MMUVE IT

A press release from the Australia Council has landed in my mailbox regarding their latest venture into virtual arts, MMUVE it!
Application information can be found here.

From the media release:

The Australia Council for the Arts today announced its latest virtual world initiative – MMUVE it! – offering up to $30,000 for a collaborative arts project in any massive multi-user virtual environment (MMUVE).

Following its groundbreaking Second Life artist residency, MMUVE IT! will see the Australia Council cast its virtual world net wider, offering a team of up to three artists the opportunity to develop an inter-disciplinary artwork engaging the human body in a MMUVE of their choice.

With more than 73 million participants in  MMUVEs such as EverQuest, Second Life and World of Warcraft, and the recent introduction of motion-sensitive controllers such as the Nintendo Wiimote, there is great scope to develop innovative artworks in a highly networked environment that incorporates body movement and its relationship to real and virtual environments.

Australia Council inter-arts office director Andrew Donovan comments that:

‘Creative professionals worldwide are using these platforms to create cutting edge artworks; MMUVE IT! offers Australian artists a timely and valuable opportunity to explore and build the sophistication of art and physical movement in virtual worlds.’