Arts and cultural accelerator FAQs

• Participants must have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in their field of expertise
• Participants agree to be present for the duration of the accelerator and will live on-site at Sydney International Shooting Centre during 5-13 March (participants may be absent on allocated day off – 8 March TBC).
• Applications must be submitted on-line by the closing date. No late applications will be accepted.
• Western Sydney Parklands Trust reserves the right to reject applications that do not comply with these conditions
• The selection of successful applicants is at the discretion of an assessment panel convened by City People and Western Sydney Parklands Trust. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified once decisions have been made.  Unsuccessful applicants will not be provided with feedback on their application.

The aims of the Accelerator are to:

• Elicit local stories from diverse sources about the Parklands (historical records, local knowledge holders, community groups), specifically in the southern section of the Parklands around Liverpool
• Engage and connect the community of Western Sydney with the landscape qualities of Western Sydney Parklands (south)
• Create a greater understanding of this unique public domain for future Parklands visitors.
• Develop future interpretive arts and cultural project concepts which are scoped in terms of feasibility, stakeholders, logistics and budget. 
• Develop a repertoire of mature arts and cultural project concepts that align with Western Sydney Parklands Trust goals and which can be implemented locally, both in and outside the Parklands.

Stretching for 27 kilometres over three local government areas (Blacktown, Liverpool and Fairfield), Western Sydney Parklands is the largest urban parkland in Australia.

Also known as “Sydney’s Biggest Backyard”, this 5,280 hectare open space includes everything from native bushland to picnic shelters and barbecues, playgrounds, event spaces, cycling and walking tracks. The Parklands is also home to tourist attractions such as the new Sydney Zoo as well as an urban farming precinct, community and business facilities.

The Parklands corridor was first identified in the 1968 Sydney Region Outline Plan when government planners decided on a land acquisition program to create a major infrastructure corridor and regional open space for western Sydney. In November 2006, the NSW Government introduced the Western Sydney Parklands Act to Parliament, setting out the boundaries and establishing the Parklands Trust. Under the 2030 Plan of Management, the Parklands will principally remain as bushland (40%) with 30% set aside for recreation and tourism facilities. Five per cent of the Parklands is maintained for urban farming.

• Artists (visual, performing, digital, writing) or other creatives with at least five years’ experience in their field of expertise. 
• Applications from people in professions other than the arts are encouraged.  For example, previous accelerators have included environmentalists, architects, academics and community activists.
• People who have experience in collaborative practice
• People who can commit to full-time attendance on-site for the duration of the accelerator

Priority will be given to applicants who:

• live and / or work in Western Sydney
• have experience working in the public domain
• have skills that contribute to the diversity of practice in the participants’ team

• All applications must be made on-line.
• Follow this link. 
• Applications must be received by 5pm Monday 30 September 2019
• Any enquiries may be directed to: joanna.savill@wspt.nsw.gov.au