ACMI X
Interview with Emma Shearman, ACMI X Studio Manager
What is ACMI X?
In a first for an Australian museum, ACMI X opens the doors to a new level of industry engagement, bringing together our curators/programmers/producers and administrators – alongside a co-working space for the creative industries. Designed by award-winning architects Six Degrees, ACMI X is a 2,000sqm state of the art office space in the heart of Melbourne’s arts precinct.
The ACMI X Studio has been established to provide a home to Melbourne’s creative industries practitioners. With a diverse range of specialties, ACMI X Studio is a brand new 60 seat co-working studio that will house a vibrant mix of filmmakers, digital and visual artists, digital producers, web developers, screenwriters and designers. This exciting new studio has been reserved solely for the practitioners, artists and businesses working with the moving image. With the careful inclusion of the right mix of talents we can foster a hugely successful creative culture that allows true collaboration among the group.
ACMI X Studio is a new perspective on the co-working community model – one that unites practitioners from across the creative industries, alongside a renowned cultural institution that is committed to redefining the role of the museum in the 21st century.
In an era where boundaries are blurring, content is king, and new models of cultural entrepreneurship are rapidly evolving, ACMI X has been conceived to intersect the agility and dynamism of new enterprise with the creativity of artists and practitioners alongside the networks, resources and intellectual capital of ACMI.
Can you tell us about this clip ‘ACMI X Building Blocks’?
ACMI X Building blocks is a video we put together using the time-lapse footage we got from the build of ACMI X, we are putting together a load of different videos and other collateral to showcase what we are doing here. The next video will be one showcasing the actual tenants in the space.
Can you describe your work at ACMI X?
As ACMI X Studio Manager I am responsible for anything to do with the tenants in the studio, building the community network, developing partnerships and orchestrating a diverse industry events program.
What led you to join the team at ACMI X?
I joined ACMI X because I saw an opportunity to really make a difference to a creative culture, as someone who has been involved in the creative industries sector for over 20 years building creative teams and working in digital production, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.
What type of feedback have you received so far from the creative industry about ACMI X?
The feedback we have had to date is all positive; people are thrilled to have a purely creative industries hub available to them. ACMI X is the culmination of a year’s work by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) to offer a new type of industry engagement, a new way of co-working to bring together our diverse creative industries sector and support starts ups working across the moving image. ACMI X provides an infrastructure and community platform that enables discovery, innovation, learning and growth for individuals and the industry alike.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The only thing that has been surprising to date is the speed at which ACMI X has been developing; we have already seen an enormous uptake in spontaneous collaboration and with only 6 weeks since we opened we have already filled most of the permanent desks and secured partnerships with RMIT, Melbourne University, Arts House and the Copyright Agency.
What are you looking to achieve by having ACMI X more visible on this platform?
As ACMI X is a recently new venture and we are interested in providing a service to as much of the creative industries sector as possible any opportunity to be showcased to creative people is a definite advantage. We are trying to reach local, national and international creatives and value the opportunity to talk about what we are doing here.
What type of impact would you like ACMI X to have?
ACMI X has the following objectives, this will drive our impact:
• A rich creative culture balancing skills, ideas and creative disciplines to promote collaboration and generation of concepts
• New opportunities for partnerships with access to an industry membership program, curated events, and being part of a dynamic working hub
• Build capacity for independent and SME creative practitioners across the moving image
• Access to a full program of networking events that benefit the practitioners and the industry
• A full and effective co-working space that fosters innovation through mentoring, collaboration and proximity to all genres of the moving image
• A cross-disciplinary space that is flexible and encourages risk taking and the flourishing of ideas
• A community that continually evolves based on the requirements of its tenants and attracts tenants from local and international sectors
• Development of a new type of major cultural institution by shifting to a model of co-creation with new collaborators and partners
• To allow a co-working space to act as a creative engine for a major museum
• To leverage ACMI’sresources, intellectual capital and experience back into the creative sector
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about ACMI X?
The key question that is floated currently is: What is ACMI X? Defining the brand and the scope of ACMI X and our co-working space sparks impromptu discussion both internally and externally and these conversations will shape what we can achieve.