The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) has put the call out for LGBTIQ+ creative(s) to assist with the production of a new work using digital items from the national collection.
Expressions of interest are open for the commissioned project, tentatively titled QUEER/Vision, which will feature as part of the Sydney WorldPride 2023 festival – the first WorldPride held in the Southern Hemisphere.
The successful practitioner will work closely with NFSA curatorial and technical experts, using the digital collection to create an audiovisual product that addresses the umbrella themes of WorldPride – Gather, Dream, Amplify.
The NFSA’s collection includes a wealth of LGBTIQ+-focused features and documentaries, as well as collections of news and current affairs from metropolitan and regional television stations, featuring historical footage of gay liberation protests, gay pride rallies, and HIV/AIDS issues. There is also an extensive collection of Gaywaves, Sydney’s first gay and lesbian radio program.
NFSA’s CEO, Patrick McIntyre said the project would highlight important sections of the national archive.
“This commission offers a unique opportunity to showcase the NFSA’s rich collections, and amplify LGBTIQ+ histories and voices, which have been historically marginalised by Australian cultural institutions,” he said.
After premiering during Sydney WorldPride 2023 (February-March 2023) and being presented in Canberra at the NFSA, the finished work be brought into the NFSA collection and made available to the public.
NFSA chief curator Gayle Lake said the organisation was looking forward to an “exciting process and outcome” that presented a creative reinterpretation of the national audiovisual collection.
“We’re excited to be working with WorldPride on this, our second digital commission, which pitches the creativity of the successful practitioner with the diversity and richness of the NFSA collection,” she said.
The QUEER/Vision project is supported by the NFSA, Sydney WorldPride 2023, and Create NSW.
Applications close on June 2 for the project. Find out more information on how to apply here.