IMMERSIVE ARTS COMMISSION
PICA’s boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission invites artists to push beyond the screen and into embodied experience.
This major commission supports the creation of ambitious, new, critically engaged work that breaks down the boundaries between viewer and art environment, technology and human presence, digital experience and human connection.
Open to artists from across Australia and working across art forms, the boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission advocates for bold originality, critical depth and innovative uses of immersive technologies that reframe how ideas are encountered, felt and lived.
Valued at $75,000, the boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission comprises a $50,000 commission fee alongside $25,000 in-kind support from PICA.
The 2025 commissioned artist premiered the work at PICA in 2026 before touring with ART ON THE MOVE. The 2026 commission will premiere at PICA in 2027 and the 2027 Commission will be open for applications in May 2027.
HOW TO APPLY
Key Dates
2026 EOI Closed
2027 EOI Open
May 2027
Applicants Notified
June 2027
Commission Commences
July 2027
Commission Announced
September 2027
Exhibition at PICA
Early 2028
Regional Tour
2027–2028
What the Commission
Offers Artists
The annual Immersive Arts Commission provides up to $75,000.
A $50,000 commission fee is intended to support the artist’s creative labour and the development of the work, including fees for collaborators, production time, associated development costs and any specialist presentation equipment or software required for the work. The artist is not expected to cover the full cost of AV presentation equipment within the commission fee.
PICA’s in-kind allocation – valued up to $25,000 – will support the presentation of the commission at PICA (including AV, freight, display furniture, curatorial and installation staff). This allocation is managed in house by PICA and is informed by the specifications of the commission as scoped collaboratively with PICA during the development phase to ensure alignment with the work’s presentation and touring needs.
Additionally, PICA will provide one artist with a return economy airfare to Perth, accommodation and an honorarium for the purpose of the commission’s installation and participating in the commission launch and other related events, and reimburse the artist for ground transport to and from airports.
What We’re Looking For
Concepts that:
Address critical social and political issues, offering innovative, technology-driven perspectives on contemporary concerns.
Use technology to create ambitious, high-quality immersive installations, spatial media or interactive environments.
Are conceptually curious and ethically rigorous, reflecting the urgencies and tensions of our current moment.
Engage audiences digitally, spatially and through the senses; this might include light, sculpture, sound or movement.
Position technology as a tool for expression and an extension of practice, not an interface for distraction or replacement.
Are scalable, transportable and adaptable to a variety of gallery settings.
Are ready to begin production in July 2026 to allow for a full 7-month development period.
Selection Criteria
Applications for the Commission are assessed against the following criteria:
Artistic Merit
A track record of ambitious, high-quality work where technology is embedded as a meaningful extension of your practice. We’re interested in immersive installations, interactive systems or spatial media that feel fully resolved and sensorially compelling.
Conceptual Ingenuity
A bold and critically engaged idea that reflects the urgency, contradictions and tensions of our current moment. We’re looking for projects that are ethically rigorous, intellectually curious and have artistic integrity.
Relevance and Context
Clear alignment with the field of immersive or tech-driven art. This might include VR, AR, XR, spatial audio, game engines, motion capture, generative media or other forms of screen-based and interactive environments.
Feasibility
Outline how your work will be developed, including tools, collaborators, licensing, and how it will be presented. Consider access to hardware, software and the practical logistics of making and showing the work.
Professional Capacity
A strong rationale for how this commission will expand your practice. We want to see how the opportunity builds on your existing skills and ideas, while supporting a distinct evolution in your artistic trajectory.
Sustainability + Touring Viability
Awareness of how your work will function over time and across different venues. The project should be scalable, adaptable and technically maintainable. It must be installable by local teams and engage audiences through form, movement, light, sound or spatial design.
How to Apply
The boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission invites applications from all Australia-based artists aged 18+
Artwork Proposal
(maximum 2x A4 pages)
Artist CV
(maximum 2x A4 pages)
Budget
Download template
Examples of relevant previous work that support the concept of your proposed idea
(up to 5 images)
Examples of the proposed work
Include visualisations, renders or propositional drawings (up to 5 images or drawings)
Access
At PICA, access is a core part of professional working conditions. Creative practioners come from many lived experiences and identities and we are committed to making our programs and application process as accessible as possible.
Applicants are welcome to share any access requirements that would support them to apply or participate in our programs. Access requirements may relate to physical, sensory, communication or process-related access needs, including support around time pressure, deadlines or information processing. Applicants are not required to disclose diagnoses or medical details.
Access conversations are voluntary, practioner-led and separate from selection. Any access information shared is kept separate from assessment and is only shared with staff responsible for coordinating access to remove barriers. Sharing access requirements will not affect artistic assessment.
If you would like to discuss your access needs please contact boorda yeyi Producer Laetitia Wilson on (08) 9228 6300 or laetitia@pica.org.au.
Selection Process
All eligible applications are assessed by the boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission selection panel. The panel brings together artists, curators and creative leaders working at the forefront of digital storytelling, contemporary art and audience engagement, including:
Ricky Arnold, Executive Director, ART ON THE MOVE
Kylie Boltin, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Humanities, ECU
Agatha Gothe-Snape, Artist
Georgia Hayward, Curator, PICA
Lucie Paterson, Head of Digital Products & Interaction Design, ACMI
FAQ’s
Can I apply as an artist or collective?
Yes. The commission is open to both individual artists and artist collectives. If applying as a collective, you’ll need to nominate a lead applicant to manage communications and contracting. All members of the collective must be listed in the application, and the proposed project should clearly outline the collaborative vision and roles. The artist fee will be split between the Lead Artists listed in your application.
What spaces are available to present at PICA?
Specific spaces will be allocated in consultation with PICA’s curatorial team, based on the requirements of the commissioned work.
You may wish to present your work inside the building or outside the building. In a large space or a more intimate space. In an interstitial space or a dedicated exhibition space. Please view the video fly through and PDF floorplans to familiarise yourself with PICA’s spaces.
Floor Plan
Video Flythrough
Some spaces you may wish to consider:
Screen Space: The Screen Space is a dedicated video and time-based media viewing area located on PICA’s first floor near the mezzanine. It is designed for immersive screen-based presentations, with controlled lighting and seating to allow focused engagement with digital and moving image work. If your immersive artwork includes video components or screen-based elements, this space is suitable for solo or small group viewing experiences within the gallery context.
The Foyer: The Foyer is PICA’s main entry space. Recently reconfigured as part of the Perth Cultural Centre redevelopment, it functions as both an architectural and experiential threshold into the gallery. The space is adaptable and can be used for installation or presentation of immersive or spatial artworks that engage audiences as they enter or exit. While it is a high-traffic transitional area, it offers a prominent location for work that can respond to the physical and social flow of visitors.
Studios 1-4: The Studios are a suite of enclosed white-box spaces located on PICA’s first floor. They are flexible and intimate, making them well-suited to immersive artworks because they provide a contained environment that allows for interactive experiences. Their scale can be adapted to a range of technical and participatory requirements.
What if I plan to work with First Nations communities, content or collaborators?
All applicants considering working with First Nations communities, knowledge or cultural content must approach this with cultural sensitivity, care and accountability.
You are strongly encouraged to read and engage with the following key documents and, where relevant, include in your application clear details of any proposed partnerships, community consultation or protocols you intend to follow:
Creative Australia’s Protocols for using First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property in the Arts
NAVA’s First Nations: Summary of Good Practice Recommendations
These resources provide essential guidance on respectful engagement, consent, and cultural authority. We expect applicants to demonstrate genuine consultation and collaboration and to embed these protocols into the development and presentation of their project.
Where will the Commission tour?
The commissioned work is planned to tour to a range of regional galleries and arts centres in Western Australia. While some venues may not currently have dedicated infrastructure for immersive or technology-driven artworks, the work will be adapted to suit each location’s capabilities. Touring offers the chance to reach diverse regional audiences and present your work in a variety of community settings.
2025 IMMERSIVE ARTS COMMISSION
Wiradjuri Scottish artist April Phillips was selected as the recipient of the inaugural boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission, valued at $75,000. Merging art, science, technology and the natural world, Phillips’ artwork Under Waters is an interactive digital immersive installation that invites the viewer to enter – and stay – in a pocket of deep time. For this commission April Phillips worked as part of Friends with Computer alongside Jordan East and Pat Younis.
Under Waters was exhibited at PICA from 19 February – 29 March 2026 and will be part of a regional Western Australia tour in late 2027-28 with boorda yeyi’s touring partner, ART ON THE MOVE.
Over 50 applications were received from artists across Australia. All eligible applications were carefully reviewed by a dedicated selection panel, assembled to reflect a breadth of expertise in practice, technology and audience engagement. The panel assessed proposals on their artistic integrity, conceptual strength and potential to connect with audiences across Western Australia and beyond.
For 2025, the selection panel for the boorda yeyi Immersive Arts Commission included Perun Bonser, Ngarluma dancer and filmmaker; Lisa Reihana, multi-disciplinary international artist; Sophie Penkethman-Young, artist and digital producer; Helen Simondson, founder of ACMI X and Manager of WA Museum Boola Bardip; and Ricky Arnold, Executive Director of ART ON THE MOVE.
Applications for the 2026 Immersive Arts Commission are now closed and applications for the 2027 Immersive Arts Commission will open in May 2027.
