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Applications

Criteria

The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission is a biennial award. Applications for the next commission are now open (see Key Dates).

The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission supports:

  • Individual artists or artistic collaborators who have an ambitious, challenging project that demonstrates a significant shift or step forward in their practice
  • Artists who have a track record of working with the moving image, or who are collaborating with others who do.
  • Mid-career artists whose careers will benefit from the support available through The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission. 
  • Projects created by individual artists or artist collaborations.
  • Projects that are moving image centric and suitable for exhibition in ACMI’s Gallery 3. Projects involving artists from across different disciplines or that incorporate different art forms are welcome, however the main outcome must be a moving image artwork.
  • Ambitious moving image projects designed for exhibition in a gallery context.  There are no restrictions on the duration of the work, or on the number of channels.
  • Projects that are ready to enter production by January in the year after the award is made and that can be completed within 12 months of receiving the award.  Artists need to be able to fully commit to the production period and it must be possible for ACMI to maintain regular contact throughout the production process.
  • Applicants who are Australian citizens or Permanent Residents of Australia.  Proof of citizenship or permanent residency may be required.

We will not fund projects retrospectively. The purpose of the Commission is to support projects that involve the creation and presentation of new work.

Definitions

An 'ambitious, challenging project that demonstrates a shift or step forward':

  • a conceptual leap or departure from previous work
  • a significant shift in approach to form
  • reaching out to new audiences
  • developing hybrid work or working with new collaborators
  • a significant up-scaling of production values and/or duration and/or budget
  • a change in working practices, e.g. working for the first time with new collaborators, narrative script or actors.

Collaborators:

Artistic collaborators, not working with producers or technicians. 

Individual artists or artist collaborations:

The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission assists professional artists to develop their careers within the art world. If you have an established career as a screen professional within the film, television or video game industries, then your proposed project must demonstrate serious artistic intent with an understanding of gallery-based practice. Please note that individuals who have not worked with moving image in a gallery-based context previously are eligible to apply if they can demonstrate reasons for this shift in practice. This includes artists from visual arts, performance and film backgrounds.

Important notes:

As the Commission is such a major investment, we expect the new work to be the artist's primary focus. We understand artists may have other projects in various stages of development so we request that applicants are transparent in communicating their existing commitments. 

Applicants can only submit one proposal to the Commission.  You can, however, submit one application as the principal artist and be included as a collaborator on another artist’s proposal.  

In exceptional circumstances, some artists may be invited to apply. These applications will be assessed in the same way as any other and are not guaranteed funding. 

Essential Information

Important background information and explanation of key aspects of the application process...

Project description

In the application form, applicants will be asked to provide a brief project outline and project description. The project outline should provide a succinct articulation of your proposal concept (75 words). The project description should explain the overall scope of the project, the form the work is likely to take and an explanation of the subject, themes and ideas (500 words). This includes details of any anticipated artistic or technical collaborations.

Applicants should outline how they will approach the project in terms of production and technique, and how this sits with their existing practice and demonstrates a significant shift or development.  It should also describe how the audience will experience and interact with the work. It is understood that details may change or emerge as the project develops.

Production schedule

Applicants are required to provide a timeline that outlines key dates in the project production plan. If a shoot has to coincide with a particular season or if any particular research, tests or workshops need to be carried out, please indicate when.

Applicants should also outline any other commitments they may have during the development of the project. We understand and expect that key dates might shift during the development period. 

Project budget

At application stage you need only provide an estimate of the total budget – supplier quotes are not necessary. However, please note that there is no capacity for an increase in the Commission sum of $100,000. Therefore, please consider the scale of your project carefully, considering materials, technology, equipment, fees, travel, documentation, crating and freight.

ACMI will cover the cost of your project’s presentation where it includes standard audio-visual gallery equipment and infrastructure. For projects with particularly complex presentation systems, technology and exhibition design, the artist will be expected to cover this, at a level negotiated with ACMI. Any variation to the standard exhibition presentation costs will be at the sole discretion of ACMI.

Artist’s Fee

It is expected that commissioned artist(s) pay themselves an artist fee. The artist fee is not fixed, however, this will be looked at in the context of the budget, the scale of the project, the amount of time you need to allocate to making the work and the number of roles you will be taking on as part of the project. It is recommended that the National Association for Visual Arts (NAVA) fee schedule is used as a guide. The commission funds cannot be spent on arts training, study or conferences. 

The commission fee will be paid in instalments over 12 months, as negotiated between the artist and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust. It is likely that the payment schedule will be pegged to the commission’s production schedule. 

Technical specifications

Applicants are required to indicate what technology will be used in the production of the project, and where it will be sourced.  Applicants should outline what crew are required and whether or not particular individuals have committed to the project.

Format for the final commissioned project

Work can be produced, shot and screened in any various moving image formats, but please consult ACMI if your project involves rate or specialist technology.

Completion time

The project must be able to be completed within 12 months of receiving the Commission. The 2022 Ian Potter Moving Image Commission will be presented at ACMI in the first half of 2022.

Debut/Premiere

The work will premiere at ACMI in 2022 and should not have been shown elsewhere during its development, in fragments or in its entirety.

Contractual arrangement

If your project is selected for The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission you will be required to sign formal agreements with both The Ian Potter Cultural Trust and with ACMI. These contracts will outline the role and obligations of all parties. The Ian Potter Cultural Trust and ACMI will not enter into contractual agreements with any secondary parties. The agreements will stipulate that the commissioned work is premiered at ACMI in 2022 and that the commissioned work, with full screen and exhibition rights, will be accessioned into the ACMI Collection. ACMI will reserve the right to accession the whole artwork, an edition, or individual components, including but not restricted to moving image material, 2D and 3D components of an artwork.

The agreement will include (and may not be limited to) the delivery materials, production schedule, payment schedule, production budget, marketing, communications, registration, Intellectual Property, licensing, acknowledgements, moral rights, confidentiality. Copyright will reside with the artist.

Support material for application

Applicants must provide up to three examples of their previous work, and/or a sample of their moving image practice of no more than fifteen minutes duration in total. Previous work is a useful way to show the trajectory that an artist’s ideas have followed, and themes that have continued throughout their practice. Applicants are advised to refer back to previous works when writing the application as a useful way to illustrate the presentation, visual treatment and concepts they have in mind for the new project.

Applicants can submit still, or moving-image mock-ups or sketches of work in progress, but must explain them correctly in the list of support materials. Please note that the judging panel looks at the visual support material to assess artistic merit. Therefore, we recommend that majority of the support material is high quality documentation of recent, finished work.

If you believe it will enhance your application, we are happy to receive up to one page of storyboards, five still images, a one page gallery installation plan, two pages of script and/or five drawings. 

We do not accept catalogues, photographs, colour photocopies, letters of support, PowerPoint presentations, slides or printed materials.

Shortlisted applicants

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to work up a full proposal. The proposal development period includes bespoke mentoring with ACMI’s curators and production staff. Each artist will have access to up to two advisory sessions. ACMI will advise and assist with developing the budget, planning the production stages and the projects’ creative direction. In addition to this, each artist will also receive a development fee of up to $3000 to cover associated costs.

Artists invited to prepare a full proposal will have their names published as part of the publicity around the Ian Potter Moving Image Commission.

Selection Process

The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission has a three-stage selection process

Stage 1

Applications

Applicants submit an initial proposal using the online application form.

Stage 2

Shortlisted Applications

Up to three artists will be shortlisted by a judging panel and invited to develop a full project proposal in a four week period. During this development period, the selected artists will be expected to work up a full budget, production schedule and proposal, and address any feasibility issues.

To assist with this, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust will provide a bursary of up to $3,000 per shortlisted applicant, and ACMI will provide up to two mentoring or advice sessions to assist with the development of a production plan and project budget.

Stage 3

Final selection

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed by the judging panel and their full project proposal reassessed for feasibility and capacity to meet the commission assessment criteria.  Of these, one project will be selected as The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission.

Key Dates

Applications for the next Ian Potter Moving Image Commission are due to open in 2020. 

Please follow @IPMIC on Twitter for updates.

Key dates for the next commission are as follows:

Application and award dates published

August 2020

Applications open

12 August 2020

Applications close

28 September 2020

Winner announced

February 2021

Project commences

2021

Public exhibition

2022

FAQs

What is the total amount of support provided for the IPMIC Commission?

Through the partners, the commission provides two levels of support to the successful artist: they receive $100,000 from The Ian Potter Cultural Trust, as well as highly specialised curatorial, production and presentation expertise provided by ACMI. 

Please note that there is no capacity for an increase in the Commission sum of $100,000.

Can I pay myself an artist's fee?

It is expected that commissioned artist(s) pay themselves an artist fee. The artist fee is not fixed, however this will be looked at in the context of the budget, the scale of the project, the amount of time you need to allocate to making the work and the number of roles you will be taking on as part of the project. It is recommended that the National Association for Visual Arts (NAVA) fee schedule is used as a guide. The commission funds cannot be spent on arts training, study or conferences. 

How many proposals can I submit?

Applicants can only submit one proposal to the Commission. You can however, submit one application as the principal artist and be included as a collaborator on another artist’s proposal.

Does the project have to be completed within 12 months of receiving the Commission?

Yes. The project must be able to be completed within 12 months’ of receiving the Commission. This Ian Potter Moving Image Commissions will be presented at ACMI in February 2014 -16 -18 -20 and 22.

Does the Work have to debut at ACMI?

Yes. The work will premiere at ACMI and should not have been shown elsewhere during its development.

How do you define ‘mid-career’ artist?

We consider artists to be mid-career if they can demonstrate at least five to ten years of professional practice.  While this need not be five to ten consecutive years of practice, there will be key achievements that will support your claim, such as the number and the calibre of exhibitions you have had.

Are international collaborations permissible?

Yes. However the artist applying for the Commission must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia.  Please bear in mind the logistical implications of working with a collaborator that you are not able to be in immediate contact with.  

Is the commission fee paid in a lump sum?

The commission fee will be paid in instalments over 12 months, as negotiated between the artist and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust. It is likely that the payment schedule will be pegged to the commission’s production schedule.

Is the commission exclusive of GST?

The Commission fee is exclusive of GST. If the commissioned artist is registered or required to be registered for GST, the artist will be paid the commission fee plus GST. Where the artist is registered for GST they must provide an Australian Tax Invoice.

Will there be another funding round and can I apply again?

The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission is a decade-long biennial program. Applications will open for the final commission in 2020. With the exception of previous IPMIC winners, artists who have previously submitted applications are welcome to reapply.

Can I take on other projects whilst working on the Commission?

As the Commission is such a major investment, we would expect the new work you are producing to be your primary focus during the funded year. Having said this, we do accept that you may have other projects in various stages of development so we request that artists are transparent in communicating their existing and forthcoming commitments.

Does the Commission fund film, television and video game projects?

The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission assists professional artists to develop their careers within the art world.

If you have an established arts practice as a visual artist, and if your creative language borrows from the film, television or video game disciplines, you may apply.

If you have an established career as a screen professional within the film, television or videogame industries, then your proposed project must demonstrate serious artistic intent with an understanding of gallery-based practice. 

Can I get feedback on a project idea before I submit it?

ACMI’s curators can provide general advice on a project idea, but they will not read applications before they are submitted. Likewise, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust’s Program Manager can provide general advice on the preparation of an application, but will not read it before it is submitted. ACMI’s curators and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust Program Manager do not decide whether an application will be successful or not. Decisions regarding short-listed artists and winners are at the discretion of the judges. 

Is development support is available to short-listed applicants?

If your application is short-listed you will be invited to work up a full proposal, The proposal development period includes bespoke mentoring by ACMI’s curators and production staff. Each artist will have access to up to two advisory sessions. ACMI will advise and assist with developing the budget, planning the production stages and the project’s creative direction. In addition to this, each artist will also receive a development fee of up to $3,000 from The Ian Potter Cultural Trust to cover associated costs.

You will have around one month to develop a full proposal.  You will then be required to present your proposal in person to the judging panel.  We accept that, as you develop your idea, some aspects of the proposal may change.  You will be expected to address this in your presentation.

Artists invited to prepare a full proposal will have their names published as part of the publicity around the Ian Potter Moving Image Commission.

What does Gallery 3 at ACMI look like?

Online Applications

Steps to complete the online application form

To make your online submission experience easier it is recommended that you read the following tips before beginning your online application form.

If you have any questions or if you encounter technical difficulties, please don't hesitate to contact The Ian Potter Cultural Trust on 03 9650 3188 or by email at culturaltrust@ianpotter.org.au.

Clicking on the Start Application button at the bottom of this page will take you to The Ian Potter Cultural Trust application login page.  

Account set-up

In order to complete an online application, you first need to set up an account. 

Choose the New applicant?  link and you will then be prompted to create an account. Make a note of the email address and password used for future reference. 

Previous applicants don’t need to create a new account but if you can’t recall your password you should click the Forgot Password?  link.

Saving your draft application

Do NOT use your browser's back and forward buttons to navigate through the form as it may cause you to lose your application information. Use only the page links across the top of the application form or the Next  link at the bottom of the page.

Our online application system automatically saves your application form when you tab between the pages, click Next , or when you choose Save and Finish Later  (this option will close the application).

The Save and Finish Later  option allows you to enter information and review your application any time before formally submitting it.

Accessing an application in progress

Once you have saved your application you will receive an email with a copy of your application form. The email will also include a link to the account login page so you can continue working on your unsubmitted application when you are ready.

When using the emailed unique URL please make sure the whole URL is hyperlinked to avoid error messages.

The system times out

The system is set to time-out after 75 minutes. After it has been idle for 60 minutes you will receive a pop-up warning you to 'Please save your work!' The system will time out in 15 minutes. After 75 minutes you will receive the message: 'You have been logged out of your session due to inactivity and will need to log in again.'

Working on your application

Before you start we recommend that you first print a Printer-Friendly Version of the form (top right of the application screen) as this will allow you to see all the information required and begin collation of your required attachments ahead of time. 

For the narrative sections of the form, we suggest composing your answers in a separate document, e.g. Microsoft Word.  This is an insurance policy – if your internet connection drops out or you stop working and the system times out you will lose any text not saved. As there are word limits for many of the questions it is also a good idea to check your word count before copying and pasting your responses into the application form.

Please use only plain text for the information you enter or copy into your online application form. You may use quotation marks, numbered or bulleted lists, apostrophes, $ signs, parentheses, and hard returns. Do not use bold, underline, or italics as the software does not recognise this formatting.

Please use the spellcheck which is indicated by a tick.

Multiple people working on an application

You should note that only one person can edit your application at a time, i.e. only one person can make changes in the saved information at one time. Also, you cannot have multiple browser pages open on the application.

Reviewing your final application

When you have finished entering all the information into the form, click Review My Application  in the header menu. Check and edit your application as necessary.

TIP: Ask someone who doesn’t know what your project is about to read the application before you submit it to ensure it is clear and easily understood.

The Email Draft  button at the top of the screen allows you to email a draft of the application to someone else for review and discussion before finalising the application and submitting it to the Trust.

Submitting your final application

To submit your application you must click Submit.  A confirmation page will immediately appear with your reference number. Your online application has not been submitted until you see the confirmation page with your reference number. An email confirmation and a copy of the submission will also be emailed to the email address provided in the application. If confirmation is not received, check your email junk or spam folder.

Submitted applications

Your submitted application is saved to your Account for reference at any time. Just log in and in the Applications tab select Submitted from the dropdown menu.

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.