For many creatives, the pressure to produce works that provide some kind of financial return stifles opportunities to engage in purely explorative practice.
So when Geelong-based actor, dancer and choreographer Stacey Carmichael found out she had been awarded one of Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine grants she was thrilled to have the opportunity to do just that.
“I was really stoked to be selected,” Ms Carmichael said.
“I suppose, as creatives, we always feel ‘Is my work valid? Is my work interesting to anyone?’ So being given this kind of support gives it a sense of validation, which is enormous.”
The grants provide some level of financial support – $1,000 in Ms Carmichael’s case – but even more importantly a considerable amount of in-kind studio access at the Arts Centre.
Ms Carmichael said the studio access would be a game-changer for her new work, Project Connect, which will explore group-devised physical theatre performance.
“The 38 hours studio space is the key thing, having somewhere inspiring and professional to work in,” she said.
“We get access to meeting spaces and PD, which is also really exciting. For networking it’ll be fantastic, we tend to get stuck in our own circles.”
Project Connect will focus, as the name suggests, on connection, not just in terms of the themes and issues presented in the final product but also the processes by which Ms Carmichael and her team will create the work.
“Physical theatre is by its nature about connection, and I think coming out lockdowns, connection’s a big vibe, it seems pretty relevant,” she said.
“It’s about how we connect to ourselves, to our world, to others, but also exploring what happens when you bring all the different skill sets of the five artists involved into the space.
“That’s what this grant is for, for us to explore and see if there’s any merit in this process.
“I’ve been inspired by an international residency I did with Frantic Assembly in London in 2019. They’re physical theatre-based and they use group-devised processes as well, and I wanted to explore their methodology of working.”
Ms Carmichael said it was a special feeling to be supported by the city in which she grew up and began her creative journey.
“In my adult life I’ve gone abroad and trained and performed, but to get a grant in your home town – I did my first dance concert at Geelong Arts Centre – I think it makes it even more exciting,” she said.
“That Geelong Arts Centre is willing to support process, where the outcome is awesome but not the focus, it’s amazing.
“I’ve self-funded a lot of stuff in the past but you’re so ‘end-product’ focused because you don’t have the time, money, resources to actually indulge in the process.
“I think what Geelong Arts Centre is doing for local artists is amazing, it’s really great to see us all being supported.”
