Organizer Information

Situated in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre on the unceded lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) is one of Australia's leading multi-arts institutions. Since 1989, PICA has championed creative practitioners who challenge disciplinary boundaries across visual art, contemporary dance, experimental theater, and sound. Through the boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission, PICA drives the intersection of art and future technologies, providing sustainable pathways and global visibility for innovative Australian practices.

Title & Description

The boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission 2026.

Entering its second year, this major national commissioning program invites Australia-based artists and collectives to push beyond flat screens and into embodied, critically engaged sensory environments. The initiative funds the creation of ambitious, site-responsive new works that interrogate the boundaries between human presence and digital systems, technology and genuine human connection. Rather than supporting tech as an interface for passive distraction, the commission prioritizes works of bold originality, conceptual curiosity, and ethical rigor that use spatial, digital, or interactive tools to examine contemporary social and political concerns.

Target Presentation & Spatial Parameters:

The commissioned masterpiece will premiere as a flagship centerpiece at PICA in 2027 before embarking on a high-profile regional tour across Western Australia galleries. Rather than a predetermined footprint, spaces are allocated in collaborative curatorial consultation with the artist. Key structural sectors within PICA available for activation include:

  • The Foyer: A prominent, high-traffic architectural and experiential entry threshold suited for large-scale spatial installations engaging visitor flow.
  • The Screen Space: A dedicated first-floor media sanctuary with controlled lighting and integrated seating optimized for focused solo or small-group moving image engagement.
  • Studios 1-4: A flexible suite of enclosed first-floor white-box spaces ideal for intimate, contained interactive environments, spatial audio systems, or motion-capture tracking.

Categories

Digital Art / New Media, Installation, Sound Art / Spatial Audio, Sculpture, and Interdisciplinary Practices (VR/AR/XR, game engines, generative media, or interactive hardware loops).

Eligibility

  • Geographic Scope: Open to all individual contemporary artists, duos, or structured collectives currently based anywhere in Australia.
  • Age Mandate: Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
  • Production Readiness: Projects must be conceptualized as entirely new works ready to enter a rigorous 7-month manufacturing and development block starting in July 2026.
  • Availability: Selected laureates must be available to travel to Boorloo (Perth) for physical structural installation and public launch events in February 2027.

Program Benefits and Financial Architecture

The award carries a total comprehensive presentation and financial value of $75,000 AUD, broken down into the following framework:

  • Cash Commission Fee: $50,000 AUD to directly support creative labor, collaborator fees, production studio time, software licensing, and custom physical fabrication. (The artist is not expected to purchase heavy house AV presentation rigs out of this pool).
  • PICA In-Kind Allocation: Up to $25,000 AUD managed directly in-house by PICA to fund baseline institutional AV equipment provisions, domestic fine art freight, custom display furniture, and dedicated curatorial/installation teams.
  • Mobility Support: PICA provides one lead artist with return economy airfares to Perth, comfortable local accommodation, ground airport transit reimbursements, and an operational honorarium for the installation period.

Fees

  • Application Fee: None (Free to submit).

Application Requirements

Dossiers must be logged via the secure online portal or transmitted as an official Word document template directly to the producer. Submissions must be written in English and include:

  1. Artwork Proposal: A comprehensive text outlining the project concept, chosen media technologies, target PICA site location, and touring scalability plan (Maximum two A4 pages).
  2. First Nations Protocols Summary: (Where applicable) Clear details of proposed community consultation, consent pathways, or partnerships if working with indigenous cultural content, guided by Creative Australia and NAVA summary standards.
  3. Itemized Project Budget & Timeline: Outlining financial distributions and technical milestones via the official PICA sheet template.
  4. Artist Curriculum Vitae (CV): Maximum two A4 pages documenting your practice history.
  5. Propositional Project Visualizations: Up to 5 sketches, digital renders, hardware diagrams, or architectural mockups illustrating the proposed installation.
  6. Past Work Archive: Up to 5 high-quality images or video links demonstrating fully resolved past interactive systems or immersive achievements.

How to Apply?

Fulfill the web-based form sections or download the official template and transmit your completed package via email to boorda yeyi Producer Laetitia Wilson at laetitia@pica.org.au. Apply to the boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission.

Key Dates

  • Expressions of Interest Close: Monday, June 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM AWST (Australian Western Standard Time). Late entries or unsaved digital forms will not be considered.
  • Applicant Notification Window: June 23, 2026.
  • Active Commission Production Block: July 2026 – January 2027.
  • PICA Exhibition Premiere & Tour: Launching early 2027, followed by a regional tour throughout 2027–2028.

Location

Australia, Perth / Boorloo (51 James Street, Perth Cultural Centre, WA 6000).

Additional Details

Entries face structural evaluation by an elite selection panel including Ricky Arnold (Executive Director, ART ON THE MOVE), Georgia Hayward (Curator, PICA), Agatha Gothe-Snape (Artist), Lucie Paterson (ACMI), and Associate Professor Kylie Boltin (ECU). Projects are scored on artistic merit, conceptual ingenuity, technical feasibility, and touring viability across diverse regional venues. For voluntary, practitioner-led access conversations regarding deadline support or processing flexibility, reach out to the department at (08) 9228 6300.

Website Link: https://boorda-yeyi.org.au/