NIDA is proud to announce $45,000 in grants awarded to NIDA alumni, or groups led by NIDA alumni, for projects that push the boundaries of storytelling and technology.
NIDA X aims to identify and support projects in which artists and technologists explore and help create the future of storytelling, offering artists an opportunity to lead technical innovation, not follow in the footsteps.
These new, live entertainment experiences might result in a finished experience or be the prototype for a larger exploration.
Each recipient will receive $15,000, along with an industry mentorship and access to facilities and technological support from NIDA. NIDA X is a program of the NIDA Future Centre and is made possible by the generous support of the Girgensohn Foundation.
‘The NIDA Future Centre received an unprecedented response from our alumni community for NIDA X, with projects ranging from AI avatars to soundscape installations and XR experiences. We had multiple entries involving First Nations storytelling and many dealing with complicated subject matter like online trolling, race, climate change and disabilities. The quality was incredibly high and we are so excited to be involved in the development of our three recipients projects.’ Beth Shulman, Acting Head of NIDA Future Centre
NIDA X Grant recipients are:
1. Shakira Clanton (Acting, 2015) | Small Blue Thing
Partnering with the award-winning Box of Birds team, Shakira Clanton, a proud Wongatha, Yamatji and Noongar, Gitja yorga woman from Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar (Perth) with African-American and American Indian Ancestry, is in creative development for Small Blue Thing, an immersive performance exploring humanity and environment from a First Nations perspective. Shakira will create the story alongside Box of Birds, a leading company encouraging and embracing social playfulness within the reality of our digital future. Shakira’s mentor will be multi-hyphenate artist Ursula Yovich, an award-winning actor, writer, dramaturg, director, singer, songwriter and storyteller of Aboriginal and Serbian descent.
2. Angela Sullen (Acting, 2016; Voice, 2020) | Vital Signs
Angela has taken her own lived experience to create Vital Signs, a debut solo work fusing medical technologies with live performance to create a dynamic and thrilling interrogation of the topography and medicalisation of the Black larger body alongside the cultural trajectories drawn from the politicisation of such bodies. The work will anchor itself around the 7 vital signs: Body Temperature, Pulse Rate, Respiration Rate, Blood Pressure, Blood Oxygen, Weight and Blood Glucose Level. Angela and director Dino Dimitriadis will incorporate live use of medical equipment on stage. Angela’s mentor will be Drew Ferors, Technical Services and New Media Manager at TDC, a world-renowned supplier of entertainment technology, audio visual and production for the Events and Entertainment industry.
3. Akos Armont (Acting, 2007) | Tent
Akos is exploring the space between online and live theatre audiences in creating an immersive theatre experiment which re-imagines the horror film experience for a contemporary audience. Delving into social media influencer culture with the lens of suspense and horror feels timely, fun and a fresh way to drive new audiences to live entertainment experiences. To truly bring two experiences together through camera trickery and live production, Akos will be receiving a mentorship with renowned cinematographer David Knight.
