Out of 130 applications received Gold Coast locals Fletcher Babb, Norton Fredericks, Nadia Milford and Nicholas Tossmann have been named the newest team members to join us at HOTA.

Following our ArtKeeper callout in August this year announcing the $150,000 investment, we went searching for bold artists to support and work onsite across 2022-23.  

The program was initially created in response to the conditions produced by the pandemic and the program has evolved as an opportunity to demonstrate HOTA’s commitment to engage artists to create great art, while supporting the City’s cultural and artistic evolution. 

In September 2022, ArtKeeper received national industry recognition with HOTA, Home of the Arts receiving the Innovator Award at the Performing Arts Connections (PAC) Australia Impact Awards 2022. The awards celebrate excellence in performing arts, leadership, new thinking and best practice, with a focus on lasting impact in communities.  

As the 2022 iteration of HOTA’s Creative Development Program which launched in 2019, HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke said this program remains a unique offering in this space: 

'Here at HOTA we stand by our commitment to support our local artists by providing them with this opportunity so that they can create with a sense of certainty and security. We remain one of the only organisations in Australia to offer this type of initiative and to now have this recognised nationally on an industry level is a great feat for the program,' she said. 

'I'm delighted to welcome our new ArtKeepers for 2022 and we look forward to supporting them and their projects during their time here at HOTA. What I find most exciting is how the relationship is two way, we both learn and gain inspiration from each other which is pretty special.'

Each artist has been offered a fixed-term employment contract to work on their proposed art project at HOTA for three days per week until June 2023. 

They will be encouraged to take risks, experiment, and create great art in conjunction with internationally acclaimed playwright and artistic director, Wesley Enoch AM, who has been engaged as Artist Provocateur for the roles. 

Through the Creative Development Program, HOTA has so far supported 67 projects involving over 124 local artists to date, providing over $325,000 in direct cash support and hundreds of hours of in-kind labour, space, and assistance to develop and deliver new works.

We can't wait to see what Fletcher, Norton, Nadia and Nicholas create while working here at the precinct! Throughout their stay, they’ll be sharing their progress and ideas - follow along on HOTA’s social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram, or follow the links below.

For more information on the ArtKeeper program, visit hota.com.au/artkeeper