carmen and Playa Blanca.
Most of our events take place towards the middle of the island and we are based in the North so as such we do not recommend staying in Playa Blanca if you are wanting to have easy access to the exhibition galleries, events and other visiting artists. Depending on what you like when you travel, one of the following places may suit:
Puerto Del Carmen: South of the airport and very much a tourist town based around a seafront strip of shops, bars and restaurants - the perfect place if you want to be able to get an English breakfast or a cheap pint. It is a coastal with a number of good beaches including Playa Chica famous for it's snorkelling and scuba options. Also close to Rancho Texas theme park and with sea inflatables off the coast so good for families.
Arrecife: Just North of the airport, this is the capital of the island with a local flavour and the best galleries, museums and shops the island has to offer. It is coastal with a beautiful beach for swimming, sunbathing and sports and has a number of holiday apartments, hotels and of course the legendary, five star Gran Hotel - the only high rise building in Lanzarote.
Costa Teguise: Found twenty minutes along the coast to the North of the island it has a long seafront boulevard with many beaches, each suited to different pastimes eg. windsurfing at Las Cucharas, swimming the bay at Playa Jablillo or soaking up the sun in the zoccos at Playa Bastian. Another town that is based around tourism so lots of places for eating, drinking and entertainment including an aquarium and waterpark as well as live music and karaoke.
Arrieta: A further fifteen minutes up the coast and you find the seaside town of Arrieta with a sandy beach known for it's good conditions for surfers. There are lots of holiday lets here a small supermarket, souvenier shops and a bookshop along with cafes, bars and restaurants including the laid back beach side bars which occasionally host live music. A relaxed vacation spot that manages to retain a local feel.
Teguise: Market town in the centre of the island with a strong artesanial presence in the boutique shops and galleries as well as the few museums that focus on the cultural heritage of the island. Cooler than the coast and often with a stronger wind hence the nickname 'Breezy Teguise.' Lots of bars and restaurants with their appeal focused on both locals who come throughout the week and tourists who tend to visit mainly on Sunday for the large, weekly market.
Haria: Inland, this is a small Northern town with a weekly Saturday market that focuses on Arts and Crafts from local makers. It is a lot cooler than at the coastline or the South of the island and in Summer this can be a welcome relief! It has some restaurants, cafes and bars but is much smaller than any of the other places mentioned so far. It has an Ayuntamiento (council) run art gallery in a the repurposed central aljibe (water storage tank) that has a different exhibition each month.
Where can I find out more about visiting Lanzarote?
For more in depth information about Lanzarote here are a few starting points - simply click on the links below to be taken to the websites.
Why are the website/communications in English when the Canary Islands are Spanish speaking countries?
The festivals are international and as such the common working/professional language is English. To make things as easy as possible, we have embedded a Google Translate button at the bottom of each of our pages so that you can read all of the information in 100 different languages!
Will the festivals return next year?
Yes, it is absolutely our intention that Lacuna Festivals will continue in the future as an annual event. Follow our social media channels to stay up to date with the all of the latest news.