A paid creative development program for three artists and creative technologists in Parramatta. $3,200 plus super. EOIs close 4 September 2026.
Local Host supports three participants to take a new idea from early stage through to a prototype presentation. Over eight weeks you’ll develop a concept alongside two other artists, with mentorship, studio time and the space to test something you haven’t made before.
This program is open to a wide range of practitioners from creative or technical fields. You might be a dancer wanting to work with interactive sound, a writer who would like to dream up a site-specific sound walk, or a computer programmer looking to turn your skills towards a creative project. We’re interested in people who have a strong sense of their own practice and the desire to leap into something new. You do not need experience with the technology you want to explore, curiosity and a clear idea matter more.
Who can apply
You’ll need a connection to Parramatta. That might mean you live here, work here, grew up here, or have an ongoing relationship with the place through your practice. If you’re unsure whether you qualify, please get in touch.
Applications are open to individuals and to duos or small collectives applying as a single participant. We especially welcome expressions of interest from First Nations artists, d/Deaf and disabled artists, artists of colour, and artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
This year’s theme: Spatial Story Lab
We’re asking participants to explore what it means to tell stories spatially. This might mean stories that live in a location, move through it, or depend on where the audience is standing. A soundtrack that changes as you walk. A performance that only makes sense in one carpark. A text that reassembles itself depending on which room you read it in.
What does it mean to connect a story to place? What stories are placeless? What does thinking spatially unlock for your work and your audience?
About Us
Local Host is produced by Voxstep, a performing and digital arts organisation based on Dharug Country in Parramatta. We work with and against technology to make experiences that connect people to place. The Local Host process will be guided by co-directors Nick Atkins and Lily Hayman, with support from associate artists Daniel Herten and Sally Coleman.
Key details
- Artist fee: $3,200 plus super
- EOIs close: Friday 4 September 2026
- You’ll hear from us by: Friday 18 September 2026
- Program dates: 30 September – 10 December 2026
- Commitment: 8 x weekly concept development workshops (2 to 3 hours each) and 2 x three-day intensives, Approximately [55] hours in total.
- Location: Online and in person in Parramatta
- Prototype presentation: Public showing to invited industry guests
How to apply
Tell us about your practice and the idea you’d like to develop. We’re asking for:
- A short-written response (max 500 words) or a video of up to 3 minutes that describes your early-stage idea
- A bio (200 to 300 words)
- Links to 1 to 2 examples of previous work
- A brief note on your connection to Parramatta
We’ll be selecting on the strength and curiosity of the idea, the fit with this year’s theme, and what the program could unlock for your practice at this point in your career. We’re not looking for a finished proposal.
Access
This project has been supported by Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta, the NSW Government through Create NSW and through a City of Parramatta Council Community Grant .
If you have access requirements or would like to submit your application in another format, contact Nick at nick@voxstep.org.au.
