MAV is seeking 18 femme-identifying artists of colour who are ready to TakeBaCk! the power and speak out against the racialised gaze.

In collaboration with Darebin FUSE festival, MAV is seeking 18 artists of colour that identify as female, femmes, womxn, trans-feminine, non-binary, fluid, gender-diverse, with and without disability who experience the racialized gaze on the street, online and in the media on a daily basis.

TakeBaCk! is a multi-arts project that will be realised both as a digital and live performance. Artists will work with photographers and filmmakers to create a fierce and embodied response to the racialised gaze.

TakeBaCk! was conceived in response to consistent feedback from womxn and femmes of colour that they are increasingly subject to racialised language and gaze. The commentary often centres around what they are wearing, their physical appearance and the activities they are engaged in; in public and in online spaces.

TakeBaCk! will include professional workshops with six powerful, culturally diverse femmes and womxn of colour.

TakeBaCk! will enable truth-telling, reclaiming, voice, embodiment and a reshaping of the role of racism in the lives of culturally diverse femmes through an artistic lens.

CULTURAL SAFETY

MAV understands that projects are places where inequities can result in a lack of cultural safety for project participants. We endeavour to do our utmost to attend to the cultural safety of all project participants by continually educating ourselves on this issue, making cultural safety a priority, rigorously examining our own protocols and behaviours, listening without defensiveness and acting on observations and concerns.

Please feel free to contact Veronica Pardo (CEO), Candy Bowers (Programming Manager) or Dorcas Maphakela (Producer) at any time regarding your involvement in this project. We understand that this work may raise new questions and concerns and the program may require adjustments as it progresses.

Veronica: ceo@mav.org.au**
Candy: candy@mav.org.au**
Dorcas: dorcas@mav.org.au

ACCESSIBILITY

MAV invites artists of colour with and without disability to participate in TakeBaCk!
Please let us know of your access requirements within your application.

SUBMITTING AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Please click on the button below, to fill out and submit your expression of interest.

WHO CAN APPLY?

• Artists of colour that identify as female, femmes, womxn, trans-feminine, non-binary, fluid, gender-diverse and with and without disability who experience the racialised gaze.
• Established, emerging and mid-career practising artists of any discipline (visual arts/ writing/ design/ fashion/ digital/ comedy/ sonic/ performance/ theatre/ dance/ music/ photography.)
• Artists who live, work or play in Victoria.
• Individuals and collectives of up to 4 members.
• Artists who can provide an online link to a recent solo or collaborative work.
• Artists who are available for all project dates as outlined below in ‘Key Dates’.
• Artists who can attend workshops & rehearsals online or in person (in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions) at Northcote Townhall, Northcote Victoria.

PROVOCATIONPlease respond to the following provocation:
What would you say/do if you could hit back at your perpetrator/ cat caller/ troll/ work colleague/ keyboard warrior, etc?

ARTIST FEEPayment for your artistic contribution, rehearsal time and performance: $1,500.00

SELECTION PROCESS
A diverse panel of creatives of colour will assess the EOI’s.
Applicants will be notified of their outcome within two weeks of submitting.

KEY DATESExpression of Interest opens: Wed 7 October 2020
Expression of Interest closes: Fri 23 October 2020
Successful Artists Announced: Wed 4 November 2020
Workshops and Creative Development: Mondays, 23 & 30 November and 14 & 21 December 2020 and 15 & 22 February 2021
Filming: Mondays, 1 & 8 March 2021
Performance at Fuse Festival (TBA): March 2021
Debrief (TBA): April 2021

Apply to TakeBaCk!

For enquiries, access requirments and translation, please contact office@mav.org.au

TakeBaCk! is proudly supported by:
City of Darebin (FUSE Festival) & Australia Council for the Arts

Image credit: Lorraine Morena, “Then VS Now”, Embrace your Frizzique, Emerge in the West 2019. Photo detail by Wild Hardt.