Round One Art Grant Applications closed on 25 November 2023

 

More rounds of Art Grants may be announced. We’re leaving the application form OPEN.  If a Second Round of Art Grants is announced, we’ll pick up all the entries made on the application form in the mean time. No promises though!

The Arts Grant Application Form

If you are inspired and want to bring your creative energy to Blazing Swan, then PLEASE:

 

READ the Art Installation Guidelines below very carefully. Communication with the Arts Co-Coordinator regarding this information and its relation to your installation, is PARAMOUNT so PLEASE make sure that you contact our Arts Coordinator with details of your art, so that we can assist with both the planning and the placement of your piece on site. Contact our Arts Coordinator at arts(at)blazingswan.com.au

If you want to incorporate fire into your art, read the FIRE guidelines and contact the Fire Safety Coordinator at fire(at)blazingswan.com.au

If you need help with you art piece, start a discussion with people through our social media sites.

If you need to raise additonal funds for your art, consider using a fundraising site, for example, Kickstarter.

Some quick questions and answers

Who owns my art?

You do.  The art you create remains 100% yours.  That said, if you do not arrange to remove it from the event site within 2 weeks of the event concluding, we wil assume you have abandoned it and arrange to dispose of it and bill you for any expense involved in that.

Who can apply for Art Grants?

Anyone aged 18 or over, from novice to professional.

How are the successful Art Grant applicants selected?

Our judges will not know whose art applications they are looking at so the better your application the greater your chance is of getting your grant! Sending additional documentation in pdf/jpg format is highly recommended.

What happens if I miss getting my application in on time, or don’t get a grant?

Unsuccessful Round 1 candidates are automatically entered for Round 2 grants. Those who don’t get round 1 or 2 grants will be notified as soon as the judges have made their decisions.

What if I make art without grant money and want to bring it along anyway?

YES DO! Fill out the application below so we can assist with site placement, safety, listing in the WTF guide, locate power if you need it etc…

Where does all the grant money come from?

Grant money comes from our ticket sales.

Can i donate money/workshop space/equipment to the arts?

Even a little goes a long way so please do!

I have more questions!

  • Read more information below.
  • Read through the application form.
  • Email art(at)blazingswan.com.au for more information.

Art Installation Guidelines

1. Responsibility

  • All aspects of the art piece should be carefully thought out by the artist(s) and artist(s) must be prepared to seriously the responsibilities that go hand in hand with creating art for an this event.
  • Artwork must be sufficiently secured against high winds and intense weather conditions. Guy wires necessary for the securing of art pieces, are required to be flagged.
  • Artwork must be well illuminated at night. To prevent pedestrian or art vehicles from crashing into art pieces, all aspects of the art piece should be well-lit, including rebar and guy wires.
  • To prevent irreparable environmental damage, no holes larger than 300cm by 300cm in either direction may be dug on site. If you do need to dig a hole up to this size, you will need to keep the dirt, so you can pack it back into the hole when dismantling your installation.
  • Camping is not allowed at any art installation on site.

2. Early Entry.

  • If you need early entry to the Blazing Swan site to setup and install your art piece, outline this in your Art Application.
  • Anyone who needs early entry to site will require an Early Entry pass (free) in addition to their Blazing Swan ticket.

3. Challenge

Creating art for Jilakin Rock City presents many challenges. Consider the physical landscape within the wheat belt, the logistics of transporting props, building materials and equipment to site, as well as the challenge of (difficulty of) using tools and equipment in a place which has no mains power and only a small market for resources (within the Town of Kulin).

4. Sound

Large-scale sound art is confined to the edges of the site. Art installations that contain loud sound elements will need to be placed on the village’s outer perimeter. Some installations require a quiet area, and amplified music makes that impossible. With the open nature of the site, sound carries far and wide very easily. See our Sound page for further information.

5. Leave No Trace

A blank canvas is provided for participants at the beginning of the event on which to create a unique mark, and at the end of the event a blank canvas is all that should be left behind. All traces of Art pieces that burn, MUST BE REMOVED. Leave No Trace is one of the core principles of the Blazing Swan Organisation.

6. Fire and Flame Effects

Important: There are special requirements if your artwork incorporates FIRE in any way.  Read more about Art Installation Fire Guidelines.

  •  Open Fire: Flames created by candles, torches, fire barrels, wood fires, and/or artwork that will itself be engulfed in flame or otherwise burned.
  •  Flame Effects: Flames that are automated, switched, pressurised or have any action other than simply being lit on fire. This includes projects that use gas or liquid fuels.
  •  Pyrotechnic Display: Explosives, fireworks or projectiles.
  •  Hazardous Materials Storage: Storage of hazardous or combustible materials, including kerosene, gas, petrol, pyrotechnics, etc.If your artwork incorporates fire in any of those ways, it is mandatory that you contact the Fire Safety coordinator as soon as possible to discuss your plans: fire(at)blazingswan.com.auFailure to do so will leave us no choice but to remove this component from your installation.