Child of Now, my new public art work, has been shortlisted for a Creative State Commission and awarded $20,000 by Creative Victoria to conduct a feasibility study. This means that we can progress the big idea of creating a rare and extraordinary moment in the life of Victoria to consciously empathize with future generations through one of the largest portraits every created and an epic ten day performance featuring contributions from 15,000 people of diverse ages, backgrounds and walks of life.
Creative Victoria’s funding will combine with the support already committed by Arts Centre Melbourne and the City of Melbourne to explore the feasibility of this ambitious project. In addition to support from Arts Centre Melbourne, Child of Now was developed during an Australia Council funded residency at Blast Theory (UK) April – June 2018.
Click here for a timeline of the project to date
From Creative Victoria Website:
Creative State Commissions – Round two shortlist revealed
A diverse selection of trailblazing creative ideas has been shortlisted for the second round of the Creative State Commissions program.
The Creative State Commissions program seeks ground-breaking projects that will boost Victoria’s reputation as a creative state, attract tourism and make a lasting impact on creative careers and the wider community.
Drawn from a field of twenty-five submissions, the shortlisted projects will each receive a $20,000 grant for further concept development and testing, including undertaking detailed feasibility studies.
The shortlist ranges from major public art programs to augmented reality and film-based projects. Several projects have a statewide remit while others will work to connect towns and communities in key areas across the state.
In addition to the eight project shortlisted for the latest round, SIREN, a project along the Great Ocean Road shortlisted in the first round of the program, will take up its grant for concept development and feasibility work.
Shortlisted projects have until late September to undertake their development and feasibility work, after which one to three projects will be selected to receive between $300,000 and $1 million to bring their creative ideas to life.
In July, the first Creative State Commission was awarded to ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, in partnership with Boonwurrung Custodian Caroline Martin (Director and Founder, Yalukit Marnang) for Bagurrk (woman), a major three-year theatre project.
The multifaceted project will celebrate the untold stories of Victorian Koorie women from before colonisation to the present day and will forge new methods for making art based on First Peoples history and experiences.
The Creative State Commissions program is an initiative of the Victorian Government’s Creative State strategy.
Arts Centre Melbourne and Robert Walton, $20,000
For creative development of The Child of Now, an interactive live and augmented reality spectacle generated from the faces, gestures and hopes for the future of 15,000 Victorians. The 100-meter tall augmented reality ‘Child of Now’ would inhabit the city for 10 days, connecting participants with an imagined ‘future Melbourne’ 100 years into the future. This project has also received support from the City of Melbourne.
For the full Creative State Commissions shortlist visit the Creative Victoria Website.
One thought
Great job Robert I look forward to seeing it come to fruiton