Beam Camp is a collaborative building and design summer camp in Strafford, NH that works with kids aged 10-17 to make the seemingly impossible possible. Our award-winning program has been featured in the New York Times, Wired, NPR, and designboom, and offers young people the opportunity to cultivate hands-on skills while exploring innovative thinking, design, problem solving and the creative process.

An intergalactic salvage station struck by a meteor, a solar-powered cinematic riff on a French film from 1902, a 2-story arboreal kaleidoscope: every year, Beam Camp solicits proposals for unique and spectacular large-scale projects that serve as the centerpiece for a 25-day session of camp, during which they are built and brought to life by 100 campers and staff. Our Project Team works with the winning designers (Project Designers) to translate their designs into the camp context. Precision of craft, skill, and imaginative thinking are paramount in our projects and the work of our staff and campers — please take some time to familiarize yourself with our past projects.

Beam Camp wants:
Fantastical proposals from creative individuals and teams, including but not limited to Artists, Designers, Filmmakers, Architects, Builders, Engineers, Musicians, Fabricators & Technologists
Visionary ideas that culminate with a unique, ambitious, and spectacular product
Proposals that communicate a clear vision (sketches, diagrams, and other visuals are always helpful) and represent your/your team’s expertise
Projects that:
take advantage of Beam’s facilities, community, landscape, and rural setting
utilize a range of materials, processes and techniques
allow us to create the majority of the components onsite and from scratch

Beam Camp Disciplines and Facilities include:
Full wood and metal shops, equipped with a range of hand and power tools
Welding facilities
Textile, dye and sewing stations
Ceramic studio
Molding and casting facilities
Performance space
Technology lab
Audio equipment and instrument selection
Food Garden and Commercial Kitchen

Project Proposals must include:
-The title of your proposal, accompanied by a brief description of the project (3 sentences)
-A detailed description of the project, along with applicable visuals (sketches, diagrams, renderings, etc. are encouraged)
-Information about all the participants: names, emails, experience (resume, CV, portfolio, etc.) and phone numbers of everyone involved

You are NOT required to:
-Include nature, children, or camp as a theme in your project proposal
-Provide a detailed breakdown of how your project would be realized by 100 Beam campers (that’s our job)
-Be at Beam for the entire camp session if your proposal is chosen; the length of your visit depends on your schedule and the needs of the project

Budget and Expectations
-Project Designers will receive a stipend of $3,000.
-Project Designers will be reimbursed for all reasonable travel costs related to site visits
-Beam Camp will allot a budget of $12,500 for Project materials and expenses, including those related to prototyping and design

Project Designers should have a general understanding of the processes, techniques and materials involved in their proposal

Project Designers must be available for weekly Skype meetings January 30 through June 30 in order to facilitate any necessary development, prototyping and problem solving

Project Designers must be able to provide plans according to the project schedule

Schedule
Wednesday, 25 October 2017: 2017 Beam Project RFP opens
Sunday, 7 January 2018: RFP closes; all proposals must be submitted by 11:59pm EST
Wednesday, 17 January 2018: Exploratory meetings scheduled with all selected semi-finalists
Tuesday, 30 January 2018: Project Designers are selected
Friday, 1 June 2018: Final project plans/blueprints due
28 June—22 July and 26 July—19 August 2018: Projects are realized at Beam Camp

Project Proposals must be:
-Submitted in .pdf or .doc/.docx format using the form below
-Submitted no later than 11:59PM EST on Sunday, 7 January 2018
Incomplete proposals will not be considered; please make sure yours is complete before submitting. If you have any questions regarding the proposal process, acceptable formats, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us: projectproposals [at] beamcamp.org