MEDIA RELEASE • 05 AUGUST 2022
Geelong Arts Centre is excited to announce six recipients of their latest Creative Engine grant packages for 2022.
After a challenging couple of years for regional artists, Geelong Arts Centre is thrilled to provide both financial support and in-kind studio access within the arts centre’s landmark Ryrie Street building valued at over $50,000.
Now in their third year, the grants are designed to directly benefit local G21 artists and other artists with strong connections to our community in their development of new and distinctive work
Since its inception, Creative Engine has awarded 29 grants.
The calibre and variety of submissions in this latest round was outstanding.
The selected projects span multiple artistic disciplines, including cabaret, theatre, audio-visual art, and contemporary dance, but share in common their ability to meet the program’s three selection criteria: Connection, Innovation and Thoughtfulness.
In 21/22 Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine provided over $80,000 of cash contributions to artists to pay them to spend time on their new creative work.
A synopsis of each of the grant-awarded projects can be found over page. Full details of each project are available at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/projects-supported-creative-engine/2022-round-two
Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine will continue to offer regular grant rounds to invest in emerging projects produced by those with a strong connection to the Greater Geelong region, with the next due to be announced early next year.
New grant rounds, and a brand new Creative Engine program of exciting 2023 events and artistic development opportunities are soon to be announced. Stay up to date with what’s happening at Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine by visiting geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine and signing up to the e-newsletter.
Updates regarding development of all works supported by Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine can be found at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/projects-supported-creative-engine
Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine is proudly supported through the Victorian Government by Creative Victoria, Major Artistic Partner, Deakin University, and Innovation Partner, Costa Asset Management.
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE
“There is nothing we love more at Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine than watching the early seeds of local projects develop and flourish.”
“We have so much creative talent connected to our region, and we are thrilled that these grant recipients will not only receive project-specific support, but also join a community of likeminded creatives who will have a lasting impact on their broader artistic practice.”
Quotes attributable to Geelong Arts Centre Head of Programming,
Penny McCabe
THE RECIPIENTS
IGNITION RECIPIENTS
(AWARDED $5,000 + IN-KIND STUDIO ACCESS + MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES)
BREASTS BECOME HER
MISS CAIRO
Breasts Become Her (BBH) is a solo cabaret show written and performed by Miss Cairo, a queer transgender cabaret artist of colour which poses the question: At what point am I considered a woman?
THE MENTOR
CHRISTIAN CAVALLO
The Mentor is Amanda Redfern: a one-time Hollywood star whose life has spiralled in later years. When she begins tutoring young actor Jordan Ridley, the two discover a vastly different set of perceptions across themes of sexism, ageism, respect, consent, and mental health; their methodologies as actors fuelled by vastly different lived experience.
JUMP START RECIPIENTS
(AWARDED $1,000 + IN-KIND STUDIO ACCESS)
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DINOSAURS
BELLE HANSEN
The World According to Dinosaurs is an interrogation of globalism through the lens of paleontology, world events and what we had for dinner last night. A culmination of the stories we tell ourselves about existence. Fact, fiction, wives’ tales, white lies, myths, learnt behaviours, common misconceptions - it’s all part of the human narrative.
PROJECT CONNECT
STACEY CARMICHAEL
How do we connect to others? Has this changed given the current global climate? How do we connect as artists to explore concepts and ideas? What is that point of connection where our different art forms and artistic expressions meet? Using group devised theatre processes and assembling a group of creatives from varying artistic backgrounds and training; Stacey aims to bring together a group of theatre makers to use these questions as a launching point for exploration and play!
PLACE TO MAKE RECIPIENTS
(AWARDED IN-KIND STUDIO ACCESS)
GEELONG LATIN AMERICAN MOVEMENT
MARTA ELIZABETH LOPEZ
Representing the Geelong Latin American community through stage, theatre performances and audio-visual art at PAKO FESTA, Marta aims to be the catalyst for creating interest from other organisations to support the continuity of her group's projects at large and, in turn, be able to initiate the creation of other art projects.
MOUSE IN THE ROOM
CAROLINE MEADEN
Building on ideas seeded during a 2021 Creative Engine residency, Caroline will continue developing her practise at the intersection of dance, language, and acting, alongside 5 dancer/collaborators.