Testing Grounds: a collaborative lab between artists and writers

Parramatta Artists' Studios and The Writing and Society Research Centre at the Western Sydney University have teamed up to create a new collaborative laboratory encouraging writers and artists in other forms to learn, play, experiment and create with each other.

This exciting program provides a space for cross-artform collaboration between writers and artists working in fields such as visual arts, dance and video. Over two intensive days, participants will hear from a number of speakers who are creating dynamic works in the field of cross-artform collaboration. Participants will get a good sense for the processes, outcomes and audiences for such work. Writers and artists will also get the opportunity to work together to form a work, or an idea for a work, and will be guided towards opportunities for being commissioned to produce, stage or present the work at a later date.

Schedule and Proposed Dates

• Callout closes - 5 March 2023, midnight (AEDT)
• Applicants notified - late March 2023
• Workshop Day 1 - Friday 28 April 9:00AM - 6:00PM
• Workshop Day 2 - Saturday 29 April 10:00AM - 6:00PM
• Reflection meeting - Thursday 15 June 6:30PM - 8:30PM

Things to note

• Participants are paid a fee of $1150
• Individuals, Collaborators and Collectives are encouraged to apply.
• Writers and artists who have not collaborated before are welcome to apply.
• This program is suited to writers and artists from emerging to professionals. An emerging writer or artist is considered to be someone who has had some public professional practice.
• Participants will be interviewed at different intervals throughout this project for the purpose of contributing to scholarship around collaborative practice.
• Writers and artists will be delivering presentations and will be expected to prepare these in the lead-up to the lab. Details about this will be shared in the weeks prior and an online meeting will be held to discuss any questions.

Online Information Session

An information session about the program will be held on Tuesday 28 February at 2:00pm. Sign up to take part in this here