Hothouse 2016: Virtual Reality

ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and the Victorian Government have together created the ultimate incubator for emerging media artists and are seeking promising young Victorians to apply for this once in a lifetime learning opportunity.

Hothouse is a week-long intensive program for Victorian students in Years 10, 11 and 12, aimed at nurturing creativity and moving image skills. Ten students are selected each year and dropped into a fast-paced production studio to gain hands-on production experience, contacts in the industry and plenty of career inspiration.

The program takes place over one action-packed week of June 27 – July 1, 2016 and it is free for selected participants.

'Hothouse is a significant opportunity for young media artists and those with an interest in the moving image to take their skills to the next level," said Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley MP. 'Virtual reality is an emerging format with many possibilities for our creative industries, and this program is a chance for participants to get ahead of the game by working with experienced artists and technicians."

The program is structured around a production timeline and allows students to develop vital skills for the creative industries including idea development and research, scripting, design, filming, editing, post-production time management and planning skills.

"Hothouse is a highly practical way for students to begin working towards a career in the creative industries," said ACMI Education Manager Christine Evely. 'Not only is it a unique and engaging program for young people who are interested to expand their skills working with virtual reality, hands on guidance comes from people who know what workplaces are looking for, and how those skills can be applied in the workforce".

Participants will have the use of ACMI's state-of-the-art production facilities including a fully equipped media studio, editing suites and sound booths. Collaborating in small groups to create a virtual reality, the week culminates in an exhibition of the students' work, showing their creative endeavours to friends, family and teachers.

This is not the first time ACMI has embraced cutting edge VR technology in a program for young people. When VR was still very new, ACMI held a workshop with artists who were beginning to explore VR technology as part of the Intermix program for young creatives.

There is now a strong current of VR work coming through the creative industries, and so far in 2016 ACMI has featured VR titles as part of the 2016 White Night program, and in March ACMI presented their first virtual reality (VR) commission Stuck in the Middle With You. Presented in partnership with Closer Productions and Sydney Dance Company, ACMI invited audiences to step into a virtual world with some of Australia's finest dancers when this free world-premiere event.

The work is a virtual reality dance experience in which the viewer becomes part of the on stage performance of a live dance work originally choreographed by Gideon Obarzanek for the Sydney Dance Company. Fusing choreography, performance, documentary and drama the landmark moving image work launched as a free, temporary exhibit, held inside ACMI's Flinders Street entrance for two weeks. While the premiering exhibit has ended, it will soon be installed in ACMI's permanent exhibition Screen Worlds.

This foray into VR is an example of ACMI's dedication to harness ground breaking ideas and cross-disciplinary creativity in all its programs. Hothouse brings these multi-platform opportunities to emerging artists.

The Hothouse program has built a creative alumni community of young filmmakers, animators, game developers, documentarians and now media artists. Alumni of the program are often engaged by ACMI to participate in other programs and activities, and benefit by broadening their network, and building friendships with likeminded creatives.

Support for those living outside of Metropolitan Melbourne is also available.

Applications are free and now open for Hothouse 2016 but must close on Friday 27 May 2016.