SymbioticA - Guidelines for Applications

SymbioticA’s Residency Program

SymbioticA is a unique laboratory that facilitates artistic research residencies enabling artists and researchers to engage in wet biology practices within a biological science department.

Its physical location within the School of Anatomy & Human Biology exposes artists and researchers to the culture and practice of science providing a hothouse for developing new skills and knowledge for its residents. Residents practice lab work and are given training in scientific and technical knowledge related to the area of research the resident wishes to pursue.

SymbioticA’s location, within The University of Western Australia, also offers residents a wealth of resource equipment, knowledge and expertise. Residents have worked in collaboration with academics and technicians in the biological and social sciences, arts & humanities, engineering and agriculture departments.

Residency information
Budget
Selection Criteria
Deadlines
Application Form

Residency information

Timeframes
A residency at SymbioticA should be for a period of at least 3 months and can be up to one year in length.

Resident’s projects
Projects can take on a variety of forms; it is important to remember that SymbioticA is a research laboratory and not a production studio. This, however, does not exclude you from developing a finished work as part of your residency. Whilst SymbioticA likes the initial project proposal to be researched regarding its feasibility - there is the expectation that the time in SymbioticA may result in the project diverting from its original course.

Artforms/ Research Areas
While not claiming exclusivity or superiority of any one approach to artistic engagement with the life sciences, SymbioticA favours researchers that can utilise the unique resources it has access to. Having access to scientific laboratories and tools, SymbioticA is in a exceptional position to offer these resources for artistic research. The uniqueness of the hands-on approach to biologically based art is in that it produces actual manifestations of contestable ideas. In a society so saturated with, and desensitized to visual representations shown in all kinds of media, this kind of art actually deals with the direct, and sometimes visceral, presentation of processes and outcomes of life manipulation.

Look at the past and present residents section forinformation in past projects.

Resources provided by SymbioticA
SymbioticA is a small organisation and is able to provide working space, access to resources and other laboratories within UWA, introductions to UWA staff and WA organizations relevant to your project, but much of what you do as resident must be self motivated.

Potentials for collaboration
SymbioticA realises that a Science Faculty may be a foreign environment for most artists.

The School of Anatomy and Human Biology has numerous possibilities and potentials for collaboration. We recommend you look at http://www.anhb.uwa.edu.au and the University of Western Australia site http://www.uwa.edu.au to familiarise yourself with the experts you may wish to collaborate with. A search for special research interests can be done at: http://www.directory.uwa.edu.au/specialists/

Safety and Ethics Protocols
There are safety rules that must also be followed within a science department. Information on this is found within the student guide at http://www.safety.uwa.edu.au

Whilst SymbioticA is able to give our support towards applications, this does not automatically mean the University of Western Australia Ethics Committee will grant approval to your project. SymbioticA’s Director will guide you in applying for ethics clearance for your project. This must be sought prior to commencing your residency and information about this can be found at: http://www.research.uwa.edu.au/welcome/for_researchers

Copyright and IP
SymbioticA aims to foster collaboration and to facilitate unhindered exchange and developments of ideas. We advocate the ethos of Open Source and Creative Commons.
As part of the University of Western Australia, SymbioticA follows the University IP guidelines as found at http://www.legalservices.uwa.edu.au/lso/copyright/features . SymbioticA has adopted the Creative Commons ethos of the accumulated knowledge generated in SymbioticA being shared and credited amongst researchers and residents. The copyright on the artwork is retained by the artist; however, there are still some uncertainties in the legal and artistic communities in regard to whether the outcomes of some artistic biological processes can be copyrighted. Projects researched and developed during a residency should acknowledge scientific and artistic collaborators and SymbioticA.

Expectations of the Resident
As a new resident you will have access to the cumulative knowledge already gathered by SymbioticA researchers. You are expected to contribute to this common knowledge pool by providing an acquittal which includes documentation (of protocols, procedures, lab book), an artistic report on your project, financial summary and any comments about difficulties and suggestions for SymbioticA’s future residents. SymbioticA perceive this as an important aspect of your residency as we are regularly approached by academics, journalists and other artists regarding our program of activities and this acquittal ensures you are represented in our archive. It also ensures other artists coming into the space become aware of the process other residents go through. We request that the acquittal is received within 3 months of completion of the project.

Every Friday at 3.30pm SymbioticA has open discussions on various relevant topics around the science, arts and humanities. The forums are open to anyone interested. As a SymbioticA Resident you would be expected to attend as your perspective and participation would be beneficial to other residents and visitors.
http://www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/activities/friday_afternoons

Budget

Expenses paid by the resident
While we support your project with as much “in kind” support as we can, SymbioticA cannot subsidise your project in any financial capacity. We request you ensure that you have adequate funds to cover your project and your own living expenses during the residency.

For the ongoing funding of laboratory activities, SymbioticA charge a $150 per week bench fee. In addition, expensive laboratory consumables must have been budgeted for. Projects that do not involve a laboratory component will be charged a reduced bench fee depending on the demands on resources associated with the project.

Please consult with SymbioticA regarding the preparation of your budget for funding bodies.

Selection Criteria

The projects are selected based on:
• Quality of concept.
• Quality of past work.
• Innovative nature of the project.
• SymbioticA’s ability to contribute to the project.
• Suitable funding being sourced by applicant.

See Artforms/ Research Areas for more information on projects.

Specialists and appropriate SymbioticA artists in residence are called on should their expertise be required in the assessment.

Deadlines

Residency deadlines are
March 21
September 21
of each year.
SymbioticA, on occasion, will accept out of time applications.

Application

Download the application form here.