[Press Release by Department of Culture and the Arts, Western Australian]
Two Western Australian projects will receive $160,000 in the inaugural iArts initiative. Funded by the Department of Culture and the Arts, ScreenWest and ABC TV this initiative will create cross-platform, audience-interactive content to be broadcast on ABC TV and ABC online.
Producer Aidan O’Bryan with artist group ‘Ololo’, and a joint project between dance choreographer Chrissie Parrott, producer Nancy Jones and composer Jonathon Mustard were the successful projects chosen to launch the initiative.
Director General of the Department of Culture and the Arts, Allanah Lucas said the projects chosen to launch iArts were of an extremely high standard and an excellent reflection of the industry in WA.
“These two projects are innovative and exciting and I look forward to the iArts initiative exposing more of these artistic collaborations to a wider audience through ABC TV,” Ms Lucas said.
Aidan O’Bryan’s project, Re-Face, will create a website which will allow anyone who creates or experiences art to share their work and their opinions about each others’ work. With a focus on street art and public art it allows users to upload and comment on art from around the world.
The collaborative piece from Parrott, Jones and Mustard, Motel Deception, is an innovative project where a physical dance piece will be turned into an online experience. Users can create their own online dance works with a tool-kit of music and a gallery of dance shots.
A major part of the iArts initiative is the production of short documentaries to be aired on ABC television.
ABC Director of Television, Mr Kim Dalton said iArts was a significant new partnership that strengthened the relationship between WA arts organisations, the community, and the ABC.
“Digital broadcasting and fast broadband create unprecedented opportunities for the creation and distribution of artistic content to national, regional and global audiences,” Mr Dalton said.
“We are keen to continue work with the WA Government and the local arts community to enable significant work to be delivered on the ABC’s digital platforms.”
More information about iArts and these two projects can be obtained from ScreenWest at www.screenwest.com.au