Screen Australia and ABC announce $200,000 for new arts content

Four successful teams who will share in $200,000 of funding for Art Bites, a joint initiative that encourages new arts content from emerging and early-career Australian filmmakers.

Two filmmaking teams from Western Australia, one team from Queensland, and one team from New South Wales will each receive $50,000 to fund a 6 x 5 minute web series that will premiere on the ABC Arts channel on iview from November 2016. Screen West and Screen Queensland have also offered support for their local talent.

The four successful series are accessible, engaging and entertaining and cover a diverse a range of topics.  Set to appeal to younger audiences (18 to 35 years) the four series give a unique and fresh insight into an aspect of arts in Australia.

Suburban Interventions (WA) will delve into the life and artistic practice of artist Ian Strange while The Glass Bedroom (NSW) will examine the influence of social media on the work of artists.  The Wanderers (QLD) will explore Australia’s most exciting street artists and Shock Art (WA) is a look at how art can take us into deeply uncomfortable territory.

Applications were assessed on criteria including the distinctiveness of ideas, the teams’ ability to manage their project and whether the stories align with ABC Arts’ ambition to shine a spotlight on the arts with quality, smart, entertaining and shareable content. 

Each project will have the mentoring support from a digital Arts Commissioning Editor at ABC and an Investment Development Manager from Screen Australia.

Head of ABC Arts, Mandy Chang, says, “This is a wonderful opportunity, in partnership with Screen Australia, to develop the next generation of arts filmmakers, and we’re excited to see the films that emerge from this initiative. ABC Arts on iview is a fantastic platform on which to showcase this up-and-coming Australian talent.”

Senior Manager for Documentary at Screen Australia, Liz Stevens, says, “We were really impressed with the stories that were submitted to the Art Bites initiative and the high level of interest emerging filmmakers have in telling arts-based stories. The final projects give four emerging filmmakers an opportunity to show audiences what they find exciting and important about arts in Australia, right now, through the very popular, accessible and shareable ABC iview platform.”

Selected series

SUBURBAN INTERVENTIONS (WA)
Suburban Interventions will look at how growing up in the suburbs or Perth informed the artistic practice  of artist Ian Strange and led to a global analysis of the iconography of suburbia and home.
Producer: Brooke Silcox
Executive Producer: Amanda Morrison
Director: Ian Strange

THE WANDERERS (QLD)
The Wanderers examines work of six of Australia’s most exciting street artists as they take their work on the road – a discovery of self and new culture as they explore the influence of a new environment on their individual artistic styles.
Producer Drew McDonald
Director Selina Miles

THE GLASS BEDROOM (NSW)
The Glass Bedroom will profile six Australian artists who use Instagram to create bold new works to share with their thousands of followers. The series will take viewers inside the ‘glass bedrooms’ of these Instagram artists, to explore the relationship between authenticity, identity, and social media in their work.
Producer Bethany Bruce
Executive Producer Bridget Ikin
Director Kate Blackmore

SHOCK ART (WA)
Shock Art explores the art shocking us today and why it can take us deep into extremely uncomfortable territory. The effect of powerful art can leave a lasting impression long after we’ve viewed it. Is it OK for it to be offensive, controversial, and even dangerous?
Producer Alice Ross
Director Sam Field