In other good news, the former head of Tasmanian Regional Arts and
now the director of RedHOT Arts Marketing in the Northern Territory,
Lucy Kenneth, is being celebrated as a global thinker. She has
joined a select group of 60 similarly-minded thinkers in Austria for
the Salzburg Global Seminars. The seminars began in 1947 to bring together
people for 'candid and informed discussion…to pioneer practical
strategies for change.' The fellowship is a big tick for Lucy who is
a passionate communicator and a genuine leader in the Australian arts
community.
Well done also to Arthur Frame, director of Queensland Arts
Council, who has been appointed for three years to the Federal Government's
Festivals Australia Committee. Arthur Frame has been as an actor, director,
artistic director, and theatre manager for theatre companies both in
Australia and overseas. He is currently artistic director and chief
executive officer of the Queensland Arts Council and joins two other
Regional Arts Australia directors on federal arts committees: Meg
Larkin (NSW) is a member of Visions of Australia, while Andy
Farrant (WA) is chair of Playing Australia.
Vivienne Skinner
Communications Manager
Regional Arts Australia
vivienne.skinner@countryarts.org.au
Love-in for bush artists and city dealers makes
great business
Speed dating. Two strangers giving each other the briefest once-over
in search of that magical, special spark. It's a new-ish fad in the
dating scene but it's also a hit in the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah
matching country artists and big city gallery dealers.
It's a clever way of addressing a simple problem of maths - too many
artists, too few galleries and therefore few chances to make a decent
living.
The idea is the brainchild of Lois Randall and Melitta Firth of Arts Northern Rivers
in north-eastern NSW and brings together in the one room 30 local artists and art dealers from the
neighbouring Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney.
Mullumbimby artist Robyn Sweaney is to exhibit her work in December
at Sydney's prestigious Tim Olsen Gallery following what was clearly
a most successful 'date'. "It was a great opportunity to test my
work with the Sydney galleries. I certainly wasn't expecting such a
quick response - being offered a show in Sydney this year. The four
minutes I had with each gallery director may have been fast but it did
the trick!"
Zom Osbourne was another artist who received multiple offers
to exhibit. "Speed dating was a lot of fun. I met quite a few gallery
directors in one evening and had the very good fortune to meet Charles
Hewitt and be given the opportunity to show at his beautiful Sydney
gallery."
For the city dealers, it's an efficient, effective way to make connections
with artists they'd never meet in the normal course of business. Sydney
dealer Iain Dawson: "I met several artists I thought would be commercially
strong in the Sydney market. I also met artists whose work was on par
with the most successful practicing contemporary artists internationally."
The Visual Arts Network was established by Arts Northern Rivers to
create national awareness of the region as an emerging centre for contemporary
art. Arts Northern Rivers' CEO, Lois Randall, says the experiment
is working well. "Gallery directors get to meet a large number
of artists in a short space of time which increases the chances of a
successful match."
The next speed dating will take place at Grafton on 19 November.
Visit the gallery at www.visualartsnetwork.net.au
or call 02 6628 8120
The natural world draws beauty from Tasmanian
photographer
One of the stars of Tasmania's Living Artists' Week this year was Rod
Westbrook whose remarkable photographic images of the natural world
have featured in television and radio stories as well as articles in
many places. Rod's father placed a camera in his hand when he was three
and started a life-long love of capturing beauty through the lens of
a camera.
Rod was a feature artist during Living Artists' Week and he gave a
guest lecture at the Tranquile Gallery at Port Sorell. He is inspired
by photographers who use alternative processes, such as Man Ray and
his "Rayograms" also known as photograms. Rod uses a custom-built
enlarger and arranges his elements between the machine's light source
and its projection lens. The image obtained is hence a negative and
the effect is often quite similar to an x-ray.
"I was born with spina bifida which means I can't climb mountains
and get into the wilderness. That's why I started using the old-world
technique of photograms that I am now interpreting in a new way which
I call Rodergrams.
"Because of my mobility restrictions, my Rodergrams focus on the
things that others may take for granted - the veins in the leaves, the
seeds in cucumbers, the intricate patterns that are so perfect in nature.
These are things that many people don't notice and they are the inspiration
behind my work," he says.
See Westbrook's work at http://users.bit.net.au/Rodergrams/slicesofnature/
Bringing the show to town - is your theatre
ready?
It's a great way of working out what you have, what you need, and what
you can do with what you've got. It's called Measure Up and it's
being run by Country Arts WA to help small towns across Western Australia
work out how to make best use of their halls and theatres.
Measure Up began three years ago and will continue at least
through 2008 to meet the demand from towns keen to take up the service.
Under the program, a Country Arts WA consultant visits venues, teaches
local users how to make the most of their existing equipment and offers
advice on how the hall or theatre could be upgraded.
"What Measure Up effectively does is make buildings erected
many years ago ready for the 21st century," says Andy Farrant,
CEO of Country Arts WA. "The town halls and mechanics institutes
in small towns are used for all kinds of things - farmers' meetings
with the wheat board, community forums and for entertainment, whether
locally created or brought in. They really are one-stop-shops - many
things to many people."
"But because the buildings are so old, their use is limited. Measure
Up is a great first step - an audit of exactly what they have and
what they need to do to bring their facility up to scratch. Importantly,
the consultant also checks safety. Sometimes they've found risky things
such as lighting bars suspended by frayed rope."
"And once the theatres and halls reach a certain standard, they
can take shows such as those toured by Country Arts WA and other commercial
productions. Many of these small towns have drama groups so an improved
theatre means they can put on better quality shows by locals for locals,"
Mr Farrant says.
The consultant measures and documents the technical facilities of each
venue and makes recommendations for improvements which can then be used
to support funding applications for government building grants.
Further information: www.countryartswa.asn.au
Remote festival brings mothers' dreaming to edge
of Tanami Desert
As festivals go, it could hardly be more remote. The Milpirri Festival
brings at least two hundred and fifty performers to the edge of the
Tanami Desert 950 kilometres south west of Darwin. Lajamanu, although
Warlpiri, is on the traditional country of the Gurindji people and Milpirri
refer to the name of the rain-bearing storm cloud that forms when the
hot and cold air merge over the desert, bringing with it hope and anticipation
of growth and new life.
This festival is not designed to attract tourists. Not yet anyway.
It takes place in the small community of Lajamanu which has no facilities
for tourists. Rather, it is a community celebration - a coming together
of the people who occupy the surrounding lands. Skye Raabe, from
Darwin-based Tracks Dance, which works with local artists to produce
the festival, says it brings together young people, elders and all ages
in between. By rehearsing and performing together, the cultural learning
of the elders is passed on to younger members of the community. "Through
Tracks Dance, we spend time in the community working with locals to
conduct workshops and give support to the festival. Members of the community
also come to Darwin for further training," says Ms Raabe.
The relationship between Tracks Dance and Lajamanu began in 1988 and
has been 'a long-term cultural sharing in which deep relationships have
been built and respect and understanding gained," says Tracks Dance.
Performers have toured to local and national arts festivals.
This year, the Milpirri Festival is based on Kurdiji, the mother's
dreaming and tells how women prepare their sons for initiation and then
hand them over to the men, who then teach them about their responsibility
to their families, their clan and the land.
www.tracksdance.com.au
or call 08 8924 4414
Fresh & Salty - water, water,
water - the inspiration for Victorian artists
Water - and the lack of it - has become part of the national daily
conversation. Like almost everywhere in Australia, the depressing, desiccating
effects of the drought have been felt heavily in regional Victoria.
Artists across the state are now using water, and its lack, as inspiration
for a series of projects that are designed to give support to communities
and highlight water issues that are relevant to each community.
Fresh & Salty is the initiative of Regional Arts Victoria
and 10 artists are involved in towns and regions including Horsham,
Ballarat and the Wellington Shire. The first project was in Horsham
with animators Dave Jones, Hannah French and puppet maker
Mary French developing an animated film to tell the story of
rising salinity through the eyes of the creatures in the Wimmera River.
In Kurtonitj near Tyrendarra, Vicki Couzens, a Keeray Wurrong/Ginditjmara
woman from Koroit and Carmel Wallace from Portland are building
a large stone sculpture which explores the different ways European settlers
and Indigenous cultures have lived on the land and used water.
Fresh & Salty runs until mid 2008.
The town at the cross-roads has bright
cultural horizons
Port Augusta, the town at the cross-roads of Australia's east and west
is to be transformed into a centre of culture. South Australian Arts
Minister, John Hill, has named Port Augusta the state's first Regional
Centre of Culture under a program managed by Country Arts SA called
Port August Re-Imagines.
From next March, Port Augusta will host a year long program of performances,
exhibitions, documentary workshops, masterclasses, festivals and forums.
There will be at least 50 performances, 19 exhibitions and professional
development programs for local teachers.
The program is loosely based on the European Capital of Culture program
and a highlight will be in May when the biggest open air concert regional
South Australia has ever seen will take place when the Adelaide Symphony
Orchestra performs Symphony under the Stars at the Port Augusta
Golf Course.
Supporting the events program is $750,000 in state funding and $250,000
from the City of Port Augusta to convert the grand Magistrates Court
Building into a visual arts space with the courtyard becoming an outdoor
performance area. The adjoining Institute building is being transformed
into a 150-seat multi-purpose performing arts theatre and function hall.
Singer, writer and director, Robyn Archer, is the patron of
Port August Re-Imagines.
Hybrid beast blows sweet music and scores
national prize
Cross a didgeridoo with a trombone and you create a very odd hybrid.
But one with a great sound. It's been christened the Didjeribone and
has just won a national prize, the Memento of Australia Award.
International didgeridoo performers, Adrian Fabila and Charlie
McMahon, partnered up in the late 80s and have been spreading the
instrument's unique sound since then. They say that because it is a
cross between a trombone and a didgeridoo players can control the musical
pitch.
McMahon, the instrument's inventor, is best known for his work with
the Gondwanaland and for recording soundtracks for Mad Max and
Priscilla Queen of the Desert. He also performed with the instrument
on tour with Midnight Oil.
Adrian Fabila will be touring regional Queensland schools during 2008
in a show simply titled Didjeribone. It will be one of 31 productions
in Queensland Arts Council's 2008 program.
The Memento of Australia Award helps establish partnerships
between cultural, tourism, retail, business and government sectors.
It links creators of quality products to market opportunities to generate
sustainable businesses.
Fire and abandonment leave drama the winner in Victoria
It's been a period of wins for Victorian playwrights and dramas. HotHouse
Theatre's commission The Glory by Melbourne playwright Ross
Meuller was recently named Wal Cherry Play of the Year. It
is the second time in three years the Albury-Wodonga theatre has won
the prize. HotHouse's new artistic manager, Campion Decent, was
recently given a Queensland Literary Award for a stage drama script
for his play Embers which is set amidst the northeast Victorian
bushfires of 2003. The Queensland award came after Embers won
an Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE) in August. Hothouse
is currently in negotiation with presenters throughout Australia to
tour Embers in 2009.
Good news also for Melbourne playwright Angela Betzien who was
announced at the AWGIE ceremony as the inaugural winner of the $40,000
Richard Wherrett Prize for Excellence in Playwriting and Theatre
for Young Audiences. Betzien, 29, received the award for her powerful
work Hoods which was co-commissioned and produced by Regional
Arts Victoria and the Sydney Opera House.
Telling the story of three abandoned children in a car in a deserted
carpark waiting for their mother to return, Hoods has toured Victoria,
New South Wales and Queensland to wide acclaim.
"We are thrilled that Angela's vibrant and original voice has
been recognised through this prestigious award," says the director
of Regional Arts Victoria, Lindy Allen. "It's critical that we
continue to support writers who are working with young Australians to
tell their stories."
Sydney jazz and Tiwi singing - a powerful fusion
in Darwin
Fusing jazz and the traditional song of the Tiwi Islanders proved one
of the outstanding hits of this year's Darwin Festival. The unlikely
coupling came about after Sydney jazz musician Genevieve Campbell
came in contact with some Tiwi women and noted the parallels between
jazz and the traditional Tiwi songs. With the Gai Bryant Ensemble
and a couple of Darwin performers, Campbell paired up with 22 Tiwi women
of all ages to perform two sell-out performances of Ngarukurwala project
- We Tiwi Women Sing Songs.
Darwin Festival general manager Anne Dunn says the performance followed
several workshops and 'get-to-know-you' sessions during the lead up
to the festival. "One of the particularly exciting things was to
see so many women performing together. Often there's not such a focus
on Indigenous women's performance," says Dunn. She said the Tiwi
women created their own stage costumes using traditional screen prints.
ABC TV broadcast the collaboration. Dunn says there are now plans to
tour the show through regional Northern Territory - and further afield
if possible.
Solo show in New York another step in a growing international career
Terrence Allen's career is a remarkable one and it's only heading
upwards. The Tamworth-based artist from north-western NSW is right now
preparing for his first solo exhibition in New York next August. He
is also part of a current exhibition in Paris at Gallery Figure.
Terrence Allen is from the Kamilaroi People and he has been creating
art for 11 years. His art is so exceptionally regarded that his career
is receiving the backing of the both the NSW and federal governments.
Austrade has included Allen in its new exporter program while the NSW
Department of State and Regional Development has helped provide contacts
and opportunities to exhibit in several international forums.
Allen was one of the artists featured in Australia Week in Canada
last year. In 2005 he was awarded fourth prize at the Florence Biennale.
He has exhibited at Toronto, Valencia in Spain, Beijing and the Broadway
Art Gallery in Manhattan, which will be the location for his solo show
next August.
Cherene Spendelove from Arts North West says Allen was guest
speaker at a recent forum in Moree which looked at the contribution
that the arts industries make to the region's broader cultural and economic
strength. The forum was one of several being organised by the Arts North
West Regional Arts Board and allowed Allen to outline the value of networking
and marketing in establishing an international career.
"By sharing his story, Allen provided other regional artists with
a model of what is possible," says Spendelove.
"The down-to-earth North West local continues to live, work and
study in the Kamilaroi region. His work is influenced by both urban
and rural life around his home and though modern in style is conceptually
spiritual and traditional," she says.
"In a move that not only promotes his art but also helps generate
income, Allen has used images from his original paintings to create
a line of marketable products including textiles, calendars and canvas
prints," Spendelove says.
Terrence Allen exhibits with Gamilarart Gallery Cooperative in Tamworth
www.gamilarart.com.au
Alice Springs arts leader takes helm of 2008
regional conference - Art at the Heart
Well-known and respected Alice Springs arts leader, Kieren Sanderson,
has taken the helm of Regional Arts Australia's national conference
Art at the Heart, the President of Regional Arts Australia, Ms
Suzie Haslehurst, has announced.
"This is a giant task, because the conference keeps growing and
growing - in 2006 in Mackay there were 800 delegates and it is likely
this event, to be held in Alice Springs next October, will be as big
or even bigger," Ms Haslehurst says.
"Holding a conference of this size in a remote centre like Alice
Springs poses a unique set of challenges. That is why we are delighted
that Kieren has agreed to take on the role of conference coordinator.
"She is a highly-respected arts practitioner and has strong links
with the broader Alice Springs community. She has a most varied work
history that includes tutor at a correctional centre, creative director
of the EarthDance Festival in Cairns as well as other festivals,
and curator of several exhibitions," Ms Haslehurst says.
Kieren, who until joining the conference team worked as a manager at
the Alice Springs artists' studio Watch this Space, says she believes
the conference will be extremely positive for Alice Springs. "I
have lived in Alice Springs for four years. Living here inspires me
endlessly as an artist and member of the community. I am really keen
to show what Alice Springs can do and to watch it rise to the task.
It's a wonderful opportunity for me and for the town," she says.
Art at the Heart will run from 3 to 5 October 2008. It is Regional
Arts Australia's sixth national conference and will be hosted by the
Northern Territory Government through Arts NT and the Alice Springs
community.
To receive future information about the conference join the RAA mailing
list at www.regionalarts.com.au
Festival gig for Queensland Arts Council head
The CEO and artistic director of the Queensland Arts Council, Arthur
Frame, will bring 'a mix of experience and fresh ideas' to Festivals
Australia, says the Federal Minister for Arts and Sport, Senator George
Brandis.
Mr Frame, a director on the board of Regional Arts Australia, has been
appointed to the position for three years. He was also the director
of the largest and most significant regional arts event in Australia,
The Pacific Edge, staged in Mackay last year.
"It's an honour to become a national committee member at a time
when colourful, diverse and downright unusual festivals are popping
up all over Australia," Mr Frame said.
"I've always been a very strong believer in the culturally-led
revitalisation of regional communities, and have seen for myself the
difference that the arts, and particularly festivals, can make to a
regional community," said Mr Frame.
The Festivals Australia Committee provides advice to the Minister on
programs supported through Festivals Australia and Festivals Australia
Regional Residencies.
The Queensland Arts Council supports 62 local arts councils across
Queensland. Its schools program alone last year reached 419,302 students.
Lucy Kenneth dons global thinking cap in Salzburg
The former head of Tasmanian Regional Arts and now director of RedHOT
Arts Marketing in Alice Springs, Lucy Kenneth, has been awarded
a fellowship that is taking her to Salzburg in Austria to join a group
of 60 'global thinkers'. It is part of the Salzburg Global Seminars
that began shortly after the end of World War Two to bring together
global thinkers for 'candid and informed' discussion to pioneer practical
strategies for change. Lucy's seminar is Cultural Institutions without
Walls: New Models of Arts-Community Interaction which aims to 'identify
imaginative and effective new models of arts and community interaction
and to see how these could be replicated elsewhere or adapted to other
contexts.
Lucy writes:
"This is a fantastic opportunity and I am really looking forward to
being part of this international arts think tank. The format is also
about art and community and looks full on, with lectures followed by
hands-on workshops aimed at policy change and collaborative project
development.
As arts practitioners in regional Australia we both endure and enjoy
our isolation. Getting out and gathering fresh ideas that I can share
with the local sector will be amazing.
Apart from being an info sponge I'd like to share what it is like to
work in the arts in regional Australia. Being isolated, our art is often
shaped by the way that we connect with our communities. It is a much
deeper relationship beyond that of presentation and passive consumption.
Sometimes it is impossible for an artist or group to just fly solo on
a project; the community just insists on being involved. It is such
a balance working in regional places, you need to be inclusive and spread
the opportunity but at the same time you might have to defend the artistic
outcome and the integrity of the project. It'd be good to find out how
other communities cope with this.
I am also looking at inspiring as many of the 60 international delegates
as I can to come to Alice Springs in 2008 to be part of the Art at
the Heart - Regional Arts Australia Conference. I'll have six days
to convince them, imagine how awesome it would be to have ideas people
from all over the world here."
Top prizes for Denmark arts leader and woman behind WA forest walk
Fiona Sinclair, the West Australian woman behind one of Australia's
most outstanding outdoor sculpture experiences - the Southern Forest
Sculpture Walk - has received top honours at Country Arts WA's recent
conference in Denmark in the State's south west.
Sinclair, who was awarded the State Regional Arts Conference prize,
led a community group that created the 1.2 kilometre forest installation
trail near Northcliffe. The stunning trail is a sensory experience that
also includes music, poetry and story-telling. The sculptural works
have been created by artists from around the world.
"Fiona led a community group that created a truly great natural
forest installation," says Andy Farrant, CEO of Country Arts WA.
"The effect of that work has been to bring the people of Northcliffe
much closer together. The word is also spreading that the walk is a
'must-see' for visitors to the south west. It is becoming a real cultural
and tourist asset."
Also awarded the State Regional Arts Conference prize was André
Style who helped to establish Denmark's popular Arts Market. Thousands
of visitors are drawn to Denmark for the market which gives artists
the chance to show and - importantly - sell their work. Style also began
the Easter art program Brave New Works, a community arts festival.
Andy Farrant says André Styles has been an enormously important
figure in Denmark for the past 25 years. "He is a real mover and
shaker - a first-class organiser. And one of the strengths of Andre
is that he never repeats a great creative idea. There's always something
new," Farrant says.
Both prizes were presented by the CEO of the Australia Council, Kathy
Keele.
Further information on the Southern Forest Sculpture Walk: www.northcliffe.org.au/Sculpture%20walk/Sculpturehome.htm
Lucy Kenneth returns to Alice Springs after a five year absence and
finds a growing town and an arts scene that's, well, junk!
I have to fess up that until quite recently I was a Wearable Arts sceptic,
the over-colourful fabric collages barely draped on teens with hair
so boofed up you wonder if it is the outfit or hair that is being judged.
But this year's Wearable Arts Acquisition Awards held as part
of the Alice Desert Festival has converted me. I loved them.
I only managed to get a ticket for the matinee as the evening show sold
out in a flash. The awards, now in their sixth year, had all the classics
that you would expect to see in Wearable Arts but in true Alice Springs
style they seem to have morphed beyond the glittery showcase. A considerable
number of works addressed topics of the political correct genre - women's
liberation, government advertising, recycling. New local laws governing
the sale and consumption of grog inspired a number of works.
I wonder if the artwork media has driven the award categories or if
it is the other way around. The Artback NT Recycled or Found Object
Award was by far the most popular with 14 of the 40 entries. The
community-run Bowerbird Tip Shop is consistently acknowledged as the
source of inspirational objects. This town loves its tip shop and only
a few weeks earlier hosted the annual Junk Art exhibition, one of ten
exhibitions held as part of the Desert Festival program of events.
The winning entry in this category 'Dry Town Diva' by Nicki Schonkala
was a strange mix of hot pink style and political satire. The work included
an amalgamation of beer cans, wine casks, a stubby holder and other
recycled objects. Nicki is a former Wearable Arts coordinator and her
work was accompanied by a projection piece addressing the drinking culture
including new regulatory signage and beer cans in the river.
I know that all communities are unique and special but to me Alice
is really out there in the way its people love the arts and embrace
these types of events. I have been away from Alice for five years and
have missed the evolution of these awards, hence my delayed conversion
to the love affair my community seem to be having with Wearable Arts.
When you live outside of Alice everything looks different. Alice is
often in the national media but sadly it is not our success stories
that get the attention. The town and the arts sector has grown strongly
like the garden I planted ten years ago. This is largely due to well-deserved
nurturing from all government levels. There is great optimism here and
a willingness to talk about the problems our community faces. The arts
have always been a focal point for political statements and now Wearable
Arts are reflecting what many in the community feel - we need these
issues to be out there and talked about.
By Lucy Kenneth - director of RedHOT Arts Marketing in Alice Springs
Moscow to the red and dusty roads of the Queensland outback
He's tumbled across the world with shows such as the Great Moscow
Circus and Cirque du Soleil and in 2008 he'll be doing it
again in regional Queensland. Russian-born Ludwig Schukin is
an acrobat, aerialist and clown and will be one of the stars of Queensland
Arts Council's Ontour inschools program. Schukin, a third generation
performer, will be sharing his stories of life as a clown with Queensland
kids and is one of large number of international performers signed for
the arts council's 2008 season.
"When we program each year's season we consider the stories and
experiences that the artists share with the students. The new season
is especially packed with international artists, including those who
have performed in Dubai, Indonesia, Poland, Canada and Russia,"
says the manager of Queensland Arts Council's schools program, Jim Vilé.
"When brought together, they make an engaging, educational and
wonderfully diverse collection of live arts experiences," he says.
View details of the 2008 Ontour inschools program at www.qac.org.au
Massive testament in granite
When the final carved block of pink granite is lowered into place in
Wudinna in South Australia's central Eyre Peninsula, the people of the
district will have not just a work of art but also, it's hoped, a tourist
attraction that will draw in visitors from everywhere.
The Australian Farmer sculpture is the creation of Sydney-based
sculptor Marijan Bekicbut and has been a dream of both the artist
and local residents for 15 years. Once completed, he'll reach an extraordinary
eight metres into the sky, making him almost certainly the tallest farmer
in the country. And at 400 tonnes, the heaviest. A recent $60,000 contribution
from the Le Hunte Council gave the work of art the green light and a
major fundraising campaign is now underway to raise a further $80,000
to complete it in time for unveiling next April.
The Australian Farmer is seen as a tribute to the tenacity of
the region's farmers who have endured a long, bitter drought. Once completed,
names of local families who have shaped and developed the local region
will be added to the monumental work.
Vale Simon Barley, designer, artist
Much-respected Australian artist and designer, Simon Barley,
died suddenly in August. Based in the remote Wimmera town of Natimuk
in regional Victoria, Simon was founder and director of Bambuco, a company
famous for constructing enormous bamboo installations.
Over the past 15 years Bambuco accepted commissions from major festivals
throughout Europe and Asia. His ephemeral constructions would take centre
stage, for anything from a week to six months, to suddenly disappear
overnight. His website says that Simon judged the success of his work
by the absence it created.
Lindy Allen, CEO of Regional Arts Victoria, says Barley was
a rare individual who was a genuine leader and whose presence brought
out the best in others. "He helped to found the very vibrant artistic
community in Natimuk. He had a huge impact in the town and showed what
can be achieved by an artist who chooses to live and work in a remote
location. He drew lots of other artists to Natimuk and really helped
to reinvigorate its social and cultural fabric.
"It is astonishing how many artists from Natimuk are involved
in projects and festivals overseas, in particular Europe. Simon was
one of those," Allen says.
One of the many highlights of Barley's career was his commission in
2004 by the City of Lille in Northern France for a series of massive
sculptures to celebrate its title of European Cultural Capital.
In 2005 he was awarded a two year Australia Council Fellowship.
The Australia Council's director of theatre, John Baylis, says
Simon Barley was a truly original artist. "Coming from a background
in theatre design, he taught himself the craft skills of bamboo scaffolding
work to create his own artistic form which he called 'aerial construction
as performance'. He has been internationally acclaimed for his work,
especially in France, but his success did not lead to compromise or
repetition. His work was always an exploration premised on uncertainty:
each one was an original creation, a risky investigation of the potential
of a particular public site."
Butterflies flutter through a rich world for Louisa
Tasmanian artist Louisa Jones finds art is an excellent way
of separating herself from her disability. Born with Down Syndrome,
Jones is an emerging artist whose first solo exhibition in Launceston
- At the end of the day I was very happy - celebrates the life
of the butterfly.
Louisa attends the Access Arts Link course at TAFE and when she completes
her studies, plans to work on community events. "I enjoy what I
do but I don't want my artwork to have anything to do with having a
disability," she says. "The work is challenging and hard at
times - but I also find that some things are easy too. The best part
is coming here to meet new people and get to know everybody in the course."
Access Arts Link began in 2006 when TAFE Tasmania (North)'s disability
liaison officer, James Newton, could see that graduating artists
who also had a disability shared the usual low income opportunities
common to new artists, but in addition faced obstacles presented by
their particular disability. These include lack of physical access to
institutions, few less formal learning modes, insufficient mentors,
and lack of skills to market their art.
With government funding and by linking up with others working in the
industry, Access Arts Link was formed to give 'artists with a disability
the chance to develop and exhibit their work in a manner that accords
them the same respect and income opportunities as other artists,' says
Tasmanian Regional Arts youth officer, Karlee Foster.
Cosentino the illusionist plans fresh national assault
He's got to be the funkiest illusionist in Australia and surely, one
of the busiest. Mixing dance, mime and humour with magic, Cosentino
has just completed a two year tour of regional Australia, crossing Tasmania,
Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and - most recently - Western
Australia.
The popularity and quality of his show - Cosentino Evolution
- made him a finalist in this year's Helpmann Awards in the 'best regional
touring production' category.
With Evolution behind him, Cosentino is about to embark on another
national tour next year with his new show Threshold, which is
already signed to visit 38 towns around the country.
Cosentino's manager, brother Adam, says the new show is darker, with
Cosentino using 'mentalism' to manipulate his mind body and soul. "He
shows how the human body can surpass its own threshold."
Country Arts WA's manager of performing arts touring, Katie Harford,
says Cosentino Evolution was a massive hit with audiences with
sell-out shows. "Cosentino left smiles on the faces of people around
the State. He toured to Geraldton, Carnarvon, Karratha, Bunbury, Margaret
River and Kalgoorlie. Audiences commented that they'd never seen anything
like it in their town before," says Harford.
The 23 year old performer has been a magician since he was 14.
Teach yourself a couple of tricks from Cosentino at www.cosentino.com.au/teach/
Big bolt of recognition for happy deal between country arts and electricity
company
A happy ten year partnership between the electricity utility ETSA and
Country Arts SA has been recognised with a major award from the Australia
Business Arts Foundation (ABaF).
ETSA has sponsored a vigorous and successful program that takes up
to seven performing arts productions to theatres across regional South
Australia. Country Arts SA CEO, Ken Lloyd, expressed his delight
that the partnership had been rewarded and acknowledged. "Across
the ten years of the relationship, well over 100,000 people of all ages
have seen a performance," says Mr Lloyd.
ETSA CEO Les Owens said the partnership allowed the company
to build on the essential services it already delivered and improved
the quality of life for South Australians. "This allows us to make
a real difference in regional communities," said Mr Owens.
The ABaF awards honour private sector arts relationships that transcend
the ordinary.
