artist residency - Second Life.

The Australia Council for the Arts is offering up to $20,000 for a collaborative artist residency in the virtual world of Second Life.

The aim of the residency is to offer Australian artists and writers the opportunity to creatively and critically explore new interactive, virtual platforms.

The residency allows for a collaborative team of up to three people (including a writer, musician/sound artist and digital visual media practitioner) to develop inter-disciplinary artwork in Second Life.

Applications will only be accepted from teams who fulfil all the residency requirements, including having the necessary artform experience. Artists or writers who have professional experience in more than one of the required artform areas can include this as part of their submission.

Program purpose
The Second Life artist residency is an initiative of the Literature Board, Music Board and Inter-Arts Office of the Australia Council.

The residency is ‘in-world’ and requires artists and writers to explore the possibilities of inter-disciplinary literary, music/sound art and digital visual media practices.

The successful team will develop new artistic in-world practices and comment on the social and cultural layers that have evolved in Second Life.

Key requirements of the project are a clear strategy for harnessing both in-world and ‘real life’ audiences and developing public exhibition opportunities for the artwork in Australia.

The main objectives of the program are to:

Provide opportunities for artists and writers to develop art that challenges and explores the aesthetic, social, political and cultural realities of Second Life
Encourage collaborations between artists and writers working across literature, music/sound art and digital visual media to develop high quality, experimental arts practices in Second Life
Application closing date
27 July 2007.

How to apply
http://www.ozco.gov.au/grants/grants_new_media_arts