A number of emerging artists from England are set to showcase their work and explore collaborations in Australia thanks to support from the Artists’ International Development Fund.
Jointly funded by the British Council and Arts Council England, the Artists’ International Development Fund is open to early – mid career artists from all disciplines. The programme assists artists to develop international careers by awarding grants of up to £5,000 to allow them to travel, form connections and explore opportunities overseas.
Previous recipients have explored opportunities in countries such as Germany, Japan, Nigeria, India, Israel, Mongolia, Mali, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, USA and Australia.
Among the artists who have chosen to travel to Australia using funds from recent rounds are James Capper and Hannah Barker.
James showed and demonstrated two prototype sculptures at Australia's largest interdisciplinary arts festival for early career artists, Underbelly Arts, in Sydney in August 2015. Following these initial demonstrations, he plans to return to Australia to make a film of the sculpture "in action", testing its capacities across varied terrains in Australia. Hannah explored professional development opportunities at the Mathouse Theatre in Melbourne in late 2015.
British Council Director Helen O’Neil says, “The Artists’ International Development Fund is a fantastic opportunity for young artists to experience the benefits of working in another country. It not only allows them to take their work to new audiences and markets, but also to develop valuable international links.
“I’m pleased that we continue to see such a strong proportion of recipients choose to pursue opportunities in Australia and I looking forward to seeing more of their work over the coming months.”