Have you got questions?

I recently visited Tasmania for the first time and I'm about to continue with a rapid dash around the country. Now's your chance to catch me for a mix of events, public presentations and one to one meetings about the program and the two schemes.

My 'schedule' goes something like this:

Nov 25th-26th=Melbourne: MEGA VIC pitches, various meetings.

Nov 30th-2nd=Adelaide: CAN Allsorts forum & workshop, various meetings.

Dec 3rd-4th=Canberra: NLA partnership discussions, various meetings.

Dec 7th-8th=Perth: DCA hosting a presentation at the Alexander Library Theatre, at 6.30pm on the 7th Dec (rsvp here), plus various meetings.

Dec 10th-11th=Brisbane: Arts QLD are hosting a public event, 10am-12pm on 10 Dec at The Studio, Level 1, State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane (rsvp by Dec 8), plus various meetings.

All this will end with a possible trip to Darwin in the scorching heat - my first time too!

In the true spirit of the internet, I want to use this blog to share some of the questions/answers that have arisen from discussions so far. We are trying something different here, so questions are bound to arise. If you want to ask your own, feel free to add them in the comments section & I'll keep posting them as they come in.

Q&A - DCF (Digital Culture Fund)

Q: The DCF has a quicker turnaround, June 2010 for projects to be completed. What other differences are there between interarts project funding and DCF?

A: Each project fund has its own focus and criteria. I can't speak with confidence on the Inter Arts funds - Ricardo/Kathryn and the team are the experts there (and they are helping me hugely too, so don't be suprised if you talk to them about these schemes). However, as you can see from the DCF info page our focus is on work that encompasses 'liveness' either through the creation process (collaborators working together simultaneously to develop the work) or in the audience's engagement (a live event/transmission). The DCF also has a focus on digital, which again could manifest through the creation or sharing of the work. We are particularly looking for new, exciting, innovative uses of technology, creativity and the audience.

Q: What is the approximate funding amount per DCF project? How many projects do you wish to fund from the $160,000 total fund?

A: We want to keep this open, hence the Expressions of Interest phase. We are targeting both experienced digital artists who have been within the Australia Council's community for some time as well as new practitioners who might not call themselves artists or what they do 'art'. This means we are not quite sure what we will get and want to use this as much as a scoping exercise to see what's out there. Some will come back with proposals for a few thousand, others with major projects for substantially more. We will fund as many as we can from the $160,000.

Q: Is there a specific reason that projects are meant to be completed by the end of June 2010?

A: The June deadline is because this is a pilot project and we need to see outcomes within this financial year.

Q: Is there a potential problem if I apply to both funds in the same round with different proposals?

A: Not at all. We welcome multiple proposals. The only issue would be if you were to apply to different artforms with the same proposal, asking for a specific amount to cover exactly the same section of that proposal (what is known as "double dipping"). As you are presenting different proposals to different funds, there is no problem.

Q: We are Australian artists but live in <insert country>. Are we still eligible?

A: This one's interesting. If the work happens in a physical sense, and would not happen in Australia, then no. The point is for Australian artists and audiences to engage with this and that isn't possible if it happens abroad. However, if it happens online or mediated through technological platforms somehow that could happen anywhere, then, yes.

Q: In the criteria it says "happen live (making or sharing)": what does that mean exactly (or approximately)?

A: The DCF focuses on the notion of 'liveness' - by which we mean the way people can be connected in the same moment, share the same experience at exactly the same time regardless of where they are physically. This can be the shared co-creation, or the experience of sharing an outcome at the same time as other people. Thus the work can be made live, or it can be shared live.

Q: What do you expect from an EOI (how elaborate)?

A: We've made a template to help you see the areas we are interested in. It is purposefully an open call, so feel free to submit a range of projects (seperately). You can also upload additional info, but please no more than 2 pages.

Q&A - GiR (Geek in Residence)

Q: Will the Australia Council be running this program again? Or is this a one off?

A: 'Arts content for the digital era' is a Strategic Initiative and sits outside regular annual funding programs. Our funding is decided year on year. My aim for both the schemes in 2009/10 is to prove a) need and b) successful case studies in order to better target additional funds and resources for next (and maybe future) years. So the short answer is... we don't know. We will certainly be running something in the 2010/11 year, but if these schemes don't work or we feel other areas need more attention, then it would be foolish not to pay attention.

Q: We are a network of arts organisations. Can we share a Geek?

A: Quite a few people have asked this one. My concern is really that this is going to be a demanding enough position for the Geek and I would worry that to have them working across many orgs, with all the complications that entails, might be an unfair ask. It's also fair to say that this process will be monitored closely and outcomes will be shared - both successful and not so successful. This is an opportunity for some to learn by doing and others to learn by watching. But I'm not ruling anything out at this stage and if you check out the next question, perhaps there's a natural answer emerging...

Q: We are a network of Geeks. How can we help?

A: As a pilot project we can only cover a handful of trial placements this year - two for the Major Performing Arts sector and six for the other art forms. However, there is nothing to stop us helping to make connections between potential teams of any scale... my advice would be: Apply, make it clear what you want and can offer and at the very least I'll keep an eye out for your potential match.

Q: I already have a geek / host I would like to work with. Can I?

A: Again, a few people have asked this so we have included a space on the forms for that. You don't have to already have somewhere / someone in mind, and mentioning them won't guarantee that match would happen. However, I'm interested to know what those connections might be, so please tell us.

Q: I have <insert specialist resource>, would your Hosts or Geeks like access to it? // I need <insert specialist skill>, could you find me a Geek with that?

A: There have been a number of 'specific skills' enquiries, people offering specialist lab space, or asking for specialist technical skills. This is a wonderful thing and we are keeping a record of them all, but it might not come under the scope of this scheme. While we can't solve all the problems in one year with $160,000 and up to 8 geeks, we certainly can help to broker relationships and match needs to resources.

My dream would be to build a 'matchmaking engine' (I call it my 'Geekabase') where you can all manage your own profiles and view those of others. After all, the Australia Council is hardly the only place where matches can be made, is it? It just seemed a bit short-sighted to spend money on building 'just another website' when we hadn't even tested the concept. We have since heard that others are interested in helping us take that idea forward, so maybe next year...

Meanwhile, if you have skills/resources outside of the scope of the GiR, tell me anyway.

Q: I would love to be a Host but I simply can't afford to contribute half. What can I do?

A: What could you afford to contribute? Three months part time? One day a week for a month? Do you have anything you can offer in-kind that might help save costs - like accommodation? The honest answer is, "Tell us anyway". It would be great to have a range of case studies through the program. If we feel your need and potential outcomes are so great, and that there is a perfect geek who also only wants to work for a shorter timescale, then perhaps we can run a handful of mini-GiR, rapid turnover projects. But we can't help if we don't know.

Q: I would be quite happy to share my skills as a Geek for no payment. Can I?

A: Many generous, enthusiastic people share their skills without expecting payment for them, and we love you for it (ahem, many of us have been there ourselves for a long time!). The salary ranges here are significantly less than some of the Geeks earn in their 'typical' day jobs, we know that. We feel (and you have echoed this in your droves) that this is a unique challenge and will be a great deal of fun. Sure, but there is no way we are asking anyone to work for nothing. There has to be a real desire to share experiences and for both parties to benefit. So, Thank You, but not on our watch.

Q: Will you relocate me if I am selected to be a Geek?

A: There is a space in the application form where you can tell us if you would like to move or not. But we should point out this scheme isn't about relocating you, your family, furniture, three dogs and a parrot from Perth to Tasmania. Any 'relocation' would be temporary.