We are Bec and Connie, and together we are Make or Break. Our projects explore social, structural and political situations in collaboration with an audience, and right now we’re thinking about how citizens might reinsert themselves into decision-making processes within a capital “D” Democracy. We are working out how to collectively share and use practical (and sometimes subversive) skills and tools. We are learning things we never thought we would, like how to code and make robots that collect information on behalf of citizens. Our inner nerds are very satisfied… and we get to have great conversations with a bunch of interesting humans!

I'm Alex. I live and work on the traditional lands of the Muwinina in nipaluna (Hobart). I like to learn about the world via my arts practice, and I think this didactic approach carries through into the final shape of what I produce. I have focused recently on avian lifeways and modes of perception, and my current work continues this while pushing harder to incorporate the always looming human relationship. I'm exploring themes of ecological responsibility, colonial meddling, restorative justice and multi-species sociality, blending together different realms of knowledge and truth-making, and inviting the audience into this mess as a deliberative force.

HOBIENNALE is a free festival of art, music, performance and public programs presented in and around Hobart by a collective of independent artist-led organisations and cooperatives from around Australia and New Zealand. In 2019, the festival brings together 21 artist-led organisations and cooperatives, and includes Next Wave alumni Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Katie West, and Enderie alongside many others.

Performance Space unleashes an illuminating program of experimental work from across Australia and the Asia Pacific at Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art. Across eleven days Carriageworks is consumed by performances, installations, parties, workshops and conversations designed to reverberate through your body. Curated by Jeff Kahn (Next Wave 2008-10 Artistic Director) and Performance Space.

Resistance Transmission weaves together a series of deep listening experiences that explore our changing relationship to water. For ten nights across the Festival, the Maribyrnong River will become a geographical and temporal junction where a number of cultural and historical streams will meet, inviting us to reflect on our shared relationship to the river. Participants include Next Wave 2020 artist, Lay the Mystic, and Next Wave alumni Katie West alongside many others.

Curated by Next Wave alumni, Phuong Ngo, The End / Future of History sees contemporary artists examine how rights are simultaneously upheld and violated by government. In an international system that has been dominated by Western ideology, a fundamental flaw exists with the administering of rights. It is a system where the guarantor of rights is almost always the key violator. Can governments fulfil their obligations to citizens when presented with conflicting demands?

The Lesley Hall Arts and Disability Scholarship is an annual Arts Access Victoria scholarship. This scholarship recognises the power of the arts to influence social change. The scholarship honours the life and activism of the late Lesley Hall, a tireless advocate for the human rights of people with disability. Applications close Sun 10 Nov.
 

Applications to Firstdraft’s First Nations Curators’ Program are open year round and assessed periodically. The program supports an emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practitioner to present an exhibition at Firstdraft.

Seedpod Pilot is the first Queensland-based residency program from renowned live arts organisation, Punctum. It is presented in collaboration with Horizon Festival, Arts Coast and Creative Spaces. Hitting the coast in 2020, the residency program will create a safe space for artists to test Live Art and contemporary performance ideas, undertake experiments, develop new work and take risks in a collaborative environment. Applications close Mon 18 Nov.

The Helpmann Academy is thrilled to present the Helpmann Fellowship, open to emerging artists from all of our partner institutions working in visual arts, theatre, dance, music and film. Valued at up to $20,000 each, the Fellowships will fund projects of significance, supporting early career artists to realise their visions and build sustainable practices, shaping their future and empowering them to transform the cultural landscape. Applications close Mon 16 Dec.

MARS Gallery is calling all artists to submit proposals for a public street art initiative Clean up our Backyard, a not-for-profit initiative proudly supported by the City of Stonnington. Four artists will each receive $10,000 to create a public artwork in our backyard of Windsor in Melbourne, Australia. Applications close Sun 10 Nov.

The Koorie Art Show is one of the most important annual exhibitions that showcases the diverse talent of Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. The show is an open-entry, non-acquisitive award exhibition and all visual arts mediums are eligible. Applications close Mon 11 Nov.

Since 2009, the IMA has had the honour of presenting the $10K award to a risk-taking Queensland artist in the early stages of their career, made possible through a bequest made by the family of Jeremy Hynes. Hynes was a key figure in the Brisbane art scene in the 90s known for his daredevil performance art.  They’re seeking applications which demonstrate ambition in ideas and artistic risk-taking. Applications close Sun 3 Nov.

Malthouse are looking for a Director in Residence. It's a three-year role for a theatre artist who identifies as female or non-binary. As part of our artistic team, the Director in Residence will develop and direct work for the mainstage, be immersed in the day-to-day activities of the company and receive mentoring and support from the Artistic Director. EOIs close Fri 1 Nov.