Kickstart intensive in 2015. Photo credit Eugene Howard.
Emerging artists are no longer looking for their niche – they’re out gathering as diverse an array of experiences as possible, and then marking their own thread within that web.
Next Wave’s new Kickstart Helix program is designed to help artists navigate that journey. Next Wave Director Georgie Meagher, describes it as ‘a bunch of individual strands with interconnecting points [which] brings artists and curators and writers and producers into this intersecting program where individuals can navigate their own path’.
Artists with ambitious ideas ready to take them to the next level are invited to apply to join the next incarnation of the Kickstart program that has already helped launch the careers of prominent artists including Atlanta Eke, Abdul Abdullah, Megan Cope and Zoe Coombs Marr.
The program is a key platform in Next Wave’s mission to support a new generation of emerging and early career artists through its learning program and biennial festival. Participating artists get the advantage of both a learning opportunity and a national platform from which to launch their next project.
Kickstart Helix builds on the diversity and the intersectional element that was so successful in the older program while making the program more self-guided and dynamic.
‘What we’re increasingly seeing is that individual young arts practitioners have to wear different hats, so people are more often not just an artist, or not just a curator, or not just a writer, but could benefit from learning skills in all of those different areas,’ said Meagher.
Kickstarters will have the opportunity not only to choose a core stream but also to participate and learn in other streams, building a portfolio skill set that meets their individual needs.
The program provides a $2000 artist fee, with up to $3000 in additional project costs, as well as a six-day retreat at Bundanon Trust, NSW, and two other intensive workshops in Melbourne. It also includes support from an Associate Producer on staff and access to partner organisations who provide mentoring, equipment and support. Best of all, chosen artists get to present their work at the Next Wave Festival.
Artist Ian Sinclair, whose work Ecosexual Bathhouse (created in collaboration with Loren Kronmeyer) premiered at the biennial Next Wave Festival this year, was part of last year’s Kickstart. He treasures the support he received, saying it was instrumental in making the creation of his first large-scale project a ‘viable option’.
‘In terms of my own art practice, Kickstart opened up my mind to a lot of other voices,’ he said.
Sinclair praised the ‘holistic approach’ of Kickstart, describing it as ‘a great cross-section of both the industry and ways of working within the industry… The opportunity to meet and maintain relationships with your peers, even artists working across different art forms and artists working in different art forms – that was really the strong and amazing opportunity that Kickstart gave us.’
‘The process for moving from Kickstart into the festival was a very smooth transition… we just felt ready to go,’ said Sinclair. ‘Next Wave were incredibly supportive… they helped us find a venue… we also had an Associate Producer on board from Next Wave’. The reception at the festival was overwhelmingly positive. ‘When we premiered, it got a great response from audiences, and quite a lot of media attention,’ recalls Sinclair, who has since been invited to present Ecosexual Bathhouse at other festivals, including Liveworks in Sydney.
Ecosexual Bathhouse Photo: Sarah Walker
Applications for Kickstart Helix open on 13 October and close on 17 November. During that time, the Next Wave team will be travelling to capital cities throughout Australia, talking to artists; artists are encouraged to talk to the team face to face as early as possible before applying online. There will also be public briefing sessions and online briefing sessions, with details available soon on the Next Wave website: www.nextwave.org.au
