Creative Sparks Program 2022 grant recipients
The following Creative Sparks grants projects were approved in March 2022.
Successful grant recipients receive funding to implement creative projects, develop a professional practice or foster creative entrepreneurial partnerships with Brisbane artists and cultural workers.
| Recipient | Project name | Description | Amount approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anita Holtsclaw | Littoralis: Sustainable Studio and new collection of artworks | The project will support the creative development of a new collection of artworks and products by artist Dr Anita Holtsclaw. The artworks will be exhibited in Brisbane at Metro Arts, The Foundry Studios and the Institute of Modern Art Gallery Shop. | $11,000 |
| Belloo Inc. | Haven | The project will support the Brisbane development of ‘Haven’, a new verbatim theatre work, which tells the true story of a remarkable regional community fighting to bring a young family back to their adopted home of Biloela. | $10,000 |
| Brisbane Philharmonic Association Inc. | 60th Anniversary Performance of Benjamin Britten’s ‘War Requiem’ | The project will support a gala performance of Benjamin Britten’s iconic ‘War Requiem’ for mass ensemble in the QPAC Concert Hall. The performance will feature five renowned Brisbane-based ensembles and world-acclaimed vocal soloists. | $10,000 |
| Caitlin Franzmann | Fortunes of the Forest: Plant Rites | The project will bring together artist Caitlin Franzmann and dancer Amaara Raheem for the creative development of their new participatory work titled ‘Fortunes of the Forest: Plant Rites’. The performative public workshops will be presented as part of Contemporary Queensland Art: Bodies of Knowledges at Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art in August 2022. | $10,466.50 |
| Cecilia Martin (Auspiced by Cluster Arts Pty Ltd) | Cherish | The project will support contemporary circus artist Cecilia Martin in the creative development of her first solo work, ‘Cherish’. Asking ‘what does it mean to break?’, the piece merges the worlds of circus and autobiographical theatre, taking inspiration from the artist's lived experience of injury and its impact on mental health. | $9,975 |
| Circa Contemporary Circus Ltd | Carnival of the Animals Re-Imagined | The project will support a re-imagination of Circa’s acclaimed family show ‘Carnival of the Animals’. Circa will audition Brisbane-based children and undertake an intensive training and rehearsal process that will see them join members of Circa’s ensemble for a week of performances at the Playhouse in QPAC. | $10,000 |
| De Base Productions Association Inc. | Death in a Statesman | The project is the world premiere of ‘Death in a Statesman’ by Robert Kronk, a new live theatre show featuring some of Brisbane's finest actors and creatives. It brings together the award-winning creative team behind ‘The Longest Minute’, and will be staged at one of Brisbane's premier venues, the Judith Wright Arts Centre. | $9,240 |
| Eden Sher | Hatched Concert Series | The project will provide emerging Brisbane-based First Nations and person-diverse musicians with an opportunity to play for a crowd in a welcoming environment as a monthly series. It will allow a diverse group of musicians to perform and build an expanding community of support, learning and representation. | $10,560 |
| Elizabeth Mitchell | Second album recording with acclaimed producer Konstantin Kersting | The project will support the recording of Elizabeth’s follow up album to her highly acclaimed debut album ‘The Wonderful World of Nature’, with Brisbane producer Konstantin Kersting at his local studio. | $11,000 |
| Flipside Circus Ltd | Buddy System | The project is the creative development and research phase of a new circus performance, ‘Buddy System’. ‘Buddy System’ is a collaboration between Flipside and the internationally renowned Casus that will explore intergenerational connections: what we make of the world, what we pass on, and how we pass it on, through the lens of circus practice. | $10,000 |
| Grey Gum Productions Pty Ltd | Black Box | The project will support the final creative development for an innovative new musical called ‘Black Box’, telling the true story of the Australian inventor of the black box flight recorder. The project will create a final high-quality script and recordings to make the work production-ready for a future tour in 2023. | $10,000 |
| Indel-ability Arts Ltd | Betsy and I; Conversations with My Walker | The project will support the final phase of script development, rehearsals and the premiere season of ‘Betsy and I; Conversations with My Walker’. The project is proudly disability-led with Indel-ability Arts’ core ensemble member Alexandra Ellen as writer, performer and lead creative. | $8,500 |
| Institute of Modern Art Limited | Final Fridays | The project will present four unique cultural experiences connecting Brisbane communities to diverse artistic conversations and performances from local, national and international artists. Final Fridays invites Brisbane audiences to connect with contemporary art through innovative and exciting performance-based events. | $10,000 |
| Lisa Wilson Projects | Bunker | The project will support the final stage development and premiere performance season of ‘Bunker’, a new intermedial dance theatre work. This new performance work explores the physical threat of virtual alarm. | $11,000 |
| Louise Mayhew | Lemonade: Letters to Art | The project will develop and launch a new online platform for weekly art reviews. Lemonade: Letters to Art will mentor, support and employ Brisbane-based writers, and showcase the best of Brisbane’s exhibitions in experimental, commercial and public art galleries. | $11,000 |
| Nathan Sibthorpe (trading as Counterpilot) | Adrift | The project will support the development and presentation of a bold new interactive performance work for Metro Arts' 2022 Mainstage Season. ‘Adrift’ will use immersive audio design to guide participants through a hands-on storytelling experience. | $10,000 |
| Outer Space Artist Run Initiative Incorporated | Enter Outer Space | The project will open the doors of Outer Space in a series of open days under the umbrella of 'Enter Outer Space', inviting members from the general public behind the scenes. These activities will assist Outer Space in demystifying the arts sector so that the Brisbane community feels more welcome and comfortable. | $7,960 |
| Phluxus2 Pty Ltd | Angel-monster | The project will support the final creative development of acclaimed dance theatre work ‘Angel-monster’, in preparation for its international premiere. The project will support the development and promotion of Brisbane artwork and artists in the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as a Brisbane season. | $10,000 |
| Playlab | Unconditional Conditions | The project will support the creative development of a new LGBTIQA+ theatre work, 'Unconditional Conditions' (working title) for production in 2023. The project will explore a queer relationship after one of the men begins the transition to become a woman. | $10,000 |
| Shane Pike (auspiced by Queensland University of Technology) | Alex | The project will fund a full-length theatrical production utilising augmented reality technology hybridised with live performance, fusing traditional theatre practice with augmented reality techniques invented specifically for this performance. The production will premiere at Brisbane Powerhouse. | $10,000 |
| Simply for Strings Pty Ltd | 2022 Concert Series | The project features leading local musical artists presenting a variety of fun and inspiring strings-focused performances. Across four concerts throughout the year, Simply for Strings will bring together diverse local performers, and Brisbane music lovers across demographics, in the relaxed ambience of their beautiful Old Church. | $10,000 |
| Tara Pattenden | Elektrolab’s Fashioning Technology Workshop Series | The project will engage 60 women from across Brisbane to participate in hands-on workshops that introduce women to technology through electronic textiles, blending familiar craft techniques with programming and electronics to create fashion technology works. | $8,893.50 |
| Therese Milanovic (auspiced by Topology Inc.) | Colour Through | The project will fund two performances of ‘Colour Through’ by Muses Trio (partnering with Anywhere Festival) at the Red Box, State Library for their 10th anniversary season. Colour Through explores colour depicted through music and film, featuring new commissions by emerging Brisbane composers. | $10,000 |
| Topology Inc. | The War Artist | The project will support the creative development of a new collaborative work based on the novel by Brisbane Author Simon Cleary, with a new score by Brisbane composer John Babbage and 3D visuals by digital artist Bruce Currie. The creative development theatrical presentation will be performed live by Topology and vocal artist Pearly Black. | $9,400 |
| Uplit Association Inc | Brisbane Stories | The project will give audiences an opportunity to hear from local authors and artists who have made works about Brisbane. Ten events will be presented in venues around the city, close to the locations and contexts of the related works. | $10,000 |
| Vulcana Womens Circus Inc | Disappearing Acts | The project will fund intimate live circus performances delivered directly to audiences, in community gardens and environmental centres across the council area. Audiences are engaged in compact circus for post-pandemic times that explore the fragility of our landscapes in the face of human impacts including the loss of biodiversity. | $9,875 |