Are you a fearless, young and emerging artist? If so, Splendid 2010 wants to hear from you!
Splendid is now seeking the next generation of fearless young and emerging artists to participate in the 2010 program. The Splendid program affords artists an opportunity to develop their critical thinking and experimentation in an intensive 2-week residential arts lab in Lismore, NSW as well as have the opportunity to premiere the new work that is collaborative and cross artform at Splendour in the Grass 2011 – one of Australia’s largest music, arts and youth festivals.
A combined initiative of Lismore Regional Gallery, the Australia Council for the Arts and Splendour in the Grass, the challenge is extended to Splendid artists to create cutting edge and contemporary art that will inspire, question, puzzle, amuse, seduce and otherwise intrigue 30,000 festival goers.
The Splendid residency is structured as an immersive and exploratory playground and will be facilitated by leading local and international artists who will work closely with the Splendid participants to challenge, explore and develop their art practice.
Kristy Ayre, Splendid 2009 Artist said, “The Arts Lab was a fabulous journey for me both creatively and personally. It was a truly challenging, intense, fun, artistic experience but particularly, set up a fabulous new network of collaborators, friends and inspirations.”
Selected projects developed in the inaugural 2009 Splendid arts lab will be on display to an audience of 30,000 at Splendour in the Grass 2010.
Jessica Ducrou, Promoter and Director of Splendour in the Grass, said “For its tenth year Splendour is moving from its home of the last nine years in Byron Bay to the Woodford Folk Festival site in Queensland. This move has meant we have been able to expand our audience, and with it our arts and cultural program. Splendour sees the value in presenting the work of cutting edge contemporary artists within the music festival context and we are very excited about the outcomes of Splendid”.
Splendid is one of six projects supported through the Australian Government’s $6.6 million ‘opportunities for young and emerging artists’ initiative, receiving $600,000 over three years through the Australia Council. Splendour in the Grass has committed a further $150,000 to Splendid.
“Splendid provides exceptional opportunities to young and emerging artists, and helps to navigate pathways that lead to ongoing projects and potential future income,’ said Brett Adlington, Director of Lismore Regional Gallery. “The successes of last year’s intake, even prior to their work being installed at Splendour in the Grass 2010, indicate the genuine need for major projects such as this.”
“Managed by Lismore Regional Gallery in partnerships with NORPA, Arts Northern Rivers and Splendour in the Grass; Splendid demonstrates the strength and vitality of regional arts organisations in the Northern Rivers and firmly places them on a national and international platform” said Brett Adlington.
Splendid is also supported by a Curatorium of art professionals who are responsible for selecting participating artists and the commissioning of artworks for Splendour in the Grass. In 2010, triple j broadcaster and author Craig Schuftan is joining Craig Walsh, Jessica Ducrou, Julian Louis, Lois Randall, Brett Adlington and one rotating national peer on the Splendid Curatorium team.
“I’m really glad to be involved with Splendid. One of the problems with art – as many artists have realized over the last century or so – is that you have to go to an art gallery to see it, and a lot of people today just don’t do that. So there’s a strong argument, I think, for putting cutting-edge art in popular places like music festivals. Many people say of festivals that their favourite things are often the things they least expected, and the ‘browsing’ we do at festivals as we wander from one tent to another makes it more likely that we’ll make new discoveries. So it’s a great opportunity for people doing exciting stuff in fields like visual art or contemporary dance to find a new audience for their work. I tend to think it’s good for the avant – garde too, to get out of the rarified air of the gallery and mingle with the festival crowd.”
Splendid 2010 applications are due on Tuesday 6 April 2010 and forms are available at www.splendid.org.au.
