Activations and Programming
A precinct, a centre or a brand needs a reason for people to visit, and a reason to come back. ART AID builds that reason around artists. We activate lobbies, voids, foyers, laneways and empty tenancies with installations, exhibitions, live art, events and cultural programs, and we work with brands to bring artists and illustrators into their campaigns and activations.
Our work ranges from ten-day festivals to programs that run across a year, including six pop-up galleries, four outdoor exhibitions and more than 40 live music events. For one major Sydney festival, we were engaged to identify, curate, produce and develop the entire art program, bringing together 19 artists across murals, live illustration, temporary installations, QR-purchasable prints and two art vending machines.
Each activation is designed around what the space needs, whether that is more people through the door, a reason to stay longer or a cultural moment marked with meaning. Artists bring their own communities, so the audience arrives with the program.
Every space has potential
We identify what a site has to offer: a void, a forecourt, a lobby, a laneway, a run of glazing or a tenancy between leases. From large-scale inflatables suspended in multi-storey voids to artwork that runs down a stairwell or across a shopfront, we design each work around the way people move through the space. In vacant tenancies, we have built gallery and studio spaces where artists made, exhibited and sold their work, with events running alongside.
Marking cultural moments
NAIDOC Week, Mardi Gras and festival programs give a precinct something to gather around. We have programmed both in major commercial lobbies and retail centres for leading property owners. Around the artwork, we run the program that brings people in: creative workshops for young visitors through the school holidays, First Nations makers markets, talks and live art.
Working with brands
We pair brands with artists and illustrators whose work suits them, and structure the collaboration, licensing and production. When Glenfiddich partnered with Jordan Gogos on an activation in support of ART AID, we hosted the project, secured the space, programmed the talent and coordinated communication with our charity partners. Campari supported a ten-day arts festival we produced as an in-kind partner, supplying the stock for our speakeasy and event bars.
Ideas we bring to our clients
Some of our strongest activations started as our own idea. In a joint venture with art director and designer Eddie Zammit, we created the Hello Kitty Town concept, identified Darling Square as the right site, brought Sanrio and Haven on as partners, and secured the precinct and funding from Lendlease before delivering it. The takeover ran for three months, with twelve artists creating work across the precinct, from art installations to a five-metre custom inflatable.
Who we work with
Asset owners and centre managers with spaces to activate or a calendar of cultural moments to fill, brands looking to work with artists and illustrators, and festival and event producers adding visual art to their programs.
Capabilities
- Precinct activations and takeovers, from concept to close
- Temporary installations for voids, lobbies, foyers, stairwells and laneways, including large-scale inflatables
- Cultural programming for NAIDOC Week, Mardi Gras, festivals and other moments in the calendar
- Brand and artist collaborations, including artist and illustrator selection
- Brand co-productions and in-kind sponsorship
- Exhibitions and events, including live painting, screen printing, workshops, talks and music
- Pop-up galleries and artist residencies in vacant tenancies
- Temporary artworks across lifts, stairways, glazing, façades, screens and banners
- Art retail within the activation, including in-store sales, QR purchasing and art vending machines
- Artist merchandise, plus artist management and curation for brands developing their own products
- Makers markets and community programming
- Charity and cause partnerships built into the activation
- Licensing, crediting and intellectual property for artists and brands
- Engineering, safety documentation, services, access, insurance and make-good
- Overnight installation and close-out planned around trading hours
- Photography and film documenting the project
Methodology
Our approach to activations and programming, from first objective to handback.
01
Set the objective.
We agree what the activation needs to achieve for the space or brand, then confirm the site, budget, timeframe and commercial model.
02
Curate the program.
We develop the concept, select the artists and partners, and plan the artworks, events and workshops.
03
Build and produce.
We resolve engineering, services, access, insurance and any heritage requirements, then produce and install the artworks and fit out the space.
04
Run and hand back.
We manage the activation through its run, document it in photography and film, and return the space in its agreed condition.
Selected projects
- Circular Quay
- king street brisbane
- darling quarter
- DEGRAVES STREET
- the rocks
- melbourne quarter
- barangaroo
- Wintergarden Brisbane
- 200 George Street
- Collins Place
- 140 George Street
- Bay 43
- Melbourne Central
- Darling square
Frequently asked questions
What is placemaking?
Placemaking shapes how people experience a place, so it becomes somewhere they want to visit, stay and return to. Our approach is art-led: we use artworks, installations, cultural programs and events to give a precinct its identity and a reason to gather, working alongside the people who own, manage and use the space.
What is a precinct activation?
A precinct activation uses art, installations, events or programming to give people a reason to visit a space and spend time there. It can be a single installation, an event, a cultural celebration or an ongoing program, and it can sit inside a centre, a commercial lobby, a laneway or an empty tenancy.
Is an activation right for our space?
Most spaces can be activated. Voids, lobbies, foyers, forecourts, laneways and vacant tenancies all work, including heritage-listed buildings, where fixings and lighting are designed to be reversible. We start by looking at the space and what our clients want it to achieve, then recommend what will work best.
How long does an activation run, and what does it cost?
Every activation is scoped to its site and objective, so duration and budget vary from project to project. We work through both with our clients at the outset and shape the concept to suit.
Can an activation be installed while the centre or building is trading?
Yes. We plan installation around trading hours, often overnight, with engineering and safety documentation in place, so the space opens as normal the next day.
How do brands work with ART AID?
Brands engage us in different ways. Some commission us to find and manage artists or illustrators for a campaign or activation. Others co-produce, funding the work while we produce it, sponsor a wider program, or support ART AID's programs directly.
Can ART AID bring us an idea?
Yes. Many of our activations began as a concept we developed and brought to a client, often with brand or cultural partners already on board.
Can an activation support a charity or cause?
Yes. Giving back can be built into the activation itself, for example through art sales or a share of proceeds. It is part of how we work, and we can suggest causes that suit the project.
Who owns the artwork and the content?
We agree licensing, crediting and intellectual property with each artist and partner before work begins, so everyone knows how the work can be used during and after the activation.
Have a space to activate or a brand to pair with artists? Let's build the program together.
Talk to us about your project
