Eight creators receive funding to help ignite their careers
May 31, 2017
This year the IGNITE fund for emerging creators attracted over 70 applications – a significant increase on previous years. Our judges met in early May and approved $21,000 to eight creators, most of whom will improve their professional practice through international training programs. They are:
- Visual Artist, Claudia Chaseling (ACT)
- Journalist, Bianca Robinson (NSW)
- Publishing Manager, Kate Sherington (NSW)
- Visual Artist, Georgia Saxelby (NSW)
- Visual Artist, Rochelle Haley (NSW)
- Curator, Philippa Mott (TAS)
- Publishing Manager, Mizz De Zoysa-Lewis (VIC)
- Writer, Sharon Huebner (VIC)
The IGNITE fund has been established out of the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund to help creators working across writing, publishing and the visual arts to develop their skills.
Successful recipients in this round include educational publisher Mizz De Zoysa-Lewis who will attend a Yale Publishing Course, curatorial assistant Philippa Mott who will be participating in a summer intensive course at the Royal College of Art in London, and installation artist Georgia Saxelby who will undertake a six-week structured mentorship with renowned architect Travis Price in Washington. Further details of recipient projects are listed below.
The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and Reading Australia Officer, Nicola Evans, says “We were really impressed with the range and calibre of programs our applicants are engaging with at a global level. This round we’re excited to support applicants travelling to San Francisco, London, Washington and New York, just to name a few!”
Judge, poet Jill Jones, says “Knowing that the training our recipients are able to undertake with IGNITE funding will bring world-class skills and knowledge back into the Australian creative industries is very exciting.”
Grants of up to $5,000 per person are offered through the IGNITE fund, with two rounds held each year. Applications for Round 2 will open shortly.
Georgia Saxelby, BREAK, 2016. Photo © Kai Wasikowski
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Claudia Chaseling (ACT)
Claudia Chaseling is a visual artist who specialises in Spatial Painting – reaching beyond the canvas and at the same time being political but abstract. Claudia has been invited to participate in the international Art Omi Residency in upstate New York, USA from 15 June – 11 July and this grant will allow her to take up the offer of residency.
Bianca Robinson (NSW)
For science journalist, Bianca Robinson, to attend the World Federation of Science Journalists biennial conference in San Francisco in late October 2017, which is the global body to represent and support science journalists. This is an opportunity to discuss challenges facing the profession, advance skills, share knowledge and strengthen individual networks.
Kate Sherington (NSW)
Kate Sherington is the Digital Business Manager at Pan Macmillan Australia. This grant will enable Kate to attend the Digital Publishing Innovation Summit in London from 12-13 June 2017. The summit will focus on multi-channel publishing, monetisation and content discover in publishing, which are all challenges for the Australian book industry.
Georgia Saxelby (NSW)
Georgia Saxelby is an interactive installation artist whose practice examines the ritual traditions and sacred spaces of ancient and living cultures. This support will allow Georgia to take up a six-week structured mentorship with renowned architect, Travis Price, in Washington, USA. She will also speak at the 9th International Architecture, Culture and Spirituality Symposium in Maine, USA.
Rochelle Haley (NSW)
Rochelle Haley works with experimental drawing, painting and performance. This grant will enable Rochelle to undertake a structured workshop and practical experimentation with research Sang-won Leigh at the Fluid Interfaces Group, MIT Media Lab, Boston USA from 28 June – 7 July.
Philippa Mott (TAS)
Philippa Mott is a curatorial assistant at the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania. This grant will enable Philippa to participate in a summer intensive course, “Criticism and Curating in Art & Design”, at the Royal College of Art, London, in June 2017.
Mizz De Zoysa-Lewis (VIC)
Mizz De Zoysa-Lewis is the Managing Director of Insight Publications, an educational publisher based in Melbourne. Mizz has received funding to attend the Yale Publishing Course, Strategic Leadership in Book Publishing, which is an intensive week-long program dedicated to helping publishing professionals lead in an increasingly global, digital environment.
Sharon Huebner (VIC)
Sharon Huebner is a writer and this grant will facilitate a mentorship with established writer, Kim Scott, and cultural advisor, Ezzard Flowers. The joint mentorship will support the final development and submission of a manuscript that is currently under contract by a publisher.