Scenario
About Next Wave. From 2021-2024, I was the CEO/Director and this was the strategy (2022-2025) we developed and worked from. This provocation extends on that strategy to imagine a national program for early career experimental practice.
Some context specific to this time:
- The organisation received operational funding from Creative Victoria, and relied on unconfirmed project funding from local and State government. The organisation was at the tail-end of a 8-year contract with Merri-Bek City Council to manage Brunswick Mechanics Institute.
- Covid19 and extended lockdowns lasted through all of 2020 and 2021.
Note: I went on parental leave at the end of 2023, and did not return to the role.
What If
The strategy
https://drive.google.com/file/d/185OBh5uAyt8ycRVH2Qh7OcNaeTb4qhdN/view?usp=sharing
The program
Next Wave Chart.pdf
The trajectory
- The outgoing Artistic Directorate (AD) collectively curates the next cohort of AD. So, each AD member nominates 3 names to the pool, enters into a collective discussion through shortlisting and decision making. The choices are set against a matrix of various factors: diversity of lived and cultural experiences including gender, sexuality, disability, geography, race etc.
- The AD collectively reviews and update the existing curatorial framework that will guide their work over their term.
- The AD employs the curatorial framework, and a similar nomination process for the Kickstart artist selection process.
- For their term - the AD mentors the Kickstart artist in their project development. The Producers facilitate this process alongside professional development offerings. These offerings may be structured within the Kickstart program, and across the All School program where a public audience may engage in as well.