Graduate Pathway Program

Illuminate Adelaide Graduate Pathway Program 2024/2025

The Illuminate Adelaide Graduate Pathway Program is a professional development opportunity offered to recent graduates, supporting their transition from student to a career as a practicing artist.

Made possible with thanks to the generous support from the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, recent South Australia based graduates (within five years of graduation) are invited to submit a creative proposal for a new commission to form part of the Illuminate Adelaide program in 2025. The Co-Founders and Creative Directors of Illuminate Adelaide will select up to three proposals for further pitch development, leading to a creative presentation. Selected recipients will be matched with mentors to support their practice and extend their ambition. In this way, the selected artists enhance their skills, but also grow their professional networks.

Applications for the 2024/2025 Graduate Pathway Program are now closed.

The Opportunity

The Illuminate Adelaide Graduate Pathway Program offers recent graduates a fully funded career and project development opportunity including possible presentation of their work within the highly visible Illuminate Adelaide 2025 event.

The program takes place in three phases:

Project Proposal (this phase)
Apply to the program with a new project for development and possible commission;

Project Development (next phase)
Up to three project proposals will be selected for development and mentorship, culminating in a formal pitch presentation to the Creative Directors. The selected artist(s) will receive:

1. A $5,000 development commission fee
2. $2,000 per selected artist/s to support material costs associated with development of the pitch and presentation of their work
3. A 3-month professional development opportunity including an introduction to a committed mentor working in an associated field/practice.

Project Commission (future phase)
The Creative Directors may select 1-2 works from the final pitch presentations to be commissioned fully by Illuminate Adelaide and programmed for presentation as part of Illuminate Adelaide 2025. This phase may include continued mentorship pending project and artists selected.

Selection Criteria

• We welcome emerging artists from all mediums and art forms.
• Selected candidates need to be a current and future resident of South Australia, for the next 12 months.
• Proposed project must be new and original, never been commissioned or presented.
• Applicants will be within the first five years of professional practice since graduation, or have graduated by Jan, 2025
• Proposed projects selected for commission and development will be assessed against suitability for the Illuminate Adelaide City Lights program. This includes:
  • A large-scale, outdoor installation;
  • The design must consider durability and be capable of withstanding Adelaide's winter weather conditions, including rain, wind, and cold temperatures;
  • The installation should be designed to withstand large audiences - in 2024, we had over 1.3 million attendances over 17 nights.
    
    

Key Dates

• 22 August 2024: Applications open
• 22 September 2024: Applications close
• 30 September – 02 October 2024: Interview shortlist candidates
• 14 October 2024: Graduate Pathway Program Recipients Announced
• 14 October 2024 – 27 January 2025: Mentorship & Project Pitch Development
• 27 – 29 January 2025: Pitch Presentation of developed concept with prototype
• 03 February 2025: Final commission announcement
• 03 February – 12 June 2025: Production & Fabrication
• 30 June – 03 July 2025: Bump in
• 04 - 20 July 2025: Illuminate Adelaide 2025 City Lights

2023 Recipients and City Lights Development Commissions

Bailey Donovan is a glass artist who draws inspiration from everyday patterns found in textiles, wallpapers, and sweets, evoking a sense of domesticity and nostalgia in his work. He intertwines these intricate patterns with the fluidity of glass, revealing the interplay of soft colours and the ever-evolving forms of glass. His aim is to capture the emotional impact of patterns, infusing tranquility and harmony into the dynamic work of glass art.

Bailey Donovan's work Incandescent was presented in 2024's City Lights program. Watch Bailey's video below. 

Jade Armstrong crafts light sculptures, public art, and immersive experiences to create an embodied effect to bring viewers into the present moment. She infuses her work with scientific research and psychology theory to maximise its impact. For instance, Jade emphasises the affective power of the colour pink, immersing herself and viewers in its calming and joyous influence. Her practice is playful, and she is a storyteller who experiments with materiality, pushing materials beyond their existing limits. Jade transforms this practice-based research into transformative art which an interactive quality to foster mindfulness and a deeper connection to the beauty of everyday life. Jade’s art goes beyond conventional notions of aesthetic beauty, aiming to visually captivate viewers, evoke visceral responses and create transformative encounters that resonate.

Presenting Partners
  

Image: 'Incandescent' by Bailey Donovan, presented in City Lights, Illuminate Adelaide 2024
Credit: Tyr Liang @ Xplorer Studio

Video: 'Incandescent' by Bailey Donovan, presented in City Lights, Illuminate Adelaide 2024
Credit: Click Films