Novel arts experiences using digital technologies and live audience engagement are now emerging across Australia with the help of the Digital Culture Fund from the Australia Council for the Arts.
Applications are now open for another round of funding. The first round of the Digital Culture Fund supported seven projects across gaming, performance, mobile, digital technology, zines and sport.
Earlier in October, in Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, artist Linda Dement and her collaborators presented Bloodbath, an all-girl roller derby game that explored art through human collision and sport. Sensors attached to the player's heads, knees and elbows were able to send information to create a digital artwork, developing the work literally blow-by-blow!
In Perth, the PVI Collective recently won the Best Game Writing award at the Free Play Independent Game Festival 2010 for their project, Transumer. Armed with customised iPhones using audio, video, GPS mapping and interactive layers, players were encouraged to view the streets through new eyes and to virtually tag actions to counter our consumer culture.
In Adelaide, the artists from Format Festival have just launched the ‘zine-o-tron’ iPhone app for making digital zines. Enthusiasts can download this free app and invent their own DIY mini magazines, racing against the clock to take photos, finger paint or upload content for their zine creation, and then sharing their masterpiece online.
"We're really thrilled with the success of this first round of projects," said Andy Donovan, Director of Inter-arts at the Australia Council.
"They provided some real fun and creativity but they also pushed artistic boundaries, giving us a glimpse of how digital technology might shape our culture in the future. I can't wait to see where this next round takes us."
The Digital Culture Fund invites proposals from artists who are digital natives working with a mix of visual, sound, performance, literary, interdisciplinary arts, artistic games or transmedia experiences. Emerging or established makers can apply for up to $40,000 as individuals or as a group.
"Artists in the digital era are expanding arts and cultural engagement through emerging technologies," said Donovan.
"Instead of showing their art in galleries or theatres, these artists explore how digital technology makes us rethink what an experience of art can be – their work crosses over into the worlds of cyberspace, mobile devices, networks, games, urban space and interactive technology.
"The Australia Council's Digital Culture Fund embraces this. There's a real focus on the creative process, particularly participatory processes where artists and audiences 'co-create' or make art together."
Applications for the Digital Culture Fund close Monday, November 22, 2010, with the project required to be completed between March-December 31, 2011. For paperwork fun-times or more information, head to the Australia Council for the Arts website and check out the Arts Digital Era blog.