Diasporas Commissions Open
DIASPORAS IS SET TO DISRUPT SYSTEMS OF POWER IN THE ARTS, IGNITE ARTISTIC PRACTICES, AND REPRESENT DIVERSE CREATIVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Diasporas is created for, by and with diverse creatives as an artistic intervention to increase visibility, participation and equity in the arts towards a new arts ecology.
More than a festival, Diasporas holds space for the interrogation and development of arts and cultural practice with diverse artists and communities. Diasporasis a springboard for building culture, connection and knowledge and a training ground for the next generation of producers, designers, technicians, and creatives.
Diasporas will launch in 2021 with a series of commissions open to diverse creatives across Victoria.
Through the Diasporas Commissions, MAV seeks to create opportunities for participation that uphold models of self-determination, by prioritising marginalised and under-represented lived experiences.
Commissions are open to First Nations colleagues and friends as an act of solidarity in their struggle for sovereignty and self determination for collaborative projects with people of colour and solo works.
The Diasporas commissions will be awarded for:
- creative development alone (no presentation in 2022; possible presentation in 2023);
- creative development with presentation in 2022; or
- presentation of new work (work that has already undergone a creative development).
These categories above apply to all three tiers of commissions.
The three commission tiers are:
DISRUPT PROJECT COMMISSIONS
**$50,000 (total pool $100,000)
Disrupt Project Commissions will be offered for projects that disrupt systems of power and apply innovative new processes to creative practice. Disrupt Project Commissions are for established professional creatives or groups of professional creatives with a minimum of five years of demonstrated professional practice working across any artform. Disrupt Project Commissions must involve collaboration with other creatives or non-creatives.
IGNITE PROJECT COMMISSIONS
$25,000 (total pool $75,000)
Ignite Project Commissions will be offered for projects that ignite new creative practice demonstrating experimentation and/or development of practice and artform. Ignite Project Commissions are for emerging or professional creatives with a minimum of two years of demonstrated professional practice across any artform. Ignite Project Commissions must involve collaboration with other creatives or non-creatives.
REPRESENT PROJECT COMMISSIONS
$10,000 (total pool $50,000)
Represent Project Commissions will be offered for new projects or new developments of existing projects, that increase the visibility and representation of diverse creatives and their communities. Represent Project Commissions will be for creatives working across any artform at any level of practice, new, emerging or established. Represent Project Commissions can be solo or collaborative projects.
DIASPORAS PROVOCATION
Never before has it been more important for diverse creatives to tell their own stories on their own terms.
We choose art for its capacity to transform, critique and redefine power.
We choose art to respond to threats of bigotry and intolerance in our pluralistic society.
We choose art to reveal intersectional, intercultural, intergenerational knowledges.
(Your submission will respond to this provocation as a whole or in part.)
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants who:
- self-identify as First Nations, a Person of Colour, or Culturally or Linguistically Diverse;
- live in Victoria with a current Victorian address;
- intend for the project to be presented in Victoria;
- identify as an emerging or established individual artist or group of artists;
- are able to provide links 1-3 examples of recent solo or collaborative work; and
- are able to meet the requirements stipulated by each commission tier.
FURTHER INFORMATION FOR ARTISTS
Submissions will open from 2 July 2021 and close on 1 September 2021, inviting artists to respond to the provocation above.
Applications will be assessed by an Advisory Group of cultural leaders (see below).
Projects that are awarded commissions will have the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops and mentoring sessions to explore the themes of voice, practice and process and assist in the development of project outcomes.
Commissioned projects may be presented at any time during 2022, but must be completed by December 31st , 2022. We will work with you to identify the best time to present the work.
MAV reserves the first right of refusal for the presentation of the works at Diasporas 2022.
KEY DATES:
Submissions Open 2 July 2021
Information Sessions 22 July + 29 July 2021
Submissions Closed 11.59pm 1 September 2021
Commissions Announced publicly 13 October 2021
Acquittals Due 31 December 2022
Given the extension of the lockdown in Melbourne, we’re EXTENDING THE SUBMISSION PERIOD TO 11.59PM on 1 SEPTEMBER, 2021.
Click here to download a preview of the form.
Note that you are only required to respond to questions relevant to the specific tiered commissions you are applying for.
Feel free to use this budget template or attach your own budget plan.
If you have any enquiries please contact Diasporas Creative Producer, James Emmanuel Mckinnon at james@mav.org.au.