Cassils, Becoming An Image Performance Still No.3, Edgy Woman Festival, Montreal 2013. Photo by Cassils and Alejandro Santiago (24 X 36 in.)
Propel Youth Arts WA, in collaboration with the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and in association with Perth Festival, is offering a creative development opportunity for local emerging artists aged 18-26.
About the Program
Still Here is a lab which privileges the visibility of LGBTQIA+ creatives in Western Australia - including visual artists, theatre makers and writers. Five local artists will be selected to work with professional artists, curators and arts workers commencing in February and concluding with a presentation of works as part of the Youth Week WA KickstART Festival (13 - 20 April 2019).
The initial stages of this Lab will take place in the lead up to the opening of Alchemic, a solo exhibition by the Canadian born, LA based artist Cassils, presented by PICA in association with the Perth Festival. Alchemic is the first Australian presentation of work by this internationally recognised artist whose practice uses a rigorous engagement with the body as a form of social sculpture. Cassils will present their iconic performance, Becoming an Image and an artist lecture titled The Body as Social Sculpture in the opening weekend of the exhibition.
This Lab offers an opportunity to engage with the artist, curators and exhibition team at PICA during the installation of Alchemic and Becoming an Image and experience first-hand how this renowned artist approaches their performance and exhibition based practice.
Lab participants will attend the opening of Alchemic, Becoming an Image and the artist lecture. The events will be a launching point to begin a critical dialogue exploring and developing their own artistic practice in a series of workshops and round tables facilitated by leading artists, curators and arts workers.
Still Here will culminate with participants presenting multidisciplinary responses to the experience during the Youth Week WA KickstART Festival, between 13 - 20 April 2019.
Key Dates
The initial stages of the lab will commence in early February 2019, with participants continuing to meet regularly until the beginning of Youth Week WA in April. All applicants should be available for the following dates…
Friday 1 February: First meet-up with successful applicants
Thursday 7 February: Curatorial preview and tour of Alchemic exhibition
Friday 8 February: Becoming an Image preparation with Cassils during day & Becoming an Image performance viewing at 10.00pm
Saturday 9 February: Alchemic Opening Night at PICA
Monday 11 February: Cassils Keynote Lecture at State Library of WA
Thursday 14 February: Roundtable discussion of experience thus far and organising schedule for lead up to Youth Week WA KickstART Festival
Saturday 13 April - Saturday 20 April: Youth Week WA KickstART Festival
Location
All venues will be within the Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge. Please contact Maddie Godfrey (maddie@propel.org.au) with any questions about accessibility needs.
For regional participants, there is the possibility of travel subsidisation. Please get in contact (Maddie@propel.org.au) if this applies to you.
About Cassils
Through a practice spanning more than 15 years Cassils has ‘tackled the complicated politics of transgender visibility and its intertwinement with the politics of form’ (Artforum).
Habitually using their own body as medium, Cassils changes it through rigorous training and nutrition schedules to create artworks that offer shared experiences for contemplating histories of violence, representation, struggle and survival. Keenly aware of art history, Cassils’ approach to art form and representation re-frames the gaze and subverts art’s historical canon.
Cassils’ body – defiant, strong and transgender – is the through line of their body of work. With breathtaking skill and finesse, the artist uses their body to question attitudes and society structures, revealing the damaging inadequacies of simplistic binaries and mainstream hegemonies of power.
Expressions of Interest
We invite LGBTQIA+ identifying artists aged between 18-26 to apply for this program.
Expressions of Interest are due midnight Thursday 24 January.
Successful applicants will be notified on Friday 25 January.
If you have any questions about the application process or program feel free to contact Propel Youth Arts WA’s Creative Coordinator Maddie Godfrey via email at maddie@propel.org.au.
