What have previous artists valued about KISS club?

“Having a supportive and organised team to work with made the experience very beneficial. It has launched a new career path for me” – KISS club artist, 2019

“Developing the work with the support of pvi collective and PICA allowed me to test the concept, which worked really well, and has now allowed me to present a full-length work in 2020” – KISS club artist, 2019

“A truly invigorating and supportive experience, which I would recommend to any artist with an idea bubbling away in their heads.” – KISS club artist, 2019

Who should apply?

We encourage applications from WA emerging and established practitioners, groups or collectives from any live art form who are keen to test out a component of an idea or embryonic work in progress in front of a live audience. It can be raw and unresolved as long as you are able to contextualise your intent with the idea. We have a particular interest in live art, participatory performance and experimental practices, though we encourage a diversity of art forms and those working across contemporary approaches to sound, movement, vision and performance.

We also encourage applications from First Nations artists, artists with a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) background and artists living with disability. Please let us know if you have any specific requirements.

Whilst we recognise circumstances are changing and the production timeline is in holding, we ask that artists only apply if they are committed to be involved and seeing it through until the feedback event.

What is the timeline amongst COVID-19?

KISS club will begin amongst the current lockdown and government mandates for gatherings, focussing on project development led independently by selected artists within the safety of their homes and with online connection to the team. The provocateuring aspect of the development will happen via zoom with a pvi artist allocated to each artist/company.

The timeline for working within PICA and hosting the live event is in holding, contingent on the lifting of restrictions around gatherings by state and federal governments. Once restrictions are lifted, each participant will have access to the PICA’s Performance Space for rehearsal prior to the feedback event.

We intend to host a public feedback event, as per previous iterations of KISS club and to honour its collective live energy. We are tentatively planning to host, if permitted to do so, a public event between September – December 2020. We will continue to monitor restrictions and keep communications with selected artists open as this timeline is revisited. As the situation is evolving, public event dates are subject to change.

Who is involved with KISS club 2020?

KISS club is jointly curated and produced by pvi collective and PICA. Up to 5 artists/collectives will be selected this year.

The 2020 provocateurs are:
Kelli McCluskey – pvi co-artistic director
Steve Bull – pvi co-artistic director
Chris Williams – pvi lead artist, DADAA creative producer

How do the provocateur sessions work?

Each artist/collective will have a dedicated provocateur, who they will work with across the KISS club period for creative feedback. Artists will have three sessions with their provocateur. These sessions will be conducted via zoom, including one session to introduce them to their work, and two sessions about how the work is progressing to get feedback. These sessions will commence in June and be scheduled as per the requirements of each artist, and as arranged with their provocateur.

How important is dialogue as part of KISS club?

We encourage open dialogue amongst a spirit of critical thinking, generosity and safety. Artists should think about how to best utilise their provocateur for their feedback processes. As part of this process, artists will be challenged to think about their intention and methodologies and what it might mean to present this work with an audience today.

PICA’s performance team will work with artists regarding any activity at PICA, including rehearsal access and production of the feedback event, and meet with the artist once in the lead up to the event for creative feedback.

Live audience feedback is structured after the showings in small break out groups (approx. 10 people) led by each artist. Participating in the feedback event is required and we encourage artists to use the audience as a feedback mechanism to answer any burning questions, explore roadblocks and get fresh perspective on their work.

When PICA reopens, how will rehearsal and access work?

In previous iterations, artists have received free access to PICA’s black box Performance Space for rehearsal time, during PICA’s opening hours of 10am – 5pm. Whilst the PICA building is currently closed, when it is permitted to do so, PICA will revisit offering free artist access to the building and address any policies for safe access. In the meantime, we encourage artists to use this time to research their ideas and utilise their existing environments.

Are there fees involved?

Selected artists will receive a participation fee of $1,200 plus 9.5% super. As KISS club this year will now run across a longer time period with a TBC end date, we have increased the previous fee of $300.

How is the fee paid? I’m currently on Job Keeper/ Job Seeker payments; will the participation fee affect my ongoing payments?

Payments will be paid 75% upon commencement of the development period and 25% upon completion of the performance event. We will discuss any payment considerations with artists on a case by case basis, and whether these are made across other split payments.

What happens after KISS club? I would like to present this work at PICA.

KISS club has been a launching pad for a variety of works, some of which have been fully presented and gone on tour, including the recent hit Feminah by Charlotte Otton. PICA have also commissioned selected artists to further develop their work for presentation, including works such as Seeking basic needs and other tales of excess by Renee Newman with Ben Collins, Lipstuck by Daley King, This is not personal by Jen Jamieson and Slutdrop by Jacinta Larcombe.

PICA welcomes works that are responsive to its program and encourages artists to think about ideas and projects that have relevance to its program with currency towards concept and art form development. Please note that further presentation opportunities are by PICA’s invitation only. Whilst ties to other programs are not discouraged, artists should note any confirmed or intended programming as PICA retains first right of refusal for all selected works.

I miss going to performances. 

So do we. Here are some good vibes from previous KISS club audience members to tide us over.

So great to see new works being tested and developed, in such a supportive (and fun) environment.

I found the material challenged my thinking about art, form and performance. It forced me to re-think, which is fabulous.

Very grateful to have this model exist and be able to view it as a member of the public.

I loved seeing new pieces by local artists who were not afraid to try new things in their work.

I love KISS club. The freedom that it gives artists to try new, difficult and unlikely things is unlike any other short form performance night.

Further questions?

Please email kate@pvicollective.com for further information.

Image: by David Cox Media.