me.d ia te: the ANAT National School for New Media Art Curation

Hobart, Tasmania

28 March - 11 April

Applications due: 12 February

Guidelines for Curators and Artsworkers


1. INTRODUCTION

The Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) is Australia's key national arts organisation linking the arts, science and technology. ANAT aims to develop and promote innovative contemporary art which has as its principle component the use and exploration of technology.

me.d ia te: the ANAT National School for New Media Art will be a pioneering intensive skilling program for curators wishing to develop exhibitions and presentations which incorporate works utilising new technologies. me.d ia te aims to skill curators in a 'master class environment' using ANAT's acclaimed National Summer School for artists as a working model.

Exhibitions of exclusively new media practice have begun to emerge around Australia and internationally, but programming and curatorial practices still tend to be exclusive rather than inclusive, focusing on the method of production of the work, rather than the content of the work and the social and aesthetic issues being addressed by these artists.

me.d ia te will foster the burgeoning field of technology based and new media art practices particularly within an Australian context. Skilling curators in all aspects of interactive multimedia and technological based art presentation will improve opportunities for Australian artists to have their work seen in an Australian context as well as improving export opportunities for Australian works.

This project is a world first in providing adequate training for curators in this field and will provide for a "world's best practice" model for training in this area.


2. BACKGROUND

ANAT has been holding National Summer Schools for artists since 1989. The School is unique in that it provides the only intensive training program in Australia devised specifically for artists who want to upskill in uses of new technologies.

Whilst Australian artists have now achieved international acclaim for their work, many artists still have difficulty in having their work shown, except on a sporadic basis, within Australia. Furthermore, in order to realise opportunities internationally, Australian artists often have to relocate overseas, or pursue international opportunities themselves. Reasons cited by many artists is that curators in Australia remain reticent to show the work of these artists, and have an inadequate understanding of how to curate exhibitions using new media Curators maintain that this is in part due to the difficulties (both perceived and real) of obtaining the equipment required to present the work, and also due to a lack of understanding of this kind of work, and the design and display issues presented by interactive and technology based artwork.

Through consultation in 1996 and further research in 1997, ANAT identified a need for curators training in this area of practice, to ensure adequate exhibition and distribution opportunities for artists. In 1997 a special report, researching curators' responses to the challenges associated with new media exhibition, was commissioned by ANAT and produced by Kevin Murray (available at http://home.mira.net/~kmurray/dcreport.html). Through this report ANAT have identified the key areas in which training for curators is required.

ANAT have identified that although there are opportunities for study in art curation in more traditional exhibition and installation issues, there are no training opportunities specifically tailored to address new media. me.d ia te addresses this issue by appointing trained curators, technicians and theorists as tutors, by providing intensive training and by ensuring the cost of the school makes it accessible to all curators.

The needs of curators are clearly different from those of artists, who are keen to gain skills to assist them to develop and produce artwork. However, an understanding of the technologies employed by artists will assist curators in devising appropriate exhibition display mechanisms for this work and will give them a clearer understanding of new media practices . In order to raise audience awareness, we intend to use this school to instil confidence in art institutions and curators to better enable them to present and promote this work.


3. OBJECTIVES


New media and technology based art is beginning to attract new audiences for art in Australia. In order to maximise these audiences, a critical mass of Australian curators and art workers is required to continue to stage these kinds of events, as well as providing new opportunities and contexts in which this kind of art can be seen.

The objectives of me.d ia te are:


4. COURSE STRUCTURE AND FEES


The school will be held from 28 March - 11 April in Hobart, Tasmania, in association with Contemporary Arts Services Tasmania (CAST) with additional support from the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Participants will be provided with 24 hour access to the facilities and tutors will be undertaking training 5 days per week. me.d ia te will skill curators in many aspects of interactive new media and technological based art presentation, including the following areas (see call for applications text):

ANAT are also investigating the opportunity for tutors to attend weekend excursions which will critically compliment the course.

The fees for the course are as follows:

Full Fee $750
Applicable to institutionally based curators and artsworkers

Concession Fee $450
Applicable to freelance or unwaged curators and artsworkers

Travel and accommodation assistance will also be available.


5. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The assessment criteria for the applications are:

National representation will also be taken into account.


6. APPLICATION PROCESS AND GUIDELINES

As there are likely to me many more applications received for me.d ia te than we have places available, the application process is a competitive one.

Applicants should provide:


For further information, please contact:


me·dia te is developed with the support of the Australian Film Commission and the Audience Development and Advocacy division of the Australia Council.

ANAT is assisted by the Australia Council, the Federal Government's arts funding and advisory body.