Polyglot's Tap residency program has come to an end.

Please find archival information below.

Introduction to Tap

Tap is Polyglot's residency program designed to facilitate the development of new work by a range of puppetry and visual theatre artists and companies. In 2008, two independent companies or groups of artists will be supported through the provision of a small production budget, two weeks of venue hire, professional documentation and critical appraisal, and advice and assistance from Polyglot's staff. Polyglot are able to invite some movers and shakers from the industry for a showcase outcome at the end of the residency should this be the desire of the selected artists, with the aim that works will be further developed and produced for public presentation in the future - either independently or by other organisations. Successful artists will be asked to write a short evaluation of their own artistic process and of the program upon completion of the residency.

Polyglot believes that Tap will bring the energy of the sector to us, providing us with a strong connection with new art, new artists and new ideas, and will keep the exploration of the art form of puppetry and visual theatre alive and at our fingertips, making Polyglot's home at the Cromwell Road Theatre a hub for the professional arts industry and a centre for puppetry exploration.

TAP PROCESS

Polyglot aims to make the Tap residency process as simple as possible for everyone involved. Interested artists are invited to first submit a simple online expression of interest form outlining the artists involved, a description of the project, what they hope to achieve during the residency, future plans for the project (if any), and how they plan to spend the grant. This is not a grant application but rather brief expression of interest.

A panel of three professionals from the puppetry/visual theatre industry will then select a shortlist of artists to meet with face-to-face, where the artists will be given the chance to describe their ideas in more detail. Two residencies will then be chosen from this shortlist.

Tap Eligibility

Tap is open to:

• Any Australian independent company, artist or group of artists not recurrently funded, working professionally in the artforms of puppetry/visual theatre,
• Work at any stage of development but not yet ready for public presentation.

Selection Criteria

• Must be puppetry and/or visual theatre,
• Must be new work/original concept,
• Must have some sort of experimental component - artform, thematic, conceptual.

TAP FAQs

What will Polyglot provide successful Tap applicants with?

You will receive a $3000 grant, two weeks of free theatre space in the Cromwell Road Theatre, which has full technical equipment, access to our workshop and tools and the advice and assistance from Polyglot's staff, a paid critical appraisal panel on top of the grant to provide feedback to you on development, a professional photographer for one session, the optional opportunity to hold a showcase performance for industry professionals.

What can I spend my grant on?

Anything at all! You can pay yourselves for your time, pay for materials, pay other artists, pay for time in a recording studio, pay for equipment hire, documentation... as long as you can justify the money is well spent on the production we'll be happy. We would prefer you didn't spend the money on travel or accommodation.

Did you really mean we can spend the money on anything at all?

Yes. Anything at all. As long as its on your project.

Why are Polyglot only offering two Tap residencies?

Tap represents a significant investment in each project from Polyglot's very limited resources. We would love to support more projects but in 2008 we just can't afford it.

Why has Polyglot limited the project to puppetry and visual theatre?

These are the artforms Polyglot engages with in our own creative work, so this is the industry that we are interested in developing, they're the artists we want to keep in contact with, and that's the area in which we want to explore new ways of working and exciting new projects.

I thought Polyglot was a children's company.

Polyglot produces work exclusively for children and families and currently has no plans to produce work for adults.

So does that mean work supported by the Tap program has to be for children?

No. We think we do a pretty good job of making puppetry works for children, but as we are interested in artform development, and supporting puppeteers and visual theatre artists we are offering Tap to works in these genres for adults also.

Do I have to write a grant application to be selected?

No. There is a simple online application which is more an expression of interest. Shortlisted artists from this process will then be able to explain their ideas in person to the selection panel. We are trying to make the process as painless as possible for everybody involved.

Do I need to send support material?

No. All you need to do is fill out the online application form. If the panel is interested in more information they will ask you to bring it to an interview or to send it in. You are welcome to bring materials to an interview if you gain one only if you feel this will help you explain the project.

Will I need to write an acquittal?

Not an acquittal exactly, but you will need to answer some questions in writing about how your creative development went, and we'll ask you to fill out a survey about the TAP program itself.

What will I need to do during the process?

Make your art! We may also ask you to write about the artistic process for a blog on our website so other people can keep up to date with what you're doing. This could form the bulk of the writing for the non-acquittal report we'll ask for at the end of the project.

If Polyglot is paying for a professional photographer, who owns the copyright to the photos?

Usually the photographer would retain copyright but give an unlimited license for their use. We would arrange a contract with the photographer giving an unlimited license to both Polyglot and the artists. We would only use the photographs for documentation purposes or to promote the Tap program itself in the future, and not without seeking your permission first.

What do you mean by puppetry and visual theatre?

Through consultation with the sector we've come up with remarkable consistent definitions of these terms. Loosely, Puppetry and/or visual theatre is theatre that uses visual imagery and/or design as the central means of communication that drives the work. Puppetry we understand to be an art form that gives life and character to inanimate objects. Please discuss!

Who can I speak to for more information?

If you still have questions, feel free to contact Simon Abrahams, General Manager via email or Sue Giles, Artistic Director and Polyglot via email or phone us on 039827 9667. Also watch this space as we will continue to add questions and answers to the website if they become frequently asked!

Previous Residencies