The Ahead of the Curve Commissions is for young and emerging artists of colour living around Melbourne, to create new digital artworks that respond to social challenges, including COVID-19.

These commissions will empower young storytellers, makers and creators within our diverse communities to create works that:

• show their strength and resilience in the face of adversity
• explore health and wellbeing and
• draw from their lived experiences.

MAV will offer a range of Ahead of the Curve commission tiers to suit community aspirations and individual capacity. As well as financial support, MAV can offer the following support to participating artists and communities:

• professional and creative development workshops
• networking and mentoring
• production and administrative assistance.

The Ahead of the Curve commissions will highlight the way the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded inequity and disadvantage for communities of colour in Victoria.

Supported by The Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, the Ahead of the Curve commissions will challenge prevailing narratives of CALD communities as vulnerable and helpless and explore how diversity and community can also be protective factors; enabling communities to address the social determinants of health inequity and disadvantage.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE COMMISSIONS RECIPIENTS 

We are so excited to announce the 26 recipients of the Ahead of the Curve commissions who are ready to challenge prevailing narratives of diverse communities!

EMPOWER

Clautrosfobia by Ana Maria Gomides

ABOUT CLAUTROSFOBIA

ABOUT ANA MARIA GOMIDES

New Empower Work by Taga Barrio

ABOUT TAGA BARRIO'S WORK

ABOUT DOLEEN JUAB (TAGA BARRIO)

Ammumma’s House by Isha Menon

ABOUT AMMUMMA’S HOUSE

ABOUT ISHA MENON

Sunshower by Jonathan Homsey

ABOUT SUNSHOWER

ABOUT JONATHAN HOMSEY

New Empower Work by Judy Kuo

ABOUT JUDY'S WORK

ABOUT JUDY KUO

New Empower Work by Julianne Nguyen

ABOUT JULIANNE'S WORK

ABOUT JULIANNE NGUYEN

Entanglements Between Bodies & Borders Volume II by Lauren Mavromati Bourke

ABOUT ENTANGLEMENTS BETWEEN BODIES & BORDERS VOLUME II

ABOUT LAUREN MAVROMATI BOURKE

We are the lifeless by Madhubani Dutta

ABOUT WE ARE THE LIFELESS

ABOUT MADHUBANI DUTTA

New Empower Work by Quynh Nguyen

ABOUT QUYNH'S WORK

ABOUT QUYNH NGUYEN

You Speak Good English! by Sarah Tan

ABOUT YOU SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH!

ABOUT SARAH TAN

DEVELOP

Atas by Amicus Atman

ABOUT ATAS

ABOUT AMICUS ATMAN

Some Possum by Angelita Biscotti

ABOUT SOME POSSUM

ABOUT ANGELITA BISCOTTI

Over Seas by Anne Hsuyin

ABOUT OVER SEAS

ABOUT ANNE HSUYIN

Conquering the Demons by Beven Elankumaran

ABOUT CONQUERING THE DEMONS

ABOUT BEVEN ELANKUMARAN

New Develop Work by Karen Bravo

ABOUT KAREN'S WORK

ABOUT KAREN BRAVO

HOME by Lerato Masiyane + Chuby Dice

ABOUT HOME

ABOUT LERATO MASIYANE

Artificial Impression by Michelle Nguyen + Grace Quiason

ABOUT ARTIFICIAL IMPRESSION

ABOUT MICHELLE + GRACE

Breasts Become Her by Miss Cairo

ABOUT BREASTS BECOME HER

ABOUT MISS CAIRO

salmon cannon me into the abyss by Panda Wong

ABOUT SALMON CANNON ME INTO THE ABYSS

ABOUT PANDA WONG

The Fae: featurette by Stone Motherless Cold

ABOUT THE FAE: FEATURETTE

ABOUT STONE MOTHERLESS COLD

Cancion de despedida by Vanessa Estrada

ABOUT CANCION DE DESPEDIDA

ABOUT VANESSA ESTRADA

RESPOND

Get It Right by Below The Surface

ABOUT GET IT RIGHT

ABOUT BELOW THE SURFACE

Shifting Culture by The Bittersweet Podcast

ABOUT SHIFTING CULTURE

ABOUT THE BITTERSWEET PODCAST

Eating the Other by Jazba Singh

ABOUT EATING THE OTHER

ABOUT JAZBA SINGH

SANCTUARY by Liminal

ABOUT SANCTUARY

ABOUT LIMINAL

We Eatin’ Good! by Matisse Laida + Nisha Hunter

ABOUT WE EATIN’ GOOD!

ABOUT MATISSE + NISHA

“Seeing the range of optimistic creativity and ideas presented in each artist’s application shows that imagination can really uplift society in the most challenging times, I cannot wait to see what they deliver!”
– Aaron Stephanus, Ahead of the Curve Advisory Panel Member

To keep updated on all 26 Ahead of the Curve projects, follow MAV’s social media on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

We were overwhelmed with incredible applications for Ahead of the Curve and we are sad that we couldn’t fund them all. We are looking forward to working with all applicants in our workshop program, to be announced soon.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE PROVOCATION

Applicants must address how their proposal will respond to inequity and disadvantage within diverse and marginalised communities by responding to one or more of the following provocations:

Exploring the themes of strength and vulnerability

Sharing narratives of adversity and resilience

Creating sanctuary through shared experience

COMMISSION TIERS

• Empower: Solo New Works ($750): 10 availableFor creatives who can produce their work alone and do not need additional materials, equipment, expertise, or technical support.
• Develop: Collaborative New Works (up to $3000): 10 availableFor development of new works that involve at least 2 creatives and/ or require additional materials, equipment, expertise, or technical support.
• Respond: Project Response Works (up to $7000): 5 availableFor community groups, cultural enterprises, or artist collectives to develop works involving multiple artists and/ or community members.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants who:

• self-identify as First Nations, a Person of Colour, or Culturally or Linguistically Diverse;
• People aged between 15-35;
  Applicants do not need to identify as an artist or creative, however the proposal must have creative outcomes.
• live in Victoria with a current Victorian address;
• intend for the project to be developed in Victoria;  and
• are able to provide links 1-2 examples of recent solo or collaborative work

INFORMATION SESSION

Interested in applying for the Ahead of the Curve Commissions but want more details?

MAV hosted an information session to help you understand the application and commission process.

Watch the recording here:

TIMELINES + DEADLINES

Submissions Open 21 July 2021
Submissions Closed 11.59pm 1 September 2021Ahead of the Curve Information Session 16 August 2021Ahead of the Curve Commissions Announced 13 Oct 2021
Creative delivery period 13 Oct 2021 → 20 Dec 2021
Workshops and mentoring sessions 15 Oct 2021 → 31 Mar 2022
Diasporas Festival Mid-Late Sep 2022Acquittal Due 31 Sep 2022

Click here to download a preview of the form.

Feel free to use this budget template or attach your own budget plan.

If you have any enquiries please contact Ahead of the Curve Creative Producer, Jess Ibacache at jess@mav.org.au. 

Supported by The Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

Featured artwork: “Amanyi” (translates directly to “power” from Luganda) by Ree, from Submerged 2021.