CultureLAB X Basement Theatre
Please note, applications for CultureLAB are currently closed.
During 2023 – 2024, Arts House and Basement Theatre will host independent artists to generate new work whilst in residence for 4 weeks in both Naarm and Tāmaki Makaurau.
As great believers in the inherent abilities of independent artists to articulate a future where “humanity and art are entwined” we relish the opportunity to co-create a program for creatives to practice art, community and kinship across borders. For this exchange, both organisations invited proposals from artists whose work has a focus on the future / futures / futurity / futurisms in their inherent contradictions, multivalence and multiplicity.
Independent artists of all disciplines based in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand were invited to apply for this opportunity, to rehearse for an imagined future, unbridled, untamed and untethered from the capitalist, colonial and patriarchal grasp. Both organisations have a stated commitment to supporting artists that identify as Indigenous, Poc and/or D/deaf and disabled.
Arts House will provide:
- Up to $20,000 fee contribution for an independent artist from Aotearoa to take up residency at Arts House
- Dedicated studio time between 2 and 5 weeks duration
- Technical equipment and production support
- Creative producing support where appropriate
- Collective workshopping and gathering moments hosted by artistic peers and cultural leaders
- Per Diems, accommodation and travel contributions
- Follow-up artist care session post-development with a QTPOC counsellor for both selected artists
Basement Theatre will provide:
- Up to $20,000 fee contribution for an independent artist from Australia to take up residency at Basement
- Dedicated studio time between 2 and 5 weeks duration
- Support from one of Basement’s in-house producers in residence
- Localised knowledge sharing through curated gathering moments hosted by artistic peers and cultural leaders in Aotearoa
- Per Diems, accommodation and travel contributions
- Follow-up artist care session post-development with a QTPOC counsellor for both selected artists – led by Arts House
Key Dates
- EOI’s opened: Thursday 15 September 2022, 9am AEST
- EOI’s closed: Thursday 20 October 2022, 5pm AEST
- Notification of selected artists: Wednesday 7 December 2022
Information sessions and EOI support
Arts House and Arts Access Victoria hosted a number of general application support and information sessions.
Learn more here.
Arts Access Victoria also offers EOI support.
Please contact: info@artsaccess.com.au or phone 03 9699 8299 (voice only)
Please note, applications are currently closed. Those who contacted us ahead of the closing date to request an extension may still submit up to the agreed date.
Please note that a proposed budget must have been included to assess project viability. Download the budget template in Excel.
Rurukutia, rurukutia! Rurukutia mai te moana rikoriko o te Waitematā, rurukutia te whenua o Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrakei e takoto mai rā, rurukutia te whare tāpere o Basement e tū atu nei, rurukutia mātou, ko Ngāi Ringatoi, e tū mātou he manuhiri i tō Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrakei ipukarea, i tō Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrakei puna waiora, ko Horotiu. Tēnei te mihi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Basement Theatre is located within lands belonging to the people of Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei. We humbly acknowledge the immense privilege of being guest art-makers here in this auspicious region, and upon the sacred waters of Horotiu.
Basement Theatre is a home to professional and budding theatre artists, comedians, dancers and musicians alike. Renowned for its ability to push the boundaries of artistic expression, Basement Theatre is Auckland’s culture-defining powerhouse.
A place where urgent and adventurous live performance made by independent artists is incubated and supported, Basement Theatre aims to inspire and challenge Aotearoa audiences and arts organisations, and reflect our diverse identities and experiences. We have an organisation-wide commitment to upholding a ‘Vital Voices’ kaupapa, where we prioritise artists and audiences who have experienced systemic marginalisation from living in a colonial society. We believe that the theatre is a colonial construct with inherent barriers across cultural, economic, physical, political, religious and gender-based contexts, and we acknowledge that as an historically pākehā, cis and able-body led organisation, we can only achieve our purpose by remaining critical of our intersections of privilege*.
*We acknowledge that the way that people are referred to is incredibly important, and that language is constantly evolving. Therefore certain words we have used here may need to be updated over time.
Read more about the CultureLAB: Creative Development Opportunity and Residency here.
If you have read our documents and attended the Information Session, but still have questions, please contact:
Arts House Program Manager
olivia.anderson@melbourne.vic.gov.au
0447 570 178 (text only)
(03) 9322 3720
Nisha Madhan
Basement Programming Manager
nisha@basementtheatre.co.nz
(03) 9697 9999
National Relay Service (NRS)
TTY users: phone 13 36 77 – then ask for – 03 9322 3720
Speak and Listen users: phone 1300 555 727 – then ask for – 03 9322 3720
Internet relay users: connect to the NRS (internet-relay.nrscall.gov.au) – then type in – 03 9322 3720
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Basement Theatre
Image Description: A photo of the outside of Basement Theatre in Aotearoa. The building is black and there is a large billboard with promo images of shows above the entrance. There are people sitting and standing out the front of the building.
