About us
Blacktown Arts is the arts and cultural development unit of Blacktown City Council. We are responsible for the delivery of a diverse program of creative and cultural experiences in the City of Blacktown, management of The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre, the City’s Art Collection and cultural planning.
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the arts and cultural sector in Australia and we would like to support artists in any way we can. Recently, we have developed a digital program to support local artists and engage a wide range of audiences. The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre has now reopened with limited programs. Check out our program by clicking here.
The opportunity
While we won’t be able to welcome live performance audiences back to the Arts Centre just yet, we would like to make our Performance Studio available to independent artists or companies undertaking creative development, research or writing for the development of new performance or film projects.
In addition to the Studio, we also have office space that would be suitable for researchers, writers or producers needing some dedicated space.
What we will provide
Performance Studio – wooden floor approximately 10m x 7.5m
Office space – upstairs office space (no lift access) with two desks
Technical support – standard worker lights, heating and access to power.
Facilities – the venue has dressing rooms, a shower, toilets and kitchen, however, access will be dependent on current health restrictions and negotiated with each user.
Availability – Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm
Period – maximum two weeks, from 6 July to 25 September 2020
Criteria for support
Blacktown Arts has a set of programming objectives, but we acknowledge that this is the time for flexibility, so feel free to let us know your needs and if we are in a position to support your work, we will.
We will prioritise requests that support the development of one or more of the following:
• new performance or film projects
• local Blacktown artists – through employment, creative development or professional development
• first Nations artists
• projects exploring content relevant to Blacktown residents
How to apply
Please send us a short (maximum 2-page) proposal outlining:
• your contact details
• your project – form and content, aims for the development period
• list of people involved – all who would be attending the venue
• short bio – for your group, lead creative/s
• Your space needs – office or studio, any staging or technical elements you will bring
• preferred dates – up to two weeks, don’t have to be consecutive, please prioritise
• how your project meets our criteria – in 100 words or less
Access support
If you have access needs, such as a physical or mental health condition, in relation to making an application, please contact our Project Lead and we will support you in any way that we can.
Submitting your proposal
Please email your proposal to our Project Lead in a Word or PDF format.
Maria Mitar, Curator Performing Arts
Maria.Mitar@blacktown.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 9839 6554
Notification
Our Programming Team will consider proposals and advise applicants of availability within two weeks.
Image: Pepa Molina by Joshua Morris