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Testing Grounds Applications Open Now!

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TESTING GROUNDS APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW!

CuriousWorks has re-opened applications for Testing Grounds, our creative development and personal mentorship program for early career Western Sydney artists.

Last year we piloted the program with our 2022 artists Natasha Pontoh-Supit, Sivani Yaddanapudi and Kim Pham. The three artists worked together to learn new producing skills around everything from project management and budgeting to vision boarding and goal setting, to even creating their first short film (which you can watch here!).

Last year, we only brought in one external mentor (the amazing Shy Magsalin of Ninefold Ensemble and Q Theatre), and this year, we've improved the program and brought in three industry mentors: Elias Nohra, Jules Orcullo and Laurrie Brannigan-Onato. Applicants can choose which of the mentors best suits their projects and vision to help guide their project.

Jules Orcullo (she/they) is a playwright, songwriter, and dramaturg. She is currently developing two musical plays, Fraser Babies and Forgetting Tim Minchin. Jules has previously held producorial roles at Ilbijerri Theatre Company, Belvoir, Co-Curious, and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance and education roles at NIDA, Belvoir, ATYP, and Coventry University. Jules has also worked as a performer, director and dramaturg on independent new works across Australia and the UK. She is an alumna of writing programs at APRA AMCOS, AFTRS, Playwriting Australia, ATYP, The Royal Court, Soho Theatre, and the Lyric Hammersmith. Jules is a proud founding member of Kallective, developing theatrical works for the Filipinx diaspora.

Laurrie’s work has also seen them facilitating the First Nations Departments Indigenous Producers Program (2019-20), AIDC Indigenous Creators Program (2018-2022), short film production initiatives (Short Blacks 2018, No Ordinary Blacks 2020) and the First Nations Department Developing the Developer (2018/2020 developed & facilitated by Louise Gough). Laurrie was also the co-Chair for Screen Australia’s Equity and Inclusion Committee in 2022 and sits across several advisory boards and committees with the hopes of elevating equitable standards across all areas of the screen industry.

A headshot and bio: Elias Nohra is a digital artist with over 17 years of experience using old, new and emerging technologies to tell stories in innovative ways. Primarily a filmmaker with experience directing, editing and shooting in both corporate and non-profit contexts, Elias has also utilized his skills in digital media and storytelling to produce works in theatre, art installations, web & interactivity development, and videogames. Recent works including ‘宿 STAY’ (2022) which involved a 14 screen video presentation for a Sydney Festival theatre show, Laka (2018) a feature film which Elias edited in collaboration with S. Shakthidharan and CuriousWorks and designed as a multi-screen installation, and Snowflake Moon: A Paperville Mystery (2017) a videogame he developed and produced with Studio A artist Skye Saxon. He has also worked with CuriousWorks and Bus Stop Films to innovate in the fields of VR, AR and 360 degree interactive storytelling. He currently works as a Creative Producer with CuriousWorks.

The A- Z of the creative process is often weird and wonderful, but also opaque and confusing; it’s difficult to make new things on your own. Testing Ground is an opportunity to have the time, space and sounding board of other creatives to wade through the muck of creative process together. We're so excited to see what new projects come out of Testing Grounds this year.

Apply to Testing Grounds today! Applications close March 10th.

Photo above features behind the scenes footage of the filming of the prototype short film, Bird Hands Beaver a Fishmint Bouquet, based on the feature film script by Kim Pham. The photo shows Kim and Sivani Yaddanapudi behind the camera. Testing Grounds folks really supported each other throughout!

Testing Grounds is a program produced by Miranda Aguilar. It's been made possible through the support of the NSW Government through Screen NSW.

 

Tagged: Arts Program, Testing Grounds

Working with artists and communities in South West Sydney, we actively shape a future culture that is vibrant, democratic, generative, and relevant for Australia and beyond. Let’s keep this going. Support our work today!

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