CELSIUS: Independent Theatre
PROGRAM GUIDELINES 2021

HotHouse Theatre is pleased to invite submissions from local independent artists and artistic teams to be part of its 2021 CELSIUS: Independent Theatre program.

Submissions will close at 9am on Monday 28th June 2021.

OUR MISSION

HotHouse Theatre incubates, makes and presents 100% Australian theatre divergent in form and voice, that speaks to our region and the nation.

We invest in regional professional practice.

We collaborate with artists locally and nationally, to engage and inspire audiences.

Through shared experiences, we stimulate the imagination of the region.

We inspire insight into our humanity through creative interrogations that reflect the world around us, locally and nationally.

WHAT IS CELSIUS?

CELSIUS: Independent Theatre supports the development of local, independent theatre practitioners through the creation and presentation of theatre works that ignite and inspire regional audiences.

We want to create a space that entices creative risk takers to experiment, encourages collaborations across disciplines and strengthens the creative capacity of local artists to develop exceptional works from the region.

CELSIUS 2021 provides Albury Wodonga artists with employment, space, time, mentoring, marketing, technical support and opportunities to drive the development of new Australian work into production.

WHO CAN APPLY TO CELSIUS?

CELSIUS is open to individuals or groups with an independent arts practice, primarily in the broad definition of theatre. Applicants must live and work in the Albury-Wodonga region or be an ex-pat with a family home base here, who returns frequently to be active in the local arts community.

We welcome submissions from Independent artists across disciplines and forms.

We specifically encourage submissions from:

• Pre-professional and professional arts practitioners
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse artists
• Artists who identify as LGBTQIA+
• Artists living with disability

Artistic teams may include artists from beyond the region, but the lead artist/s applying for the program must be local. (Please note – Lead artist status does not extend to artists living in major neighbouring regional centres such as Wagga Wagga or Wangaratta)

We strongly recommend you take the opportunity to chat to Artistic Director, Karla Conway prior to applying if you have any questions that are not covered in these guidelines.

WHAT SUPPORT IS OFFERED?

The new program categories are designed to offer artists a flexible and iterative approach to the development of new works through to production. HotHouse is committed to supporting artists to determine the needs and next steps for the development of ideas through four unique processes.

1. Research and Development
2. Creative Development
3. Prototyping and Refinement
4. Independent Production

Research and Development

This provides small bursts of investment, providing time for individual artists or small teams to do the work necessary to refine and articulate their ideas. This may include (but is not limited to) undertake research for a project,  gathering of project material or interviews; writing/scoring the first draft of a play/devised work; testing a particular form or technique in a devising process; or consultation with a dramaturg, collaborator or mentor – for example.

• Artist fee for individual artist or small team for up to 38 hours total, as required.
• Use of rehearsal space if required

 

Creative Development

This process supports artists to put well-formed ideas into a rigorous testing phase, working collaboratively to advance the project, through to a first public presentation. This may take the form of an in-progress play reading or presentation of material in performance to a small audience. The purpose of this development is to progress the work practically and begin to engage audiences through a sharing and feedback discussion.

• Up to five days use of rehearsal space either as a week block Monday to Friday, or as agreed with the HotHouse schedule.
• Basic tech support for a work-in-progress showing at HotHouse toward the end of the development – including a feedback session
• Artist fee as per project need (up to 4 artists).
• Up to $500 for project materials if required.

 

Prototyping and Refinement

For works that have had considerable development and are close to being ready for production.

This development enables artists or small teams to identify the final elements that need to be resolved in order for the work to become production-ready. This may involve final script work, experimenting with form and/or introducing key vital collaborators required to take the work to completion (ie. Producer, Director, Dramaturg, Performers, Composer or Designers – set, costume, AV, puppetry, lighting, sound).

Prototype developments conclude with a public presentation of a rehearsed reading or sharing of the complete work, followed by a discussion with audiences and a project debrief with the HotHouse team.

• Up to five days use of rehearsal space either as a week block Monday to Friday, or as agreed with the HotHouse schedule.
• Artist fees as per project needs (up to 6 artists).
• Up to $1000 for prototyping materials if required.
• Basic tech support for a work-in-progress showing at HotHouse toward the end of the development – including a feedback session.
• Documentation of showing
• Project debrief & production planning support

Independent Production

Production applications are by invitation only.

Artists or teams seeking to apply for Independent Production must arrange an initial meeting with HHT Artistic Director to discuss the project in advance of the application closing date.

 

Independent Productions are co-presented with HotHouse Theatre and will receive:

• Six days of theatre hire (Monday to Saturday | Butter Factory Theatre)
• Technical support for bump-in, three performances, and bump-out.
• Box Office and Front of House staff for three performances
• Support with development of production schedule and budgeting advice.
• A marketing campaign planning session, marketing advice & support, including a dedicated webpage per project, and the creation of templates for production collateral.
• Ticketing services.
• $15,000 contribution to artist fees and production costs
• Box Office income split – 60% to artists and 40% to HotHouse Theatre.

 

PRODUCTION ELIGIBILITY

CELSIUS Independent Productions may be newly conceived or based on existing scripts.

Existing works must meet HotHouse’s mission of 100% Australian theatre.

Production projects may have had previous creative developments but must not have been produced in the region in at least the last five years.

Works must run at a minimum of 50 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours.

WHAT KINDS OF PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE?

CELSIUS: Independent Theatre invests in local artists and artistic teams (emerging or established) who work professionally, or who aspire to work professionally. It is intended to develop new Australian theatre works and foster cross-disciplinary practice in the region by supporting local artists to lead their unique performance projects through creative development, to small-scale production phase.

CELSIUS supports both text and non-text-based theatre works.

Forms may include (but are not limited to): physical or experimental theatre, circus, dance theatre, cabaret, gaming, interactive, musical, queer theatre, AV/film, site-specific, immersive, audio, participatory works, spoken word, durational works, or a combination of.

Straight music gigs, stand-up, or sketch acts lacking theatrical structure are outside the CELSIUS guidelines.

Developments and Productions should be designed to take place in the Butter Factory Theatre.

Projects pitching the use of other specific locations or venues during Creative Developments or for Production are not excluded but will be considered on a case by case basis, with regard to staff and resources required.

CELSIUS CRITERIA AND SELECTION

Projects will be reviewed by a panel made up from local and industry arts workers, community stakeholders, visiting artists and HotHouse representatives. The panel will consider:

• The artistic vision and rationale;
• The impact of the project for the artists and the community;
• The personnel, planning and viability of the project.

The final selection will be made by HotHouse Theatre in consideration of available resources.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

1. Following the APPLICATION LINK , answer all questions outlining and describing the project and include:
2. Image (landscape). May be the lead artist or an indicative image reflecting the vision of the project.
3. Headshot of the lead artist/s.
4. Artist Bios for everyone involved in your project, one paragraph per person.

(Successful applications will be required to provide emailed agreement of participation by all listed artists involved in the project)

5. Preferred dates for the project. Please nominate three sets of 5 days each, in order of preference. Available dates for use of the Butter Factory Theatre are listed below.
6. Budget information:

• Financial support is based on artists fees at current MEAA rates.
• Please list all artists participating in the project and the estimated input to the project.
• Outline prospective project material costs if included.
• Download and fill in the Celsius Budget Template 2021

Include other grant subsidies or in-kind support.

 

7. Support material:

• You can include up to five pages of script/project content in pdf form to accompany your submission.
• You can supply a URL with up to 5 minutes (in total) of video/audio/visual material, using Youtube, Vimeo, Flikr, Soundcloud or any similar platform along with any passwords needed to access the material.
• You can submit emails/letters confirming significant partnerships or financial contributions. (Please don’t submit general ‘support letters’)

 

CELSIUS TIMELINE

Celsius Information Evening Thursday 27 May @ 1pm (via Zoom)

Submission deadline: 9am, Monday 28th June 2021

Assessment by panel: Tuesday 29 June to Friday 9 July 2021

Notification & date negotiation with successful applicants: from Monday 12 July 2021

 

TALK TO US! We are available to discuss projects and the submission process with you individually. You can request a 30- minute meeting (in person, by phone or Zoom) by emailing [email protected] HotHouse Producer, Beck Palmer will then call you to confirm a time.

PLEASE SELECT 3 CHOICES of DATES (in preferred order) from the AVAILABLE DATES BELOW:

July
w/o Mon 19,
w/o Mon 26

August
w/o Mon 2,
w/o mon 16,
w/o Mon 23

September
w/o Mon 6

October
w/o Mon 11,
w/o Mon 25

November
w/o Mon 1,
w/o Mon 22

December
w/o Mon 6

Production

Negotiated per project