Applications now open for the 2021 Frank Van Straten Fellowship

Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Performing Arts Collection are committed to providing opportunities for Victoria’s creative community with the 2021 Frank Van Straten Fellowship.

Applications are now open and close on Friday 30 October 2020 for a Fellowship which commences in March 2021, subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

The key objective of the Frank Van Straten Fellowship program is to enhance the analysis, discoverability and interpretation of the Australian Performing Arts Collection through high-quality research and/or creative works that will resonate with diverse audiences.

The fellow will be given the time, space and support to undertake research aligned to the Australian Performing Arts Collection’s key subject areas: circus, dance, music, opera and theatre (which includes comedy, vaudeville and magic).

The program also creates opportunities for the wider community to access the Australian Performing Arts Collection through the outcomes of Fellowship projects.

The fellowship is made possible through the generous contribution of the Frank Van Straten AM and Adrian Turley Foundation. Frank played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Australian Performing Arts Collection in the late 1970s and was the founding director and first archivist of what was then the Performing Arts Museum. Arts Centre Melbourne has been the proud custodian of the Collection since its creation in the early 1980s.

2020 Frank Van Straten fellow Dr Kate Rice is working on a series of historic projects which will eventuate in the release of a podcasts series in late 2020.

Dr. Rice’s podcasts will invite listeners on a journey to discover stories from another era including the 1919 pandemic that forced closures of theatre.

Dr Rice has used this opportunity to research a number of historical theatrical performances documented in the Australian Performing Arts Collection. Her work brings these forgotten stories of the Australian stage to life. Explore the ongoing journey of the 2020 Frank Van Straten fellow here.

Arts Centre Melbourne announced it had postponed welcoming visitors back to its venues in accordance with the most recent Victorian Government guidelines on COVID-19. The ghost lights will stay on a little longer as Arts Centre Melbourne focuses on finding new ways to engage with audiences, including the digital online hub – Together With You. For more information including; bookings for free and ticketed events, Arts Centre Melbourne’s health and safety policies, as well as additional digital content and experiences visit artscentremelbourne.com.au