Emerging artists embark on EPIC opportunities

Sarah Howell is a Tasmanian media artist with a passion for social technology, visual communication and storytelling. Her arts practice crosses between visual arts and writing through the medium of comics.

She was recently selected for the Australia Council for the Arts’ EPIC07 initiative, which offers emerging producers in communities professional development opportunities in dance or media art.

As one of five participants in EPIC07, Sarah will produce her project, Gravity with young artists in regional areas of northern Tasmania, creating a virtual communication forum using pod-casting, mobile phone and blog technology.

The aim of the project will be to create a series of new media events that will allow the artists to share their stories and experiences.

Sarah said a New York-based festival provided inspiration for the project.

‘One of the biggest influences on my thinking for Gravity has been the work of the American group Glowlab and their festival Conflux.

'It is a festival for contemporary psycho-geography, the investigation of everyday urban life through emerging artistic, technological and social practice. It features some great interactive public space artworks and events, both with and without technology.'

Sarah said that communication technologies are having a significant impact on regional areas.

‘You can already start to see regional communities networking strongly with other regional communities around the world, creating projects that mobilise knowledge and resources between places facing similar concerns about isolation and a primary-industry based economy, this is something that could only happen with the advent of the Internet.'

Sarah is on a twenty-month internship with Tasmanian Regional Arts and will begin her project in 2008.

Sarah Howell hopes that as a result of the project ‘everyone involved will be more aware of how these technologies are changing our relationships and where and how we live.'

‘I also want to create a playful and vibrant project and meet amazing people,' Sarah said.

EPIC07, which places a particular focus on regional areas is funded through the Australian Government's Young and Emerging Artists Initiative. Young artists gain practical experience in managing a youth focused arts project with mentoring support from a host cultural organisation.

The four other EPIC07 producers are Timothy Bishop (NSW), Fiona Hogg (TAS), Ali Kadhim (NSW) and Aimee Smith (WA).

Media enquiries:

Carla Viola