Anyone not already established in the creative industries can apply – whether you’re a student, non-professional artist or talented member of the public. Applications can be made until Monday 23 August at http://www.nextleveldundee.com/
The successful applicants who are selected will receive hands-on industry mentoring throughout the week. Experts from Abertay University, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Tay Screen, Realtime Worlds and many more will be on hand to guide the teams and offer insights into working to a professional standard.
Teams will be based in Abertay University’s open-plan Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education. This industry-standard working environment is used for courses like the Professional Masters in Computer Games Development – which event organiser Iain Smith is currently studying.
Iain said: “Last year’s Next Level Dundee was a huge success, giving hugely talented people looking for their break into the creative industries a chance to work alongside professionals, and have their work showcased to the public at the NEoN Digital Arts Festival.
“This year we’ve recruited more varied industry mentors, and are looking for a wider range of skills including art, film and animation. I’m expecting very exciting, very interesting work to be produced by all the successful teams.”
He added: “I set up Next Level Dundee to help give skilled, hard-working individuals the opportunity to create a portfolio piece, attract the attention of employers, and give people the chance to work in a challenging team environment.
“The idea of working in mixed teams is exactly what creative companies look for, and they’re the skills I’m currently developing on the Professional Masters in Computer Games Development at Abertay. Judging by last year’s work, I expect great things from all the teams.”
Next Level Dundee is also incorporating Guest Mentor lectures this year, the first of which is from esteemed animator Fraser MacLean, who has worked with high-profile studios including Warner Brothers and Disney. Further Guest Mentor lectures will be announced soon.
Applications to http://www.nextleveldundee.com/ will close on Monday 23 August, and five teams of five people will be selected to take part in the event.
Applications can be made individually, or as a team. Each team will work to a single, high-level brief throughout the week.
Next Level Dundee runs from 6-10 September, and will be based in the Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education at Abertay University.
Schedule
Friday 23rd July - Applications Open
Monday 23rd August - Applications Close
Friday 27th August - Teams Announced
Monday 30 August - Next Level Dundee Brief Released for Teams
Friday 3rd September - Opening Night: Project Concepts Pitched to Mentor Audience
Monday 6th September - Friday 10th September - Next Level Dundee 2010!
Monday 13th September - Showcase Event
October 08 - 14 - NEoN Showcase!
FAQ
What?
An arts collaboration event for students and non-professional creatives. A brief will be delivered in advance of the event and teams can work on concepts and pre-production ahead of time. Any response is valid, whether it's a game, film, series of artworks, a comic, a website or web narrative or amalgamation of these- anything creative that fits the brief!
Where?
The event will take place in Abertay again this year, this time in the fantastic new Level 2 facility!
When?
Next Level Dundee 2010 runs from Friday 3rd - Monday 13th September 2010. The teams will work for 5 days between the 6th and the 10th.
Who?
Next Level Dundee is intended for anyone who has not yet secured work in the creative industries. The event will provide a platform for individuals to work on group projects that would otherwise be too difficult to complete on their own and also use the work as a future portfolio piece.
Why?
The Next Level Dundee ethos is that group collaboration can often be much more fruitful than working individually. Whilst there are many talented artists who can hone their skills on their own, there's nothing quite like seeing your work within the scope of a bigger project.
Furthermore, Next Level stems from a desire to be productive through the summer downtime of university. Often people end up in unrelated jobs to make money if they can't find a placement. This project offers the chance to produce something really great with friendly, like-minded individuals looking to break through!
Finally, Next Level is about promotion. In 2009 the project produced five excellent media peices which were firstly showcased to our mentors on the final day of the event. Some were then taken forward to be displayed at Dundee Christmas Light Night (which fit the "Light and Dark" brief perfectly!) and finally, it was all showcased to an international audience at NEoN Digital Arts Festival!