Signal Screen Commissions

                    Three children on bicycles at dusk, looking up at artwork in the windows of the SIGNAL building
                    SIGNAL Screen Commissions provides an opportunity for young artists and creative practitioners to be supported in the development of new public art works for the SIGNAL Screen.

                    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Projects supported through SIGNAL Screen Commissions in 2024 are: 

                    Chelsea Chua ​

                    LPerson in the corner of a room surrounded by cardboardOADING, PLEASE WAIT interrogates how people who identify as Culturally and Racially Marginalized carry the load of ‘otherness’ in their everyday lives. Fusing interpretative dance movement, film, animation and visual design, this video work will explore what it means as an individual and community to not only ‘load’, but ‘un-load’, share the load, and ‘re-load’. 

                    Image credit: Chelsea Chua, Boxed In

                    Neve Curnow

                    NThe branch of a tree at night, illuminated by a red light from below.eve’s project is an immersive video art project that transports viewers into a realm where fantasy and reality converge. Drawing inspiration from low-fi horror cinema and the rural gothic, the work explores the real horrors of colonialism and reflects on feelings of otherness within these rural spaces, using meticulously created miniature sets of real places to unravel layers of horror and fantasy. 

                    Image credit: Neve Curnow, Spotlight, 2022 ​

                    Rubyanna Edwards 

                    ​StA colourful abstract art peiceill Thinking is a rumination on time and space, which encompasses aspects of drawing, digital and installation practices. Bodily and gestural, it is an abstract work full of frequently changing lines and shapes, animated to explore ideas around artmaking, image processing and technology through their relationship to urban space.  

                    Image credit: Untitled, 2023

                    Emma Lyn Winkler 

                    ItAnimated character holding hand over their head’s All Soup In The End is an absurd hand-painted stop-motion animation that explores death and anxiety. Informed by Winkler’s experiences of mental health conditions and encounters with death, the animation uses the visceral texture of oil paint to depict cartoon figures decomposing and transforming to explore the distress generated by death and the futility of fixating on the inevitable. 

                    Image credit; Emma Lyn Winkler, Open Head​ 2021


                    Applications are now closed and will reopen in 2025.  

                    Selection process

                    Proposals will be assessed by a selection panel comprising of the lead artist and the Signal Creative Producer.

                    Up to 5 young artists will be selected. If successful, you will receive a commissioning fee of $800 to develop, produce and install your work in collaboration with Signal. One or more artists may work on one project as a team, however please keep in mind the commissioning fee is $800 per project

                    Your proposal must demonstrate:

                    • strength of the idea

                    • innovative approach

                    • feasibility

                    • how the work engages with the Signal site

                    Expressions of interest close at 3pm Friday 16 February 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.

                    If you need assistance with your application including support with translation, please contact Signal on 03 9658 7808, email signal@melbourne.vic.gov.au, or via the National Relay Service.​

                    Screen Commissions eligibility and criteria

                    • You must be aged between 16 and 25 years.

                    • You can choose the theme of the video work, however priority will be given to works that do not rely on narrative.

                    • The projection surface for the screen work is the upper floor windows of the Signal building with back projection facilities. Projects must be created specifically for this site.

                    • Each artist will also produce a single channel version of their work for potential future presentation opportunities outside of SIGNAL.

                    • Final works must be no longer than 5 minutes.​

                    • You must be available to attend all creative development workshops at Signal outlined below. 

                    Key dates

                    Monday 22 January: Expressions of interest open at 9am

                    Friday 16 February: Expressions of interest close, submissions must be received by 3pm

                    Friday 1 March: Successful applicants notified​

                    One-on-one mentoring sessions to be scheduled by commissioned artists and their individual mentors. ​

                    Workshops:

                    Workshops will run 6pm to 8pm at SIGNAL.

                    1. Wednesday 20 March

                    2. Wednesday 27 March

                    3. Wednesday 17 April

                    4. Wednesday 24 April

                    5. Wednesday 15 May

                    6. Wednesday 29 May

                    7. Wednesday 5 June

                    Monday 10 June: Final works due 11.59pm

                    Wednesday 12 June: Final test of all works at Signal, 6pm to 8pm

                    Wednesday 19 June: Launch of works at Signal, 6pm to 7.30pm

                    Wednesday 26 June: Program debrief online, 5.30 to 7:30pm

                    Friday 20 June to Sunday 14 July: Season of works on Signal Screen.

                    Frequently asked questions

                    Submission

                    When and how do I submit a proposal?​​ 

                    Expressions of Interest open Monday 22 January at 9am and close Friday 16 February at 3pm via SmartyGrants. Late submissions will not be accepted.​

                    General questions

                    ​​​​​Are there any reasons I might not be able to submit an Expression of Interest to the Signal Screen Commissions?​

                    You cannot submit an EOI if you are a City of Melbourne employee or volunteer.

                    You cannot submit an EOI if you are under 16 or over 25 years of age.

                    Proposals that form part of accredited study cannot be considered.

                    My proposal is for a video work with sound. Should I apply as a screen artist?

                    Yes. Works commissioned for the Signal Screen often include sound.

                    Why are screen works that do not rely on narrative preferred?

                    All five screen works play on a loop in the evenings, projected on the upper floor windows of the Signal building. They are visible to people walking by and from the trains passing through Flinders Street Station, therefore most viewers will not see your work from start to finish. Please consider this in your proposal. 

                    Expression of Interest

                    ​How formed does my project proposal need to be?

                    Your proposal must be well articulated and include envisaged outcomes. Please outline:

                    • What you want to create (be descriptive so the panel can imagine what your work will look and sound like)

                    • How you will achieve it

                    • Why you want to do this (include how it responds to the SIGNAL site)

                    Please note: While you may work towards expected outcomes, Signal acknowledges and encourages that the creative process may lead you to an unexpected outcome. 

                    Do I need to submit a budget?

                    No. The $800 offered is an artist fee for the commission, not a project budget.

                    What kind of support material do I need to submit?

                    Your support material should include examples of your own work. This could be proof of concept for your proposal and/or previous works using similar approaches. ​

                    You may also include references or inspiration from other artists' work with credit.

                    You may upload a support letter from a collaborator, teacher, or mentor that can speak about your creative process.​

                    How long should my support material be?

                    Each piece of support material should be no longer than 2 minutes, with a total duration of approximately 5 minutes. If you submit longer examples, the assessment panel will only have time to listen to short excerpts.

                    Can I see some examples of successful proposals?

                    You can read the artist statements and see single channel and stereo versions of works created for the SIGNAL Screens and Sound Walk in 2021​.

                    Please note: commissioned works from 2020 and 2022 were created for digital presentation, not the Signal venue.

                    Can I talk to a Signal representative about my idea?

                    ​You can contact Signal on 03 9658 7810 to talk about the application process and eligibility but not about your idea.

                    If I am successful

                    ​​​Do I get to choose my own mentor?​

                    No. Based on your proposal, the lead artists will match you with an appropriate mentor.

                    What if I can't attend one of the workshops?​

                    To submit a proposal, you must be available on all of the key dates outlined above.

                    Once the program has begun, if you are unable to attend a workshop due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances, please let us know.

                    Can I use Signal's equipment to create my artwork?

                    No. Signal does not have equipment for hire. City of Melbourne Libraries have some AV equipment available to borrow.

                    Is there any additional funding available for project costs?

                    No. You are expected to provide all of the software, hardware and materials you need to complete your project. However, your mentor may be able to help you with sourcing what you need or suggesting alternatives.​

                    When will I be paid?​

                    Your commission fee will be paid in 2 installments. $400 at the beginning of the program, once you have signed your agreement and $400 at the end of the program, after you have attended the scheduled debrief.
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