Wyndham Arts & Culture are excited to announce 2025 artist-in-residence program. Four artists or collectives will be partnered in temporary spaces in Wyndham. Expression of Interest (EOI) process is now open.
About the residencies:
Artists will be provided a free space that can be accessed during opening hours over a three-month period. The residencies are for artists to develop work, experiment, and expand on their practice. The residency is open to all mediums of practice from illustration, writing to sound and digital based work. Artists are encouraged to work on creative projects that connect to the venue programming and the community that uses the venue. The residency will include a public sharing of practice such as an artist talk or workshop to be negotiated with residency partners.
Program objectives:
- To provide a creative space for artists to develop and make artwork
- Deepen of practice through site responsive work
- Network opportunity with creative peers
Create [SPACE] program will provide
- Three months access to free space for an artist or collective in the Wyndham area (where specified)
- Provide advice and support whilst in residency.
- A fee of $3000
- In-kind support of a public outcome as agreed
Contact Chantal (Arts Program Officer) for Spark Hub, Dianella Community Centre: chantal.Wynter@wyndham.vic.gov.au
Contact Steve (First Nations Creative Arts Officer) for Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre: Steven.Rhall@wyndham.vic.gov.au
Image credit: Photo by Jack Gruber and artwork by Hellotomatoe_2024
Locations
Dianella Community Centre – Tarneit West
6 Congo Drive, Tarneit West
- Ideal practice: Community-led artists that explore sustainability and environmental themes.
- Space offers: Dedicated room within Dianella Community Centre with access to a projector and internet.
- Access: Negotiable.
- An exhibition from the 23 May – 23 July as part of the Level-Up program at Dianella Community Centre
Images of space can be viewed online https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/venues/dianella-community-centre. Scroll to Room Hire Information and click Training room.
Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre
19 Communal Road, Wyndham Vale, 3024
First Nations identified. More information here
- Space offers: Dedicated room.
- Access Hours/Days: Negotiable with venue.
- Ideal practice: Open to all
- Outcome: Open studio (negotiable) where community members can come in and chat.
Images of space can be viewed online: https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/venues/wunggurrwil-dhurrung-centre
Spark Business and Innovation Hub – one space for two artists to share
600 Sneydes Road, Werribee
- Ideal practice: Digital artist and/or an artist developing a creative business.
- Space offers: Business training and mentor opportunities. Dedicated room. Networking opportunities with entrepreneurs and small businesses.
- Access Hours/days: Negotiable with venue.
Important Information
Expression of Interest
- Live, work or play in the Wyndham area
- 18 years old +
- Practising artist or artist collective able to demonstrate body of work
- Practice that aligns with venue or space
- Hold an active ABN and bank account *
- Own Public Liability and *
- Working with children check*
- Police check* (Applicable at Dianella Community Centre and Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre.)
- Applicants must not be employees of Wyndham City Council
- All artists to provide 1-page brief overview of planned activity, research, development over 3-month residency. (Please note that this is an indication only)
- Spark HUB applicants to provide 200 words or less about your developing or established creative business.
- Dianella Community Centre applicants require 200 words or less about your community engagement experience and projects.
*Please note that these are not necessary at time of application but will need to be addressed if successful.
Expectations for successful artists
- Respond to the space and the people who utilise it through their practice
- Be able to demonstrate onsite practice in space
- Sharing practice or learnings with the Wyndham creative community with agreed upon public outcome. (e.g. artist talk, workshop, zine etc)
- Commitment to use space regularly over three-month period.
Key dates and information sessions
| 3 February 2025 | EOI (Expression of Interest) opens |
| 11 February 11am – 12pm | Information session – SPARK Hub |
|
11 February 1 – 2pm |
Information session – Dianella Community Centre |
|
15 February 11am – 12:30pm |
Information session - Wunggurrwil Dhurrung IRL (First Nations identified residency) Join event
|
| 23 February | Expression of Interest closes |
| 28 February | All applicants are notified of outcome |
| 3 March – 3 Jun | Residency duration |
Information sessions:
Learn more and speak with Wyndham Arts & Culture staff about the Create [SPACE] Artist-in-Residence program over the following dates.
Please note that the times were incorrectly posted in February E-news.
- Tuesday, 11 February 2025 11am - 12pm: SPARK Hub information session
-
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 1 – 2pm: Dianella Community Centre information session
- Saturday, 15 February 11am - 1230pm: Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre IRL and online (First Nations identified residency)
FAQS
1. What do l need to apply for the Expression of Interest?
1-page brief overview of planned activity, research, development over 3-month residency. (Please note that this is an indication only)
- Short biography outlining your practice
- Samples of your practice that includes images/web links/ social handles (2MB)
- 50 words or less on your association to Wyndham
- SPARK applicants require 200 words or less about your creative business
- Dianella Community Centre applicants require 200 words or less about your community engagement experience and projects.
2. Why do l need to provide 200 words or less about my creative business if applying for SPARK Hub?
The residency at SPARK Hub includes business support services. Providing information on your creative business helps us understand the stage of your business and how beneficial SPARK’s business community, the space and business support services offered.
3. Why do l need to provide 200 words or less about my community engagement experience and projects if applying for Dianella Community Centre?
Dianella Community Centre has introduced an environmental sustainability plan. The residency hopes to attract artists who have experience with working with the community to develop artworks that explore environment sustainability.
4. Do l need a working with children check, Public Liability Insurance (not less than $20 million per single event) and police check when applying for the expression of interest?
No, you do not require this at time of application although if successful, you would need to obtain at your own expense. We are unable to provide advice on insurance providers.
5. Why do l need a working with children check and police check?
Create [SPACE] artist-in-residency program are held in venues that other community members use. We ask all successful artists to undergo these requirements as the spaces are open to the community and public.
6. What is the minimum amount of time per week expected of residency?
The Create [SPACE] program is designed for artists to utilise the venue as much as possible. We understand that artists have other commitments. Generally, artists have used the space 2 -3 full days per week.
7. What is the expected outcome of the residency?
The purpose of Create [SPACE] is for artists to develop work or experiment with new work. We ask at the end of the residency; artists share their experience and practice with the public either as an artist talk or workshop.
8. What does the artist fee of $3,000 include?
The artist fee of $3,000 covers both the artist's time and all materials they may need during their residency. This means artists can use this fee to purchase any supplies, equipment, or materials required for their work during the residency period.