Artist Info
Artist Info
VCA’s one and only student-run arts festival, MUSE879 provides students with the opportunity to play, explore, and create, in a low-stakes festival setting.
Open access by nature, MUSE879 is open to all Fine Arts and Music students, and has established itself as a space for exciting collaborations where all artists - experienced or otherwise - can explore new ideas, find an audience, and create outside their disciple.
Click through our FAQ’s below, or click here to access the MUSE artist pack.
General
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Open-access means that we don't put limits on the involved artists; it means that we don't require complete works with all the bells and whistles. Open access is our way of inviting students to take risks and present whatever they so desire - from installations to fully realised performances.
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Applications are open to all undergrad and postgrad students currently enrolled at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. All disciplines are welcome! There is no idea too big or small, too wacky or wild.
But if you’re more interested in Front of House than Final Bows, then we’ve got a place for you, too! You can apply to assist with the festival overall as Front of House, Ushers, and other invaluable jobs that keep the festival running. Item description
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Although we limit applications to those from within the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, we don’t place limits on who can be involved in a MUSE event. What this means is that even though you need to be a student of Uni Melb’s Southbank Campus to apply, you can bring in artists from elsewhere to be involved (they’ll just need to sign a form first !)
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MUSE has always been described as a low-stakes festival, and that’s not something we want to change.
When we say “low-stakes”, we mean that we’re encouraging you to be messy, and to create and experiment with your practice. We want to drive home that MUSE is a space to take risks, because we’ve removed the risk that will come when we enter the working world.
That being said though, we don’t want to confuse “low-stakes” with “low-responsibility”.
Even though we’re all students, we’re treating this festival as we would a professional one, and aiming to replicate as much of a “real” festival as we can, so that everyone is as prepared as possible for when we graduate. That means that as a MUSE artist - and as a FFAM student - there are certain responsibilities we all need to uphold.
Click here to view the MUSE artist pack, and read more.
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There are plenty of reasons why artists participate in MUSE. Open to public audiences, it can be an opportunity to test out new work, or experiment with your performance style.
It also provides artists with the skills they’ll need to enter the world as an independent artist, as they have to produce, design, and stage their work without the assistance of professional staff.
We also don’t limit students to their selected field, which means that MUSE is a space where you can perform across genres and disciplines, and collaborate with students from across the FFAM.
And lastly - students participate because it’s fun! When else will you be able to create whatever you like, and put it on for a crowd, without the financial risk that comes with “the real world”?
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Once registrations open, all you’ll need to do is fill out our application form. If you have multiple ideas, you’ll need to submit one form per idea.
Even though it might seem too early to know some of this information, it’s important that you try fill out as much of the form as possible, so that we can make sure you and your work are programmed appropriately.
To apply for the 2025 festival, click here.
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April 11 - General stream applications due
April 29 - Application outcomes released
May 6 - Artist information session
W/c May 12 - Artist Photoshoot
May 19 - Program information due
June 2 - Hero image due
June 9 - Content warnings and social scripts due
June 30 - Venue takeover
July 7 - Launch night
July 8 - Opening night
July 11 - Bump out
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No show? No worries! On the application form, under the question ‘What would you like to do in MUSE?’ there are options for those wanting to work on and offstage who need assistance finding a project to join.
Content
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That entirely depends ! As is the case in any other festival, if you want to present an existing work, you’ll need to make sure you have the legal rights to do so.
Under the university’s licensing agreement, you will need to obtain the licence to perform a copyrighted script or an adaptation of one. This includes existing plays, musical works, TV, or radio excerpts.
Click here to view the university’s policy.
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Yes! Under the University of Melbourne’s licensing guide, you are covered to use licensed music so long as it’s part of a university event.
Click here to view the university’s policy.
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Yes and no. We want you to feel free to present any idea, big or small. However, we also want to keep MUSE a safe space where everyone - artists, audience, organisers, and faculty - feels comfortable and welcome.
If you’re unsure whether your idea is appropriate, reach out to our Welfare and Wellness team, and we can go through everything together.
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You will have access to some university resources, including platforms/rostrum and blocks, some lighting and sound equipment, and the Stock Shop (where you can borrow costumes and props). Anything outside of this will likely need to be sourced by you.
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There is no set schedule for rehearsals- when, where, and how often you rehearse is up to each production to negotiate and organise for themselves. For guidelines on how to book and run a rehearsal room, refer to the MUSE Artist Info Pack.
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MUSE artists are permitted to perform in two works. This is to prevent issues with scheduling, and also help preserve your wellbeing!
Although this means you can be attached to three or more different works - we encourage you to consider your time, energy, and schoolwork, before running the risk of overcommitting.
Unsure if you’re taking on too much? Reach out, and we’ll be able to offer some guidance.
Application Process
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Works in Muse will fall into one of three categories - General, Mess, or Gallery. The General Stream is for fully realised performance works- sets, costumes, the whole shebang.
The Mess Stream is for works that are in-development and gives artists an opportunity to present their work in a supportive, casual environment and receive feedback (if you so choose) from your peers.
The Gallery Stream is the chance for our non-performance artists to show off their work, will be exhibited in a gallery-style display for the duration of the festival.
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Even though some of the information in our application form can come later, there’s some key info that we will need as soon as possible. Those are:
Show name
Show genre and art form
Venue requirements
Approximate duration
To preview the application questions in the MUSE Artist Pack, click here.
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Not at all! We won’t be needing cast and creative information until much later down the track.
Information that will be helpful in your application though, are things like cast size, and whether or not you’ll need help finding offstage hands.
And if you need it - the MUSE team is here to help source cast and crew.
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MUSE welcomes applications from any artform!
Within the application form, you will have the chance to select an artform, as well as some genres for your work. The art forms we allow you to select from are:
Theatre
Dance + Physical Theatre
Music
Interactive
Art
Other
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Of course! You are welcome to apply with a completed work, or one still in progress.
In fact, MUSE established the Mess stream in 2024 to cater to artists like you. Designed for incomplete works, or those still in development, the Mess stream is feedback focused, and aims to function in a relaxed setting, where artists are supported in the creation of their new work.
To register your work for Mess, all you need to do is register your interest in the application form.
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Application outcomes will be released on the 29th of April.
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Oh no! Stay calm, it’s going to be okay! If you’ve missed the deadline, contact the MUSE team, explain your situation, and we will work with you to try and find a solution.