Dance- November 2008 closing date

This report summarises the outcomes of the meeting of the Australia Council’s dance board held on 22 and 23 January 2009. The dance board assisted by a peer adviser, assessed applications to the fellowships and new work categories and to the new category of program – artform development.

Chair’s comments

This was the first meeting for newly appointed member Brian Lucas. He has brought to the board a breadth of knowledge and experience across many areas of dance including solo and company practice, performance and choreography. We were also joined by Marilyn Miller who in her role as peer adviser brought a national perspective of Indigenous dance as well as considerable experience as a choreographer and artist. When we had completed the assessment part of our meeting Marilyn gave the board an update on her work as the National Indigenous dance coordinator for the 'treading the pathways' Indigenous dance initiative.

This was the first time the board assessed applications to the new category of program – artform development. We were pleased that most applicants showed a very good understanding of the purposes of the category and presented strong applications with the potential for multiple benefits for artists and/or companies. I believe that the board’s investment in this category and in projects such as Managing and Producing Services (MAPS) will together help to build a national network for the support and development of independent artists and companies.

Overall we awarded 18 grants at this meeting, a total of $870,246.The board was pleased to award 11 grants in the new work category and felt that this investment will help in the realisation of projects that range widely in scale, theme, style and aesthetic. However, we also acknowledge that there were many strong and interesting applications the board was not able to support financially.

We encourage you to seek feedback from staff and to use this information constructively if you are planning to reapply to this category by our May 11 2009 closing date. It was noted by the board that some applications were for the second or third creative development stage with insufficient information about how the project was going to reach full production. It might be that these applicants could benefit from some advice and input from experienced producers. If you think that this might be the case with regards to your project, again I would encourage you to discuss this with the staff of the dance section. 

When you are exploring potential funding for your dance project I would encourage you to look at the many options available at the Australia Council. This might include the dance board but also depending on the focus of your work could also include applying for a grant from inter-arts, market development, community partnerships, or the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts board. Information is available on our website, or please do discuss your options with the dance section staff.

The dance board was very pleased to award a fellowship grant to Brisbane based choreographer, director and multi-media artist Suzon Fuks. The fellowship will enable her to focus on an exploration between her screendance practice and potential connections with networked performance. As part of her residency Suzon will attend international screendance festivals to present her work and share ideas with her peers. We were extremely pleased this year to receive a number of very well developed submissions from established artists. However, this meant that the competition in this category was fierce.

There were a number of conflicts of interest where board members or the peer adviser did not take part in the decision making process. For the board members with conflicts this meant that they did not score or take part in the discussion of the application,  and for the peer adviser that she did not take part in the discussion of the application.

You may note that  you can now submit your application online. We hope that you will find this helpful encourage you to contact staff if you need help or guidance. You will also note that this year as part of our ongoing commitment to the objectives of our cultural diversity policy we will be applying the cultural diversity criterion to all applications in all categories. We are receiving an increase in applications that reflect the cultural diversity of Australian society which is a good early outcome of our policy focus in this area.

Last year the Australia Council invested $250,000 into a second major profile and audience building event for contemporary dance. The Sydney Festival was successful in winning a tender process to develop and deliver this. So, on 10th January I was delighted to join 300,000 other people on the streets of Sydney for the Festival First Night. Martin Place, in the city of Sydney, was turned into the Movers & Shakers precinct which housed a 4 hour continuous performance of contemporary dance on 2 stages, directed by Nigel Jamieson. This was a fantastic celebration of Australia’s dancers and choreographers for an audience that was diverse in every sense. I would like to thank the Sydney Festival, Nigel Jamieson and particularly the artists and companies that engaged with this event with such enthusiasm and good grace.

Dominique Fisher
Chair, dance board

NEW WORK

Balletlab Association Ltd Vic. $60,000
Balletlab will undertake the final creative development and presentation of new work Miracle with choreographer Phillip Adams and dancers Clair Peters, Luke George Kyle Kremerskothen, Brooke Stamp with music by composers David Chisholm and Myles Mumford and costume design by Toni Maticevski.  Miracle will be presented at the Meat Market in North Melbourne late July 2009.  The work examines iconographic religious themes, historical biblical myths and cults.

De Quincey Company Ltd NSW $60,000
De Quincey Company will develop and present Run, a performance engine, at CarriageWorks. Under the artistic direction of Tess de Quincey dancers Peter Fraser, Victoria Hunt, Linda Luke and Tom Davies will explore locomotion and chaos.  Composer Jim Denley, video artist Sam James, lighting designer Travis Hogson and project manager Sam Hawker will also work on the piece which will be presented during the Performance Space 2009 winter season in August 2009.

Sue Healey NSW $30,654
Sue Healey will undertake the final creative development and production of new work The Curiosities with dancers Lisa Griffiths, Rachelle Hickson, Nalina Wait, Nelson Reguera, media artist Adam Synnott, composer Darrin Verhagen and animator Adnan Lalani.  The Curiosities looks through the lenses of both art and science at the body we inhabit.  The work will be presented by Performance Space at the CarriageWorks.

Helen Herbertson Vic. $25,460
Helen Herbertson will present a first Sydney season of work Sunstruck in partnership with Performance Space at the CarriageWorks.  Choreographed by Helen Herbertson, dancers Trevor Patrick and Nicholas Sommerville will explore the fluid quality of memory through dance, light and design collaborations. Lighting will be designed by Ben Cobham and music will be performed by Tamil Rogeon and Tim Blake.

Jambird WA $25,890
Jambird will undertake the creation of choreography for new dance theatre work Motel Deception.  Under the choreography of Chrissie Parrott, the set and costume design of Bryan Woltjen and the music of Jonathan Mustard, the work will explore promises, implication and allusion in the set of a seedy motel room.

Kage Physical Theatre Association Ltd Vic. $60,000
Kage Physical Theatre will undertake the creative development of a new dance theatre work Look Right Through Me choreographed and directed by Kate Denborough.  The team will consist of dancers Kristina Chan, Sarah-Jayne Howard, Timothy Ohl, Gerard Van Dyck and Paul White, composer Jethro Woodward, set designer Adam Haddow, costumer designer Paula Levis, producer Jennifer Barry and dramaturge Maryanne Lynch. The work will combine stories from everyday life with visceral physicality.  

Moriarty’s Project Inc Vic. $15,000
Moriarty’s Project will support a three week creative development for Michelle Heaven and Trevor Patrick to test and develop short segments of performance material in a new work entitled The Sum of Parts.

Wendy Morrow Tas. $25,150
Wendy Morrow will direct the creative development of a series of dance media performances in a new work entitled Propositions with fellow dance artist Trevor Patrick and video, text and sound artist Leigh Hobba.  The work is the investigation, development and presentation of a series of propositions centred in dance/performance, music and interdisciplinary collaborations focussing on ideas of absence, deep stories and moving/stillness as central metaphors.  

Phunktional Vic. $40,806
Phunktional will develop and tour the dance theatre production Melbourne Breaks through Victoria and Tasmania in June 2009. The work is a hip hop theatre piece under the direction of Gerard Veltre, choreographer Arch Ilias, dramaturge Daryl Pellizzer, lighting designer Dori Bicchierai, designer Michael Camilleri and production manager Tiana Kankkunnen. Dance artists George Award, Deon Nuku, Yasushi Asaya, Jason Rei, Keith Bearne and Joel Chamaa complete the cast.

Shared Spaces Inc ACT $24,643
Shared Spaces Inc will undertake the creative development and performance of new dance work Choreographed Lives in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra in October 2009. Padma Menon will collaborate with Tomas Dietz and Lailah Masigah to produce a work on the theme of motherhood in its broadest sense particularly in cultures where this role is still mythologised and sacred.  

Yumi Umiumare Vic. $36,561
Yumi Umiumare will produce a full length solo dance theatre work En Trance at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne during August/September 2009. The work is an exploration of narrative and abstractions, provoking a fundamental question about life and death using contemporary and ancient choreography from Australian and Asian cultures.  Yumi Umiumare will collaborate with dramaturge Moira Finucane, media artist Bambang Nurcahyadi, visual artist Naomi Ota, sound designer Ian Kitney, costume designer David Anderson and lighting designer Marko Respondeck.

PROGRAM - ARTFORM DEVELOPMENT

Ausdance QLD $42,490 (t/u Australian Dance Council (QLD) Inc)
Belltower III, choreographic residency program will build on the success, and provide a natural flow on from its Bell Tower I & II creative residencies. This initiative will provide extended opportunities through the provision of three supported residencies that lead to more public showings. Belltower III residents will receive substantial support. During the residencies the artists will be required to document their work and share information using a blog and a public presentation.
 
Campbelltown Arts Centre NSW (t/u Campbelltown City Council) $50,000
The 2009 Contemporary dance development program aims to make a significant contribution towards a framework and infra-structure that supports innovation and addresses gaps that exist in the dance sector by providing professional dance artists with opportunities to work in new ways and in new contexts. The program includes six key projects:
Interdisciplinary Project
Will commission artist Brian Fuata and a visual artist to create and perform a new work.
Dance Residency
Will support artist Julie- Anne Long to develop a new work, The Invisibility Project, which focuses on issues surrounding middle age women
Intercultural Project
Will commission Kathy Cogill and Latai Taumopeau to create and perform new work, this is part of a three year project.
Community Dance Project
Will commission The Fondue set to develop a sit-specific, one-off en masse dance event that engages communities.
Short Works Commission
Jane Mckernan will curate a one night performance season of short works that will include thirty dance artists.
International Residency
In partnership with Critical Path to fund participants to attend a 6 week residency in Australia with UK artists Rosemary Butcher and Cathy Lane. Two weeks of the residency will be presented at Campbelltown Arts Centre.

Critical Path Inc NSW $100,000
Critical Path is a choreographic research and development centre for local, national and international artists. The program features a 3-strand model.

• The Curated Program offers group professional development opportunities in laboratories and master classes, where peer support and sharing, is encouraged.
• The Responsive Program provides support for experienced choreographers to tailor make research projects addressing their personal needs.
• The Mentoring Programs provide a platform for the sharing of research outcomes to peers, presenters and funders with a supportive critical context.

QL2 Centre for Youth Dance Inc ACT $41,592
To run Soft Landing, a professional development program for recent dance graduates from across Australia.  Through two four week intensive mentored development projects working with leading artists and choreographers to address different areas of dance practice as, performer, choreographer, share knowledge & skills, forge creative partnerships. The mentoring support will go beyond the intensives with Brian Lucas and Solon Ulbrich, who will also act as Artistic Directors of the project. Each section will have a public outcome including a performance at the National Portrait Gallery.

Stalker Stilt Theatre Inc NSW $42,000
Stalker and Marrugeku’s extensive collaboration background underpins the curatorial directions, developed by Rachel Swain, in consultation with Dalisa Pigram for the proposed trilogy of art form development master classes for 2009-11.  This will include a cross cultural Indigenous chorographic laboratory presented in partnership with Critical Path and a dramaturgy laboratory.

STRUT Dance Incorporated WA $100,000
The 2009 program includes a series of workshops, choreographic residencies and a conference. The artistic program will support innovative contemporary dance practice in Western Australia in collaboration with its development partners, Dancehouse in Melbourne, Critical Path Sydney NSW. The STRUT program is committed to producing and presenting work by independent dance artists and group, and to providing opportunities for national and international critical debate.

FELLOWSHIPS

Suzon Fuks Qld
This fellowship will allow Suzon Fuks to explore the frontiers of screen dance and networked performance. Phase one will revolve around creating three new dance pieces  specifically for the camera which  integrates rare dance footage, collected over the last 25 years in both Europe and India. Phase two will involve in-depth research to create a networked performance to occur simultaneously in multiple spaces, using telecommunication to link people and place. This work will be physically generated through audience response and explore issues of flux and connection. Suzon will share her discoveries by maintaining a blog, attending international festivals, and presenting outcomes at the Igneous studio at Ausdance Qld.

STATISTICAL SUMMARY 

New work received 53 applications and 11 were funded.

Program artform development received 14 applications and 6 were funded.

Fellowships received 7 applications, there was 1 fellowship available.

 

STATE	Total apps rec.	% of total apps rec.	Funded	% Approval rate	% of total funded	$ Requested	$ Funded
ACT	3	4.05%	2	66.67%	11.11	88,735	66,235
NSW	23	31.08%	5	21.74%	27.78	964,980	282,654
NT	2	2.70%	0	0%	0	101,270	0
Qld	6	8.11%	2	33.33%	11.11	273,577	132,490
SA	5	6.76%	0	0%	0	202,658	0
Tas.	1	1.35%	1	100%	5.56	25,150	25,150
Vic.	29	39.19%	6	20.69%	33.33	1,096,858	237,827
WA	5	6.76%	2	40.00%	11.11	253,592	125,890
TOTAL	74	100%	18	24.32	100%	$3,006,820	$870,246

Key Organisations – Multi-year

In addition to the applications assessed at this meeting the following are in receipt of funding for their overall activities for 2009:

Ausdance (National)	$250,000
Australian Dance Theatre (SA)	$365,000
Buzz Dance Theatre (WA)	$129,100
Chunky Move (Vic)	$365,000
Dancehouse (Vic)	$134,480
Dance North (Qld)	$218,366
Expressions Dance Company (Qld)	$129,100
Leigh Warren & Dancers (SA)	$215,168
Lucy Guerin Inc (Vic)	$222,000
Restless Dance Company (SA)	$136,000
Stompin (Tas)	$94,104
Tracks (NT)	$259,555

 

Key Organisations – Emerging

Force Majeure (NSW)	$205,000
Tony Yap Company (Multicultural Arts Victoria)	$75,000
ReelDance (NSW)	$200,000
Tasdance (Tas.)	$120,000

 

National touring initiative for contemporary performance- Mobile States

The National touring initiative for contemporary performance is a jointly funded initiative of the theatre and dance boards and the Inter-Arts office. Performing Lines has recently won the tender to deliver this initiative via the Mobile States consortium for the next three years 2009- 2012.

In 2009, Mobile States will tour roadkill and lawn (Splintergroup, produced by Dancenorth & Brisbane Powerhouse), and Marrugeku’s Burning Daylight. 

For more information:

Call      Performing Lines on 02 9319 0066

Email   mobilestates@performinglines.org.au

 

Meeting participants

Dance board members: Dominique Fisher (chair) (Vic.), Claudia Alessi (WA), Julie-Anne Long (NSW), Brian Lucas (Qld), Jeff Khan (Vic.), Elizabeth Walsh (Tas.)

Peer Adviser: Marilyn Miller (Qld), national Indigenous dance coordinator for Ausdance’s Treading the Pathways project.

Australia Council staff: Carin Mistry, Michelle Silby, Amanda Macri, Laura Potts and Sally Hilton.