RISING, Public Transport Victoria and Creative Victoria invite First Peoples artists to submit artwork ideas for the 2021 Melbourne Art Trams.

Melbourne is a city built on the lands of the Kulin Nation peoples; Traditional Owners who continue to maintain deep connections to their country, kin and waterways that have existed for tens of thousands of years.

Along with Victorian Traditional Owners, the place now known as Melbourne is home to many First Peoples from across the country.

The city transforms every day, but beneath the concrete foundations ancient waterways continue to flow. The old gums, scarred with the lines of canoes, stand tall alongside towering skyscrapers, and fresh and salt water continue to meet in estuaries with the moon’s tidal pull.

While the city is changing, country and First Peoples culture is all around us. From the earth to the sky and the stories in the stars, to the built environment, tramways and laneways.

NITTY GRITTY
We are inviting Victorian Traditional Owners and First Peoples artists to respond to Melbourne and the multiple layers of history, country, diverse community and connections across Victoria.

There will be six trams for the 2021 First Peoples Art Trams Project. The project aims that four trams will be allocated to artists who identify as Traditional Owners of Victoria and two trams to First Peoples who live in Victoria. We encourage artists from both the city and regional Victoria to apply.

Submissions should add positively to the public experience of commuting in Melbourne. Please note that the trams are not a flat canvas, so the initial creative concept should consider that trams are different shapes and sizes. It’s important you consider you design to all the types of tram classes—this will facilitate the tram allocation process.

WHO CAN APPLY?
To be selected as a 2021 Melbourne Art Trams artist:

• You must be a Victorian Traditional Owner OR
• First Peoples artist where Victoria is the primary location in which you live and work OR
• First Peoples artist whose practice or body of work over the last five years has primarily taken place in Victoria

Artists who submitted an Expression of Interest in previous years but were unsuccessful are encouraged to submit a new idea for 2021.

Artists must have the capacity in the first three weeks of February 2021 to provide final artwork for the project.

HOW TO APPLY
There are two ways you can submit your artwork of the five (5) tram designs:

1. Fill in the form and upload your artwork and supporting material OR
2. Email arttrams@rising.melbourne with your artwork as an attachment (please be mindful of file sizes and consider using a file-sharing link ensuring you include any passwords so we can access them). You’ll also need to include the following information about yourself:

• full name
• phone number
• language group
• your artwork file + file-sharing password
• an outline of your artwork idea (300 words)
• supporting material to illustrate your idea
• artist bio (300 words)
• website link

If you have access requirements that will cause difficulty submitting online, and you need assistance submitting your idea, please call 03 9662 4242, Monday to Friday, between 9AM–5PM. We are only able to respond to accessibility enquiries at this number, for all other queries please askus@rising.melbourne.

TRAM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• Imagery should not be offensive to the general public
• Be aware that the artwork needs to be appropriate for display on a moving vehicle, most impressions of trams are 3—5 seconds
• Note that there are reflective yellow strips at the base of each door for accessibility
• Artwork graphics are not to be applied on shaded areas on the tram wrap grid, these areas are kept clear for safety. Sections of windows that are covered by the artwork will be printed on a semi-transparent material
• Perforated vinyl is used on windows, at night this becomes more transparent with the interior lights on
• During warm weather the windows will be open, shifting the wrapped element with it
• Artworks which are reflective, predominantly black or which resemble streetscapes would be a road hazard when applied to a tram and will not be able to be selected for safety reasons
• Tram ends should remain visible for safety reasons (avoiding black)
• Designs that include black and dark colours are possible, particularly when featuring high contrast
• Artwork can be different on each side of the tram
• No artwork will be placed on the front/back of the tram