Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House x FBi New Voices Incubator

Building on the success of the mentorships for diverse emerging writers with Sweatshop (part of Antidote festival 2021 and All About Women 2022), the Sydney Opera House has partnered with FBi Radio on an emerging music writers program for First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse writers, as part of Vivid LIVE 2022.

For this instalment, two successful applicants will develop a writing project inspired by an act (or acts) from the Vivid LIVE line up. Recipients will develop their story under the guidance of FBi Music Director Reg Harris with masterclasses from FBi presenters and content creators, and with support from the Sydney Opera House. Finished works will be published on the Sydney Opera House’s website and amplified across our social media channels (2 million+ followers), with the potential for FBi to broadcast an excerpt or interview from the piece.

Successful applicants will receive $1,000, a double pass to see the Vivid LIVE artist of their choice, three rounds of feedback on their writing project, and up to 25 hours of mentorship including the opportunity for in-person workshops with FBi affiliated mentors.

The Opera House will continue to partner with relevant organisations throughout the year that specialise in different areas of diversity and inclusion to deliver a variety of mentorship programs. 

The Vivid LIVE + FBi Radio New Voices Incubator program is open to emerging writers from First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have some record of publication but have not yet published a full-length work.

Applicants must be Sydney residents and over the age of 18.

Please apply at the following link. Applications for the 2022 program close at 11.59pm, Sunday 15th May.

As long as you are over 18 years, you are neither too old or too young to participate in the program. 

We will endeavour to notify all applicants if their application has been successful or not after the closing date. If successful, applicants will be contacted via phone or email to discuss their writing project and the mentorship further.

You may only submit one application.

Late applications will not be accepted. Applications for the program close at 11.59pm AEDT on Sunday 15 May 2022.

Applications will be assessed against a number of criteria, including the originality of ideas contained in the writing proposal and applicants’ writing potential based on their publication history and application. The judges are FBi Music Director Reg Harris and FBi Content & Marketing Manager Mia Hull.

You’ll develop your story under the guidance of FBi Music Director Reg Harris and Content & Marketing Manager Mia Hull, with masterclasses from FBi presenters and content creators, and with support from the Sydney Opera House. Finished works will be published on the Sydney Opera House’s website and amplified across our social media channels (2 million+ followers), with the potential for FBi to broadcast an excerpt or interview from the piece.

If you have any questions about completing your application, please email mentorship@sydneyoperahouse.com.

Entry

1. Information on how to apply to the New Voices Incubator for Diverse Emerging Music Writers & Critics (“the Program”) forms part of these Terms and Conditions of entry. Submission of an application is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

2. The Program organiser is the Sydney Opera House Trust, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000 (ABN 69 712 101 035), (+612) 9250 7111 (‘Sydney Opera House’, ‘us’, ‘we’).

3. Entry is open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia over the age of eighteen who currently reside in Sydney. Employees of the Sydney Opera House and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.

4. The application entry period commences on Tuesday 3 May, 2022 and will close on Sunday 15 May 2022 at 11:59pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

5. Applicants must be from a First Nations or culturally diverse background. Cultural diversity is defined in this context as “people who speak a language other than English and people with culturally and linguistically diverse ancestries”.

6. Applicants must not have had a full-length work of feature journalism, fiction or narrative non-fiction professionally published or accepted for publication in print or digital formats. If you have had short works published in print or online you are eligible to apply.

7. To apply for acceptance into the Program you must complete and submit the online application form located here and a writing project proposal in accordance with the specified conditions. Some applicants may be invited to give more information or have discussions about their past work.

8. You may submit an application for entry into the Program only once. The Sydney Opera House reserves the right to disqualify any incomplete, multiple or automated applications.

9. The decision of the judges in selecting the successful applicant/s is final. The judges will not enter into any correspondence and no individual feedback will be provided to applicants.

10. Successful applicants will be selected for their suitability to the Program and the Sydney Opera House’s values. Up to two successful applicants may be notified at any time from Monday 16 May 2022 to Sunday 22 May 2022. The Sydney Opera House may (in its absolute discretion) elect not to choose any successful applicants; choose fewer or more than two successful applicants. The successful applicant(s) will be contacted using the contact details provided in their application.

11. If we cannot contact you (or you do not respond during the notification period specified above), you elect not to continue as an applicant, or do not sign the Program Letter of Acceptance (the terms of which are set out below) you cannot be included in the Program.

12. Applications and supporting work must be in English.

THE PROGRAM

13. Each successful applicant (“Participant”) will receive (a) $1,000 payable in 2 equal instalments – $500 at the commencement of the Program and $500 on submission of the final writing project; and (b) a double-pass (2 x tickets) to a performance at the 2022 Vivid LIVE festival (where this proceeds in 2022). The Participant will nominate their preferred performance/s but agrees that availability may vary. This pass is non-transferrable and not redeemable for cash.

14. Each Participant will be paired with a suitably experienced mentor from FBi Radio, for a period of four weeks for the mentorship. FBi Radio is an independent youth broadcaster. Their mission is to shape and amplify independent culture in Sydney. FBi 94.5FM has been on air since 2003, delivering the best in new music, arts and culture. They play 50% Australian music, with half of that from Sydney. The mentorship will be delivered online and in-person, depending on the availability and preference of the mentor and Participant. The Sydney Opera House will attempt to provide the same mentor for the duration of the Program, but cannot guarantee their availability.

15. Each Participant must prepare and submit a short feature story of no less than 800 words. 

16. The work submitted by the Participant at the conclusion of the mentorship (being no later than 20 June 2022) must be original and cannot have been previously published in print or digital formats or be currently submitted for publication. If, after submission, the work is the winner of any other prize, is accepted for publication or self-published, you must notify the Sydney Opera House in writing immediately, and your work may be deemed ineligible for publication and you may be withdrawn from the Program.

17. If you are a successful applicant you agree to provide reasonable assistance to the Sydney Opera House and FBi Radio to promote the Program.

18. Participants grant the Sydney Opera House a non-exclusive, irrevocable, unlimited right to publish and communicate the work resulting from the mentorship on the Sydney Opera House website, including edited excerpts. The Sydney Opera House does not guarantee publication or communication of the Participant’s work.

19. Copyright in any material you submit remains with you. You agree the Sydney Opera House may use any submitted material to promote the mentorship Program in any media.

20. In case of an emergency the Sydney Opera House will use the contact details supplied by you when entering the Program.

21. The personal information Participants provide when applying for the Program will be used by the Sydney Opera House to conduct the Program. Your personal information will be used and stored in accordance with the Sydney Opera House Customer Privacy Statement. For more information about the Sydney Opera House’s Privacy Policy, including how to request access to personal information can be found on the Sydney Opera House’s website at: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/general/Privacy.html.