Performance - News and events

Events | Featured projects | Call for entries | Announcements

Events

La Boite Theatre Company, Oodgeroo - Brisbane

30 June - 11 July 2009

This new production, created with the involvement of Oodgeroo's family, weaves her personal and cultural life with her time on the Tunisian tarmac to tell the previously untold story of the tensions that tore at the fabric of one of Australia's most prominent families. Roundhouse Theatre.

Red Stitch, Lobby Hero - Melbourne

10 June - 11 July

Lobby Hero is set in the lobby of a city high-rise, where Jeff, a luckless young security guard, is drawn into a murder investigation. Inquiries from the local police and duty to his job stretch Jeff's loyalties to breaking point. When his upstanding supervisor is called to bear witness against his own troubled brother, and an attractive rookie cop finds she must stand up to her seasoned partner, truth and heroism prove heavy burdens to bear. By Kenneth Lonergan, writer of This is Our Youth and the screenplays You Can Count on Me and Gangs of New York. Red Stitch Actors Theatre.

Festival of Voices - Hobart

9–12 July 2009

The Festival of Voices is a midwinter festival held around Hobart's waterfront & arts precinct which brings together inspiring performers, teachers, choirs, singing groups and the Tasmanian community in a series of events celebrating singing and the beauty of the human voice. The 2009 Festival will feature guest workshops by renowned choral directors, including Malcolm Daglish (US), Mike Brewer OBE (UK) and Myron Butler (USA)—with choral arrangements of African, South American and Mexican music. The 2009 festival will also feature short weekend workshops, ideal for visitors who would like to participate. Other events include the 1-hour Aperitivo Series, Feature Concerts, and the two event highlights—the Grand Finale and the free-to-public Bonfire Concert. Various locations.

The Brian Stacey Award at the Helpmann Awards Ceremony - Sydney

27 July 2009

The Brian Stacey Award, launched in 2002, targets Australian emerging conductors of music theatre, ballet, opera and classical music genres worthy of further assistance to enable them to gain opportunity to broaden their musical knowledge and gain further valuable experience. The winner will be chosen from entries submitted to the Musical Advisory Committee, who will make their recommendations for nominees/winner and the Brian Stacey Memorial Trustees will then choose the winner.  The winner will be presented with a $6,000 prize plus appear at the Helpmann Awards Ceremony in Sydney.

Baby Boomer Blues - national

8 June – 23 August 2009

Baby Boomer Blues is a tongue-in-cheek look at a baby boomer couple's search for fulfillment. When Bob's business fails, he takes time out to reassess his existence while his wife, Carol, plays the breadwinner. Various locations.

The Impro Cave - Melbourne

21 June – 30 August 2009

Impro Melbourne's Impro Cave season is one of exploration and adventure. New show formats are premiered at every performance alongside classic audience favourites. Plus Sideshow Spontanial in July gives budding junior ensemble members the chance to strut their stuff on stage. Don't Tell Tom Bar & Café.

Australian String Quartet 2009 season - national

10 March – 30 October 2009

The Australian String Quartet unveils its 2009 National Season - a program of big romantic works, music by Australian composers and guest artists including internationally acclaimed Australian violist and composer Brett Dean and the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition winner. The 2009 program encompasses well-loved works from the Central European tradition; from Beethoven to Haydn, Bartok, Arriaga and Schumann, as well as music from some of Australia's best-known and regarded composers. The current membership of Sophie Rowell and Anne Horton, violins, Sally Boud, viola, and Rachel Johnston, cello was established in 2006.

Australian Ballet 2009 Season

January – December 2009

With the debut of the famed Ballets Russes in Paris in 1909, a treasure trove of Eastern European fables and exotica came to the West. Firebird and other legends is three spellbinding Ballets Russes works to mark the centenary of their explosive debut. This marks the beginning of the Australian Ballet 2009 season.

Featured projects

Cautionary Tales From The Diamond Forest - Melbourne

April 2009

Cautionary Tales are a three piece from Melbourne comprising artists Carisa Bianca Mellado, Adam Hunt and Andrew Bennett. Cautionary Tales From The Diamond Forest is an electro pop rock interpretation of the story that follows Red Riding Hood's journey into the forest. It explores themes surrounding innocence, sexuality, temptation and personal freedom, told through the eyes of Red Riding Hood. The band got together for one show in October 2008 and decided to record and produce an EP. Coinciding with Mellado's temporary return to Australia, the group will reunite and launch the EP on 3 April.

Call for entries

Sound Quality - online

Ongoing

Sound Quality is a program about music that does not need to fit into a genre to be understood and doesn't need the support of peers to sound good. New sounds and genres have found their way on to Radio National through Sound Quality. If you make or market music that needs an airing, sign up and upload to Pool. Tag it sound quality, and it'll be listened to, commented on, and might be used in the program.

ACT Dance Teacher Registration - Canberra

Ongoing

Ausdance ACT introduces a new service called ACT Dance Teacher Register. This is being introduced for individual teachers in response to the high volume of enquiries received from studios seeking teachers. If you wish to be included on this register please download the ACT Dance Teacher Register Form and return to Ausdance ACT. This is a free service and will be regularly updated.

Announcements

2009 Australian Dance Awards winners

9 June 2009

Lifetime Achievement Award went to Lucette Aldous who was a student of Frances Scully in Sydney before partnering with Rudolf Nureyev in his filmed production of Don Quixote for The Australian Ballet in 1972. Lee Christofis, currently the Curator of Dance at the National Library of Australia, won the Award for Services to Dance. Tracks dance from the Northern Territory won the Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance. Tanja Liedkte, appointed director of Sydney Dance Company in 2007, (d. 2007) won two awards for Outstanding Achievement and her choreographed piece 'construct' also won the Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer for Kristina Chan. Force Majeure won the Outstanding Performance by a Company.

Chair of Music Board announced

14 May 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett has announced the appointment of Dr Matthew Hindson AM who will chair the Music Board. Dr Hindson brings more than 25 years of experience composing orchestral, ensemble, chamber, piano and choral music to the Music Board. Dr Hindson is renowned in Australia and around the world for the quality, variety and complexity of his compositions.

$3.75m to help redevelop Flying Fruit Fly Circus building in Albury

1 May 2009

Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese and Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced the Rudd Labor Government would offer up to $3.75 million to help redevelop the training centre of the internationally-recognised Flying Fruit Fly Circus in Albury. Minister Garrett made the announcement in Albury and also helped celebrate the organisation's 30th Birthday with Albury City Mayor Patricia Gould, City of Wodonga Mayor Mark Byatt and Chris Pidd, General Manager of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.

Playing Australia : 16 arts companies to tour the country

7 April 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced $3.153 million in Playing Australia funding for 16 arts companies to tour live performances across the country. This funding will ensure audiences in regional communities have access to performances by some of Australia's best performing arts companies.

Minister launches world-class facilities for the Australian Ballet School

1 April 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett launched refurbished facilities at the Australian Ballet School, and took the opportunity to help celebrate the School's 45th anniversary. The much-needed refurbishments include studio upgrades, expanded student change room facilities, new health areas and classrooms.

Australian composers CD launch

31 March 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett launched the third volume of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's Australian Composer Series. Mr Garrett said the five-CD box set of orchestral music is an outstanding showcase of orchestral music by Australian composers Malcolm Williamson, Richard Meale, Gerard Brophy, Peggy Glanville-Hicks and Brett Dean.

Cultural exchange agreement with China

23 March 2009

Australia and China have agreed to work more closely on cultural activities such as exhibitions, performing arts, film festivals, media and cultural heritage protection. The two governments are signing a three-year implementation program under the agreement on Cultural Cooperation that builds on a long-standing cultural partnership with China and will strengthen relations between the two countries.

Key online resources

• KULCHA - Multicultural Arts of Western Australia
• MusicAustralia - Australia's Music: Online, in Time
• West Australian Music Industry Association Inc
• Australia Dancing - National Library of Australia
• International Guild of Disabled Artists & Performers (IGODAP)
• The Aussie Bands Music Page
• Jazz Australia
• AusStage: Gateway to the Australian Performing Arts
• Ausdance - Australia's professional dance advocacy organisation

Collection resources and online publications

• Currency Press - Performing Arts Publisher
• MusicFestivalsAustralia.com
• The Music Network
• Parnassus' Den
• Theatre Alive
• Theatre Australia
• The Arts Centre collections
• Fools Paradise - an audio-visual exploration of twelve years of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Institutions and government organisations

• Devising Celebration - a resource for teachers who wish to devise their own celebratory performances and event theatre.
• Music in Australia: A Statistical Overview
• National Networked Facility for Research in Australian Music

Peak bodies and associations

• Music NT
• The Australian Script Centre - collects, catalogues, promotes and distributes unpublished Australian plays.
• Venue Resource of Original Music (VROOM)
• Music Council of Australia

People

• Barry Humphries
• Australian comedy

Featured websites/projects

• Questacon - Strike a Chord