Artists invited to Antarctica

Applications for the Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowships, which will give artists direct and unfettered access to the icy continent at the southern end of the Earth, are open now until March 28. The winners will channel the experience into their work, be it writing, painting, photography, film or performance art, bringing a unique perspective on Antarctica to the public.

The fellowship is made possible by the Australian Antarctic Division, which is part of the Department of the Environment and Energy, and the Australian Network for Art and Technology, which champions creatives of all types, and will provide $ 5000 in monetary support. 

The chosen fellows will travel to Mawson station on board Australia’s leading research and resupply Antarctic vessel— the Aurora Australis, named after the atmospheric phenomenon seen in the southern hemisphere.

During the three months at the base, which is the oldest and one of the longest-running research stations, the artists will embed themselves in its community and engage with the science and technology to produce significant works of art.

Previous winners of the fellowship include Alice Giles, a renowned musician from Canberra, who produced created a harp composition that was eventually turned into a concert in collaboration with Australian National University in Canberra. In 2016, Sean Williams, an Adelaide-based award-winning writer, used his experience as fodder for historic novels about the Heroic era of Antarctic explorations. 

Click here to learn about the application and assessment processes and medical pre-requisites.