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2011-08-17
Australia Council announces new publishing subsidies
The Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts is excited to announce a new structure for its publishing subsidies which will provide publishers with greater flexibility and recognise the contribution and track record of Australia’s small and medium sized publishers.
Under the new Publishing Program Grants, which commences in 2012, publishers will apply for annual funding towards their literary publishing program rather than applying for funding for individual titles.
Special Publishing Grants will also be available for ‘one-off’ titles or a series of titles as part of a larger, innovative publishing project. A publisher can apply for up to $50,000 for support for editing, manuscript development, production, digital conversion, permission fees or any large costs, associated with the publication of one-off ‘special’ titles.
The new structure comes as the result of extensive industry consultation, which was informed by the report, A case for literature, which examined the effectiveness of Australia Council publishing subsidies between 1995 and 2005.
Whilst the report highlighted the vital impact the Literature Board’s publishing subsidies program, it also made recommendations for ways it could improve its support for the publishing industry.
“Overwhelmingly the publishers we spoke to supported the report’s recommendations, in particular the move away from title-by-title funding to support via a program grant,” says Dennis Haskell, Chair of the Literature Board.
“This is important feedback for the Board to receive and we’re very pleased to become more effective in supporting the release of important, outstanding Australian writing.”
“It’s been really rewarding to work with the industry on this program, to see how engaged they are with us and to see how important Australia Council publishing subsidies are,” says Dennis.
The application closing date for Publishing Program Grants and Special Publishing Grants is 30 March 2012. Application forms will be available on www.australiacouncil.gov.au from early January.
A case for literature: The effectiveness of subsidies to Australian publishers 1995-2005 and a full response from the Literature Board is available here.
Media contact:
Victoria McClelland-Fletcher
02 9215 9008
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2011-08-22
New funding for artists to build a creative Australia
The Australia Council for the Arts is pleased to launch the Creative Australia Artists Grants, a five year program of funding which delivers to artists the Federal Government’s budget commitment of $10 million in new funding to the arts.
The program will support artists, including young and emerging artists, across all artforms to deliver new artistic works, undertake fellowships and create additional presentations to Australian audiences over the next five years, commencing this year, as part of the Government’s commitment to invest in a creative Australia.
“The Creative Australia Artists Grants are about giving artists the resources and the time to develop their creative vision,” says Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council.
“It’s also about giving Australian audiences access to new and diverse creative experiences.”
Among the new opportunities available will be the New Art initiative which will be open to artists of all backgrounds. Through this initiative the Australia Council’s Inter-Arts Office will deliver grants for 16 large scale projects that take creative risks and explore new ways of engaging the Australian public with contemporary, experimental art.
The Australia Council will also award 10 fellowships for established artists and 13 fellowships for young and emerging artists in a major new initiative to support outstanding artists working across the sector and across Australia.
“These fellowships will support the career development of artists across artforms, whether they live in the cities or regional and rural Australia,” says Kathy. “They offer artists the precious gift of time and space to create inspiring and ambitious work.”
A range of presentation initiatives to help build and connect with audiences will also be available from mid 2012. These grants will support a range of activities across all artforms including exhibiting, touring, recording, publishing, presenting and promoting existing or new activities.
Federal Minister for the Arts, Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, Simon Crean, welcomed the launch.
“The Federal Government is committed to providing opportunities for artists across the country and to giving all Australians access to the arts,” says Minister Crean.
“The Creative Australia Artists Grants will fund up to 150 additional artistic works, presentations and fellowships over five years and that’s an important contribution to the vitality of our arts sector.”
The Australia Council will promote the new opportunities as they become available through its funding forums, marketing campaigns and online resources. Council will focus on attracting applications from artists facing access barriers such as artists with a disability, artists from non-English speaking and culturally diverse backgrounds, and artists in regional and remote areas.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below or downloaded as a PDF (88.5 KB).
More information
For further information please see the Creative Australia Artists Grants page, http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/creativeaustralia.
Contacts
For inquiries about the Creative Australia Artists Grants please contact:
Michael Gottsche, Manager Strategy Planning and Government Relations - phone 02 9215 9190, mobile 0421 029 354, email m.gottsche@australiacouncil.gov.au.
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2011-08-29
Expressions of interest open for redevelopment of the Australian Pavilion in Venice
The Australia Council for the Arts invites expressions of interest (EOI) from Australian registered architects and architectural practices for the redevelopment of the Australian Pavilion in Venice, Italy.
The Australia Council announced its intention to redevelop the pavilion at the opening of the 2011 Australian exhibition at the Venice Biennale in June. The call for Expressions of Interest is the first step in a two-stage process to select an architect to develop the new pavilion.
“The call for EOI marks the start of this exciting project,” said James Strong AO, Chair of the Australia Council. “There’s a great deal of interest in it and I’ve no doubt that come 2015, we’ll be opening an excellent example of contemporary Australian architecture whilst delivering a first class exhibition space, appropriate to the art of today and tomorrow.”
“It’s a complex project made even more so by its limited space and its setting in the unique city of Venice,” continued James. “We’re looking for an architect who can work in this environment and deliver a public exhibition space that will best represent our artists on this significant world stage.”
The EOI stage is an opportunity for architects to provide the selection panel with a clear, concise and considered demonstration of their credentials for a project of this nature.
Following evaluation of the EOI by the selection panel, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to submit a comprehensive tender proposal, based on a detailed design brief, to demonstrate how the project requirements will be successfully implemented.
“The Australian Institute of Architects has endorsed the Australia Council’s selection process as being consistent with our competition guidelines,” said Ross Clark, the Institute’s Chief Operating Officer. “This is a challenging project on many fronts, but we are confident this competitive process will lead to the appointment of an architect who will deliver an inspiring and creative building, of which all Australians can be proud.”
The selection panel will comprise: Mr Luca Belgiorno-Nettis AM (Joint Managing Director of Transfield Holdings, Chair, Biennale of Sydney); Mr Doug Hall AM (Australian Commissioner, Venice Biennale 2011, a former Director, Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, 1987-2007); Ms Kathy Keele (CEO, Australia Council for the Arts); Mr Simon Mordant (Australian Commissioner, Venice Biennale 2013, Chair, Museum of Contemporary Art); and Mr Brian Zulaikha (President, Australian Institute of Architects and Director, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects.)
The new pavilion is due to be completed for the opening of the 56th International Art Exhibition in June 2015. The project is managed by the Australia Council with capital costs raised by the private sector. The appointed architect may be required to work with an Italian firm, to be appointed by the Australia Council.
EOI submissions are due Friday 7 October 2011.
The appointment date for the architect is yet to be announced.
For further information and details of the Expression of Interest visit: http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/venicepavillion
Media contact
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-10-07
5th World Summit on Arts and Culture wraps up as Chile takes the baton for 2014
The 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture concluded yesterday, generating a range of international initiatives to support arts practice and policymaking in Australia and internationally
Yesterday also marked the official handover to the Chilean National Council for Culture and the Arts, the host of the 6th World Summit on Arts and Culture, 13-16 January 2014.
The 5th World Summit, co-hosted by the Australia Council for the Arts and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), was held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Australia on 3-6 October and attracted 501 delegates from 72 countries.
The theme of the Summit, Creative Intersections, was explored by over 80 speakers who provoked wide-ranging debate around the role of innovative government policy in facilitating intersections between the arts and other sectors for the benefit of the broader community, including health and well-being, education, environmental action, business, international aid, social inclusion and digital technologies.
“The Australian arts and culture sector has gained enormously from our hosting of the Summit both in terms of information sharing and the creation of international networks,” said Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts. “With the generous support of the Australian Federal Government, and our partners, Arts Victoria, the ABC, the University of Melbourne, the Asia-Europe Foundation, City of Melbourne, the Commonwealth Foundation, Creative New Zealand, and Tourism Victoria, as well as a range of other partners, we have created a unique and truly global event of which Australia can be proud”.
“The Summit has strongly reinforced the value of international networking between leaders in arts and cultural policy making,” said Alan Davey, Chair of IFACCA and CEO of Arts Council England. “It has also provided delegates and members of IFACCA with a myriad ideas for ways to better support partnerships and networking between artists, arts organisations and other sectors of society in Australia, the Pacific, Asia and the rest of the world”.
Publication of a final research report: Creative Partnerships: Intersections between the arts, culture and other sectors will be available in early 2012 as well as a compilation of the best practice case studies and papers presented at the Summit.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below, on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (452 KB).
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ABC Television and Radio National will broadcast a number of the key sessions captured at summit.
Please check the IFACCA World Summit Facebook page for updates, http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Federation-of-Arts-Councils-and-Culture-Agencies-IFACCA/152337271506543.
Contact
For inquiries about the World Summit please contact:
Victoria McClelland-Fletcher
phone 02 9215 9008, 0409 223 719, email v.mcclelland@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-10-31
Australia Council submission on a National Cultural Policy
The Australia Council for the Arts was pleased to submit its response to the National Cultural Policy Discussion Paper recently. The Australia Council believes a National Cultural Policy will provide an important opportunity to build on past and current investment in the arts, and to take into account trends and opportunities presented by Australia in the 21st century.In developing its response to the ideas and aspirations outlined in the paper, the Australia Council has drawn from its research as well as consultation with and by its artform boards, the sector and its staff. Each board developed their own responses to the discussion paper, which were presented to Council to inform the development of the Australia Council submission. We have included these responses as attachments in our submission.
Download the Australia Council's submission here.
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2011-11-02
Arts Geeks in NBN hubs
Get involved in Brunswick (VIC) and Armidale (NSW)
Early November sees the launch of the NBN Geek in Residence project in both Brunswick (VIC) and Armidale (NSW). This pilot program by the Australia Council for the Arts sees Julian Stadon and Alex Parker take up residence in Armidale and Brunswick respectively for 6 weeks. Julian and Alex will become a new brand of friendly neighbourhood Geeks, assisting local artists and arts organisations in their first contact with the NBN.
For more information visit the NBN Geeks website at www.nbngeeks.net.
What is the NBN?
The NBN or National Broadband Network is a new high-speed internet connection/broadband network which will be rolled out nationally over the coming years.
What does the Geek In Residence Program involve?
Julian and Alex are looking to facilitate the production of digital Australian arts content and to collaborate and share these works between the NBN hub locations of Brunswick and Armidale. Julian and Alex will implement a program of workshops, private consultations and networking events to increase digital skills for artists and arts organisations local to both areas. A survey of potential participants and their needs will determine the content of workshops with a range of topics possible from simple blogging techniques to online video production and social media engagement and even possibly beyond into virtual communities, locative media and game development.
Timeframe
The residencies will commence in early November 2011 and will conclude mid December with a showcase event of works conceived through the program.
Who can get involved?
Artists and arts organisations living and/or working within Brunswick and close surrounds are encouraged to participate. The education and facilitation aspect of the program will cater to a range of digital skill-sets from those who have no digital aspects to their processes to those who are extremely experienced in the area. In terms of content production and commitment, there are also no limits. Julian and Alex will be able to facilitate production of something as simple as a one-off video, blog, or live-streaming of an event, to more complicated series of works.
Geeks/Technicians interested in establishing connections and collaborating with artists and arts organisations are also encouraged to participate.
What is the next step?
Send a brief expression of interest detailing your name, location, general area of artistic practice and current digital interests to your relevant Geek.
Artists and arts organisations local to the Brunswick area and its surrounds should contact Alex Parker at alex[at]residentgeeks[dot]net
Artists and arts organisations local to the Armidale area and its surrounds should contact Julian Stadon at julian[at]residentgeeks[dot]net
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2011-11-03
Brisbane to host Australian Performing Arts Market
The Australia Council for the Arts announces that Brisbane Powerhouse has been awarded the tender for the Australian Performing Arts Market 2014, 2016 and 2018.
The Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) is a biennial performing arts market for artists and programmers from Australia and around the world to discover new artists, find new collaborators and meet with fellow professionals.
With the existing delivery partnership due to conclude in 2012, the Australia Council initiated discussion with the sector and a scoping study to consider APAM’s future.
“Our consultation revealed a desire to extend the focus of APAM on buying and selling to include collaborations, partnerships and long term exchange. We want to ensure the market remains a strong attractor and springboard for international opportunities for Australian arts,” says Rose Hiscock, Australia Council’s Executive Director of Arts Development. “Brisbane Powerhouse responded to our tender with a compelling vision for the next three market places.”
A significant shift in future APAMs is a greater emphasis on the place of Australian arts and our region in a global context. Future APAMs will be a market, a festival and an exchange.
“The exchange will go beyond promoting individual performances to international presenters,” says Rose. “It will set out to deepen their interest and knowledge in the contemporary performing arts of Australia and its neighbors – not only selling individual shows, but also building a deeper relationship with Australia and its region.”
The market will run alongside the World Theatre Festival, a curated program dedicated to the performing arts of the Australasian/South East Asian Region, providing a clear point of difference between APAM and other markets, as well as an opportunity to gain insights into arts in Australia and its neighbours.
“We’re excited to be part of the future of APAM,” says Andrew Ross, Director Brisbane Powerhouse. “By aligning APAM with The World Theatre Festival, we will provide an opportunity for presenters to see full length works whilst being part of a vibrant public event that showcases Australia and our region.”
The 2012 APAM will be held at the Adelaide Festival Centre from Sunday 26 February - Thursday 1 March.
Since 1998 The Australia Council has partnered with Arts SA to deliver APAM, with Arts Projects Australia producing the event. The partnership has seen the event grow from 200 participants including 35 international delegates in its first year to 584 participants, with almost 200 international delegates across 26 countries in 2010.
“The Australia Council is enormously grateful to South Australia - the Government through Arts SA - as well as Arts Projects Australia, the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Adelaide Festival, for nurturing and shaping APAM. It has been the launching pad for so many artists into the international market. We recognise the significant commitment and passion that has made the event a success,” says Rose.
Media contact
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-11-07
New arts projects through Korea-Australia Connection Initiative
The Australia Council for the Arts and Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), are delighted to announce the projects supported in the pilot year of the Korea-Australia Connection Initiative: Strange Fruit and Noreum Machi’s In the Shadow of the Dragon and Not Yet It’s Difficult and Wuturi’s AMPERS&ND.
The Korea-Australia Connection Initiative is a partnership between the Australia Council and the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) to support new collaborative projects involving performing artists and companies from Australia and Korea. It aims to encourage long-term creative exchanges and to build market knowledge, expertise and networks for artists, companies, and producers in both regions.
In its first year, Strange Fruit and Noreum Machi will collaborate on In the Shadow of the Dragon, a new performance work inspired by ritual and ceremony. Noreum Machi is a renowned Korean music and dance ensemble who re-create traditional forms to suit contemporary times. Strange Fruit produce and perform a unique style of work that fuses theatre, dance and circus, using an elevated medium. Through the collaboration, the two companies will explore new techniques and work with music, dance and design to develop an aurally and visually arresting performance experience.
Phillip Gleeson, Creative Director, Strange Fruit, says, “Strange Fruit are incredibly excited to collaborate with Noreum Machi. Their work is contemporary yet deeply grounded in the practice of shamanism. Together, we will push the physical and gestural landscape to create a unique performance outcome.”
Juhong Kim, Artistic Director, Noreum Machi, says, “Noreum Machi is a Korean traditional music ensemble that gives highly theatrical performances. We expect its collaboration with Australian company Strange Fruit, which has emerged as a leader in street performance and physical theatre with its unique ways of expression, to reinvent the theatrical originality of Korean traditional music, produce world-class performances and open new avenues for performance.”
Not Yet It’s Difficult and Wuturi will produce AMPERS&ND, an international collaboration involving music, dance and physical theatre artists. Not Yet It's Difficult is highly regarded for its approach to intercultural theatre practice, physical performance, multimedia theatre and site-specific installation. Wuturi specialise in traditional forms of music-driven theatre and dance. They will work together with Elision, a contemporary music ensemble, who bring their research into instrumental gestures to the project.
David Pledger, Artistic Director, Not Yet It’s Difficult says, “As an artist, collaboration for me is about creating something new, something other than what I would make on my own. An international collaboration amplifies this space as it forces the artist to consider their process in an inter-cultural frame and pretty much challenge every aspect of it. For NYID, Wuturi and Elision, this is the promise of AMPERS&ND.” Claire Sung, Producer, Wuturi , agrees: “I am ready to dive into the sea where all the treasures are hidden and waiting to be found.”
“The Australia Council is enormously proud of this partnership with KAMS and we are delighted to share the collaborative journey the companies will undertake,” says Collette Brennan, Director, Market Development.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below, on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (348 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Korea-Australia Connection Initiative please contact:
Lisa Cuthbertson
Phone 02 9215 9142, email l.cuthbertson@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-11-08
Julie Lomax appointed as new Director, Visual Arts
The Australia Council for the Arts today announced the appointment of Julie Lomax as its new Director, Visual Arts.
Currently the Director of Visual Arts, London Region, for the Arts Council England, Julie will commence in her new role in February 2012. As Director, Visual Arts, Julie will be responsible for providing leadership to the Australia Council’s Visual Arts section and will be the senior advisor to its Visual Arts Board, implementing its decisions and providing key links between the Australia Council and the Visual Arts sector.
“I am looking forward to joining my new colleagues at the Australia Council for the Arts,” said Julie “It will be a privilege to work with artists and arts organisations in Australia’s dynamic and vibrant visual arts sector and I hope the knowledge and contacts I can bring will foster new partnerships and enhance Australia’s already prominent position on the international art scene.”
Julie, who originally trained as an artist at Chelsea School of Art, has over 10 years experience in arts management. Nominated as one of the 30 most powerful people in the art world on The Times’ Art Power list 2010, Julie is also a panel member for the Fourth Plinth Commission in Trafalgar Square, Olympic Park art commissions, and is a steering group member for Art on the Underground.
“I am delighted Julie has accepted the role as Director, Visual Arts,” said Kathy Keele, CEO, Australia Council. “Her experience as a practitioner, advocate, creative producer, and most recently as one of the UK’s leading arts managers and administrators, will be of significant value to the Australia Council’s Visual Arts program to support the sector.”
Professor Ted Snell AM, Chair, Visual Arts Board commented: “Julie brings a wealth of experience from undertaking a similar role with the Arts Council England and comes with a commitment to engage collaboratively with the robust and exciting Australian visual arts sector.
“She is keen to collaborate with colleagues within the Australia Council, and more broadly in the sector, to learn more and to understand the particular conditions of practice for the arts that have shaped the work of Australian artists and the structures that support them. This will be an exciting period in which we will all learn a great deal. Her arrival coincides with a challenging period for the sector where her fresh eyes, deep commitment and solid base of expertise will be invaluable.”
Julie takes over from Kon Gouriotis OAM who has been in the role for the past three years, during which time he led the Visual Arts Board’s evaluation of the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy program and a review of its multi-year funded Key Organisations. Kon leaves the Australia Council at the end of November 2011 to take up the position of Director of the Australian Centre of Photography (ACP).
Media contact
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-11-24
Distinguished poet recognised with emeritus award
The Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts is pleased to announce Australian poet Robert Gray as the recipient of this year’s $50,000 Australia Council Writers’ Emeritus award.
A poet, memoirist, editor, anthologist and book reviewer, Robert Gray has been awarded a number of Premier's Prizes and, in 1990, was the recipient of the Patrick White Award.
His first collection, Creekwater Journal, was released in 1973 and while it gained him instant acclaim, he has tirelessly revised it, with all of these poems now being either substantially rewritten or discarded. The title points to his interest in the Australian landscape, both in itself and as a way of understanding ourselves, a fascination now synonymous with his work.
He has since released a further seven collections and many editions of Selected Poems, both in Australia and overseas and enjoyed the high esteem of writers and critics throughout the world.
“Robert Gray’s poems put him in a rare class of world poets whose work is likely to survive into the next century and beyond,” says Dennis Haskell, Chair of the Australia Council Literature Board. “He is arguably the best read of all Australian poets and has written pieces which are widely regarded as modern classics, are much studied, but which also hold a broad popular appeal.”
“Gray has the best eye in Australian poetry and his work is notable for its sharp visual images - a ‘tomato stake patch’ of yachts; a propped piano lid becomes an ‘urgent sail, far from home’ and Venice's Grand Canal ‘a swan with its throat stretched out’,” says Dennis. “His memoir of 2008, The Land I Came Through Last, is a work so lyrical it reads like a long prose poem.”
On reading his memoir, fellow writer Helen Garner felt compelled to contact Robert saying “Your book filled me with joy. I wanted it to go on forever, so I could keep living in your way of writing, clear and severe, astonishingly rich and beautiful, and full of a dry tenderness.”
Robert has been a writer-in-residence at the prestigious Meiji University in Tokyo and is a translator of poetry of the German poet, Joachim Sartorius. His own work has been translated into many languages, including full collections of his works in Holland, China and Germany.
In 2009 Robert was one of the first two poets selected by Australian Poetry to tour Ireland, Scotland and Northern England; the success of which has paved the way for further tours and a bourgeoning relationship between the poetry scenes of Australia and the UK.
In October this year Robert, along with Geoffrey Lehmann, released the pivotal compendium, Australian Poetry Since 1788. The nearly 1100 page anthology features a myriad of Australian voices, themes and styles of poetry, which are accompanied by detailed notes on many of the poets. It is the culmination of over three decades of Gray and Lehmann's anthology work.
"This is the largest and most comprehensive anthology of Australian poetry ever published, and provides a fresh - and sometimes controversial - view of the practice of the poetry,” says Dennis.
“In this major collection and in his own work, he’s become an important force in the preservation of our poetic heritage. Gray has a deep and equal respect for the art form, the world and the reader. It is a delight to honour his work with the Australia Council Writer’s Emeritus Award.”
The Australia Council Writers Emeritus award is presented at a ceremony at the Australia Council for the Arts at 6pm tonight.
Chair of the Literature Board Dennis Haskell's speech at the ceremony is now available to read.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (359 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Venice Pavilion redevelopment please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548 Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-11-29
Simryn Gill to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale 2013
The Australia Council for the Arts today announced Simryn Gill has been selected to represent Australia at the 55th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2013.The Sydney-based artist, who works across multiple media, will be the sole artist exhibiting at the Australian Pavilion in the Giardini in June 2013. The exhibition will be curated by Catherine de Zegher.
Simryn Gill has had solo exhibitions at the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne (2009); Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2008); Tate Modern, London (2006); Shiseido Gallery, Tokyo (2004); and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (2002).
Recent group exhibitions she has participated in include Untitled (12th Istanbul Biennial), Istanbul, Turkey (2011); Animism, Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland (2010); Provisions for the Future, Sharjah Biennial, UAE (2010); Transmission Interrupted, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, UK (2010); Revolutions – Forms That Turn, Biennale of Sydney (2008); News From Islands, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown (2007); documenta 12, Kassel, Germany (2007); and Living in the Material World, National Arts Centre, Tokyo, Japan (2007).
“Simryn’s work is deeply engaging and challenging,” said 2013 Venice Biennale Commissioner Simon Mordant. “She will be making a new set of works for Venice and I am overjoyed to be working with both her and Catherine de Zegher, in delivering a very exciting Australian contribution to this most important contemporary art exposition.”
Australia Council CEO Kathy Keele said: “Representing Australia at the Venice Biennale is a significant achievement – over 190,000 people visited the Australian Pavilion in 2011. I congratulate Simryn on her selection and I’m confident she will leave a lasting impression on the international audiences at the Venice Biennale – and well beyond.”
The exhibition will be curated by Catherine de Zegher, Joint Artistic Director of the 18th Biennale of Sydney in 2012. Catherine is an art historian, curator and writer. She is Visiting Curator at the Antoni Tàpies Foundation, Barcelona, and until recently, was Guest Curator in the Department of Drawings at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. From 1999-2006, Catherine was the Director of The Drawing Center in New York. In 1997, she was the Commissioner of the Belgian Pavilion at the 47th Venice Biennale.
“I feel honored to be invited to do this exhibition and I thank the selection panel members for their trust," said Simryn. “I am delighted to be working with Catherine de Zegher. We have admired each other’s work from a distance for some time now and I look forward to the process of collaboration.”
Simryn was selected by a six-member peer panel comprising: Simon Mordant, Australian Commissioner for the Venice Biennale 2013 and Chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art; Professor Ted Snell, Chair, Visual Arts Board; Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art; Nick Mitzevich, Director, Art Gallery of South Australia; Jessica Morgan, The Daskalopoulos Curator, International Art, Tate, London; and Russell Storer, Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art, Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art.
“We are delighted to also announce the support of The Balnaves Foundation as the Major Partner, and Maddocks as Principal Corporate Sponsor for 2013,” said Kathy Keele. “Their significant support, as well as the contribution of the Commissioner’s Council and many individual donors, ensures the Australian representation extends and leverages our presence in Venice to increase the profile and international opportunities for the Australian contemporary visual arts sector.”
The Biennale is considered the most important and prestigious event on the international contemporary arts calendar, and is the oldest and largest established biennale in the world. Australia has been consistently represented in the Venice Biennale for more than three decades, through the financial support and management of the Australia Council for the Arts. Visit http://venicebiennale.australiacouncil.gov.au for more information.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (108 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Australian exhibition at the Venice Bienale 2013 please contact:
Lisa CuthbertsonMarketing and Communications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9142, 0407 662 092, Email l.cuthbertson@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-11-30
Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards
The Australia Council for the Arts celebrates the achievements of two outstanding artists with the announcement of the 2011 Australia Council Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards.
Victorian Based artist, Kharen Harper, receives the prestigious Ros Bower Award, worth $50,000, for an outstanding, life-long contribution to community arts and cultural development.
In a career spanning over 20 years, Kharen has worked extensively with women in correctional institutions, elderly survivors of Melbourne orphanages, children in foster care, marginalised young people from the City of Geelong as well as organisations including The AIDS Council, Moreland City Council and Comcare.
She is well known for her work with Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company, which works inside womens’ prisons, as well as with ‘at risk’ youth in rural areas.
A gifted writer, director and performer, Kharen’s plays are respectful of the people and the issues they depict, but are known for delicately mixing the tragic with light hearted moments, making for memorable theatre experiences which create an understanding of the significant issues faced by some of society’s most isolated members
Since 2001 through the Highwater Theatre program, she has worked with young people in Albury/Wadonga who have been physically or emotionally damaged to a point where they are unable to attend school. Kharen’s infectious energy, compassion and artistic skills have led to remarkable results, with 80 percent of these young people returning to school and commencing their VCE or taking up apprenticeships
“Kharen’s work has pushed artistic boundaries and transformed the lives of many who have been a part of it,” says Deputy Chair of the Australia Council’s Community Partnerships Committee, Jeremy Smith. “Her ability to connect with people, to understand their background and encourage them to tell their story is nothing short of remarkable.”
Shakthi Sivanathan will also receive the Kirk Robson Award for the achievements of young Australian artists working with communities to produce art about social issues.
Shakthi is a founding director of CuriousWorks which he has since led to deliver a series of creative initiatives that have had sustainable and innovative outcomes for all Australians.
From 2005-2007 Shakthi lead The Migrant Project, which brought together 40 Sydneysiders with cultural and artistic ancestries from across the globe, in a series of live performances and forums. Garnering an audience of over 2,000 people, the project concluded in a feature film.
Shakthi developed a best-practice model for using digital media in a simple, positive, lasting manner in marginalised communities, which has led to long-term community projects in Western Sydney and remote Western Australia
More recently he has worked on The Stories Project, a program which provides a pathway for potential cultural leaders to become employed, professional, influential media makers on behalf of their community; and The Lanka Project, a multi-platform initiative of theatre, audiovisual and community projects bringing the lives of Sri Lankan – Australians to the fore
“Shakthi’s work has focused on respectful collaboration with some of Australia’s most marginalised communities,” says Jeremy Smith. “He’s also continually provided artistically innovative examples of the use of traditional and digital distribution methods for the ongoing sharing of contemporary, untold, Australian stories.”
The Australia Council Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards are presented tonight at the Melbourne Town Hall at 6pm.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (83 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548 Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2011-12-16
Artists Invited to Enrich Our Future With the NBN
Artists, groups and organisations are invited to propose innovative arts projects that utilise next generation high-capacity broadband enabled by the National Broadband Network. The Broadband Arts Initiative will support artistic teams with up to $100,000 to develop and present their project enabled by the NBN.
Expressions of interest for the Broadband Arts Initiative are due to the Australia Council by 15 February 2012. See complete application guidelines for eligibility and selection criteria for this initiative and contact Australia Council staff to discuss your proposal ideas.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (88.5 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Broadband Arts Initiative please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9142, 0407 662 030, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-01-06
Warning: Scam related to the Australia Council
The Australia Council for the Arts is warning people about a current scam involving callers who claim to be from this organisation.
The caller tells people they are eligible for $25,000 grants from the Grant Council of Australia and quotes the postal address and ABN of the Australia Council.
We warn that these calls are a scam. The Australia Council is not in the business of phoning people to offer grants.
All reporters of scams please contact your local police station.
Alternatively, please contact SCAM Watch: visit the website for details, or call 1300 795 995.
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2012-02-03
The Australia Council congratulates Geoffrey Rush on being named Australian of the Year
The Australia Council congratulates Geoffrey Rush on being named Australian of the Year.
“This is a great endorsement of the role Australian artists play in our society,” says Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts. “As Australian of the Year, Geoffrey will bring an artist’s perspective to important social issues and will help to tell those stories.”
With an already passionate dedication to the Australian theatre and film world, Geoffrey will use his role as Australian of the Year to improve the visibility and credibility for Australian theatre and film. It’s also an important opportunity to highlight the strength of Australian arts, as well issues that face the sector such the difficulty for artists in maintaining careers.
“Australians are passionate arts goers and they understand the important role the arts play in our society,” says Kathy. “But maintaining a career as an artist is still extremely difficult, so to have someone such as Geoffrey named Australian of the Year is a wonderful opportunity to put the spotlight on all our talented artists and to generate understanding and support for what they do.”
“With the approach of the new National Cultural policy, 2012 is well on its way to becoming the year of Australian arts.” says Kathy.
A consummate theatre actor, he has continued to choose roles that intrigue and challenge him, as opposed to star vehicles. This unpretentious, playful and collegiate approach to working on the Australian stage, has earned him as much respect within the sector as the trophies he has won.
Amongst much else, Rush is known for his long association with Belvoir (Company B), where he took an active interest in up-and-coming theatre artists, acting as patron of Belvoir’s B Sharp season of independent theatre works for 12 years. His generosity with both time and talent is well-known within the arts sector. During seasons at Belvoir, he could often be found after performances mixing with actors, crew and audience members, and talking with emerging artists about their work.
Rush is an ambassador for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and UNICEF Australia, and last year he was appointed the foundation president of the newly-formed Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Rush is also patron of the Melbourne International Film Festival, Toowoomba's Empire Theatre Foundation, the Spina Bifida Foundation Victoria.
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2012-02-25
Contribute to the Australia council review now through the online survey
The Chairs of the independent Australia Council Review have launched an online survey to identify a broad range of views about the relevance and support the agency provided to the arts, culture and creative industries.
Arts Minister Simon Crean said many “The Australia Council has a proud history of supporting artists and organisations to develop their talent and showcase their work to national and international audiences.”
“Chairs of the Review, Mr Angus James and Ms Gabrielle Trainor, want to follow on from the public consultation and ask the sector if the original purpose of the Australia Council remains relevant today.
“As part of their review, the Chairs have developed an online survey over the last few weeks which is designed to draw out the sector’s views and to see what changes, if any, they would like to see made to the Australia Council.
Mr James and Ms Trainor strongly encouraged interested parties to respond to the online survey and said it was important that stakeholders from across all art forms, industry groups and those with an interest in the agency provide feedback on what aspects of the agency can be improved.
This questionnaire should only take around 8-10 minutes and can only be completed in one sitting. The survey is being undertaken for the Review by TNS Social Research on behalf of the Australian Government’s Office for the Arts.
The survey closes at 5pm AEDT, Friday 9 March 2012.
For further information please go to http://culture.arts.gov.au/australia-council-review-survey
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2012-03-14
Visual arts awards for two extraordinary careers
Two outstanding careers in the visual arts are today recognised with the Australia Council Visual Arts Laureate Award and Laureate Medal, at a ceremony at Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia.Leading Australian contemporary artist Fiona Hall receives the $40,000 Australia Council Visual Arts Laureate Award, acknowledging her exceptional achievements as a visual artist and her outstanding contribution to the development of Australian art.
“Fiona is an exceptional artist who transforms ordinary everyday objects to address big ideas such as globalisation, consumerism, colonialism and natural history,” says Professor Ted Snell, Chair of the Australia Council Visual Arts Board. “She does it with skill, with wit, with insight and with amazing energy,”
“Her work has become iconic in the lexicon of contemporary Australian art practice; her magically transformed sardine cans, her transmogrified knitted video tape and her re-imagined bank notes are instantly recognisable and unanimously embraced as works of great beauty,” says Professor Snell.
Fiona Hall first emerged on the arts scene in the 1970s as a photographer, but during the 1980s transitioned to using a diverse range of art forms. Her ever-growing repertoire includes sculpture, painting, installation, garden design and video.
With a career now spanning four decades, and continuing unabated, her work is represented in every major public art collection in Australia. She has been included in many national and international exhibitions and undertaken numerous sought after residencies.
She won the prestigious Contempora 5 Art Award at the National Gallery of Australia in 1997, she was included in the 2010 Sydney Biennale and Last year was awarded the Artist Award from the Melbourne Art Foundation in recognition of her achievement in the visual arts through a comprehensive body of work.
Director of the National Gallery of Australia, Ron Radford AM receives the Laureate Medal for his outstanding contribution to the development of the Australian cultural sector.
In over thirty years of working in the art museum profession in Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, he has been responsible for the acquisition of approximately 15,000 works of art and has personally curated almost sixty exhibitions. He is also the author of numerous catalogues and books and was appointed Australian Commissioner for the 1999 Venice Biennale.
“Ron is indeed larger than life, he has an exceptional ability to project his vision for a Gallery to enthuse those around him,” says Professor Snell. “His support of Australian art and Australian artists has been quite simply phenomenal, throughout his career many have benefited from his good counsel, his generosity and his advocacy.”
Ron has served on many national and state boards and committees, including five years as a member of the Australia Council and Chair of the Visual Arts/Craft Board (from 1997– 2002). He was a foundation member of the National Portrait Gallery Board from 1997 to 2005 and its Deputy Chair from 2001 to 2005.
“Fiona Hall and Ron Radford are exceptional individuals whose commitment and energy is renowned,” concludes Professor Snell. “Both are consummate professionals and both are enthusiasts whose passion is transmitted to others with great energy and panache through their work.”
The Australia Council Visual Arts Laureate Award and Laureate Medal are presented today, at a ceremony at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (89 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Australian exhibition at the Venice Bienale 2013 please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-03-21
Highest accolade for a unique Australian musician
The Australia Council Don Banks Music Award, the most valuable individual music award in the country, is tonight awarded to Jon Rose, for his outstanding and continued contribution to Australian music.For nearly four decades, Jon has been at the sharp edge of new and improvised music in Australia. He is a violinist, instrument maker, software developer, composer, performer, provocateur and innovator. He has recorded a vast and impressive body of work and has performed and exhibited around the world.
“Jon's influence as a musical maverick and innovator is appreciated worldwide,” says Matthew Hindson, Chair of the Australia Council Music Board, who presents the award tonight at the Museum of Western Australia. “Jon has an uncanny ability to see the musicality of everyday activities, situations and objects. He finds music in everything and encourages us to see that the world is musical.”
He is well known for playing wire fences, a talent that began with the premise ‘instead of this great country of ours being traversed by millions of miles of fencing, it is in fact covered with millions of miles of string instrument, and we all just gotta get out there and play it!’
With The Great Fences of Australia Jon has travelled across every state and territory, playing and recording the unique sounds of hundreds of fences, including the well-known 'Dog Fence' and 'Rabbit-Proof Fences'.
“While Jon is known as a composer or a violinist, he is in the broadest possible sense, an artist,” says Matthew. “His work is not divided into categories but flows from one end of the spectrum to the other, moving freely between art forms.”
Jon Rose started playing violin at the age of seven, but quickly disregarded formal training and has since spent his time exploring everything conceivable, and beyond, that can be done with a violin. This includes building of a range of previously unimagined instruments such as the double piston, triple neck wheeling violin; the 19-string cello and the bicycle-powered double violin.
His exploration of the violin is captured in his life’s work, the Relative Violin Project which, beyond instrument making, has involved writing books, radiophonic works, films, the development of extended string techniques, the founding of a semi-fictional violin museum (The Rosenberg Museum), and a plethora of large scale multi-media performances often placing the violin outside of the concert hall.
Jon is committed to encouraging a broader understanding of music. In 1977, he started Australia’s first musician run collective for the promotion and recording of improvised music, Fringe Benefit. In 2002 he set up the Australia Ad Lib website for the ABC, an interactive record of, and guide to Australia's diverse music-making.
He is also well known for his work with interactive electronics, particularly with his development of the interactive violin bow, or K-Bow. He has turned sports into musical and mixed-media compositions such as netball games (Team Music), pieces for kites and kayaks, a giant environmental ball piece (Sphere of Influence) and developed a whole chamber orchestra of bicycle-powered musical instruments, Pursuit, which will have a revival in Australia in 2013 as part of the Centenary of Canberra celebrations.
“Jon is a global artist, but one with a deep understanding of Australia; it’s culture, history and physical landscape, which he brings to his work and shares with the world,” says Matthew. “He stands as a role model of courage and persistence for talented artists on the fringes. It is a great honour for us to present him with the Australia Council Don Banks Music Award.”
The Australia Council Don Banks Music Award is presented at the Museum of Western Australia, tonight at 6:30pm, as part of the Tura New Music 2012 program launch.
Video
To recognise Jon's achievements the Australia Council commissioned a short video featuring samples of his work and tributes from distinguished members of the music and arts community.
About the award
The Australia Council Don Banks Music Award is one of the top annual awards the Australia Council offers in recognition of Australian artists whose work represents outstanding achievement in their respective fields.
The Award is valued at $60,000 and is offered by the Council’s Music Board. The Board offers only one award annually to an individual artist.
The purpose of the Australia Council Don Banks Music Award is to honour an artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australia music over a period of many years.
The award was established in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer, and the first Chair of the Music Board. Initially established to recognise Australian composers, nominations are now invited for music artists, including performers, from all areas of music.
The award is intended for artists over the age of 50, and is granted only once in an artist’s lifetime. Nominations are accepted from individuals and arts organisations. Artists may not nominate themselves; nominations must come from a third party.
Past winners
Past winners of the Australia Council Don Banks Music Award include:
Richard Mills (1996)
Richard Meale (1997)
Bernie McGann (1998)
Brenton Broadstock (1999)
Bunna Lawrie (2000)
Allan Browne (2001)
Lyndall Hendrickson (2002)
John Curro AM MBE (2003)
Jan Sedivka (2004)
Carl Vine (2005)
Richard Gill OAM (2006)
Peter Sculthorpe OBE (2007)
Bob Sedergreen AM (2008)
Dr Tony Gould (2009)
Warren Fahey AM (2010)
Belinda Webster OAM (2011)
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (190 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the Australian Council Don Banks Music Award please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-04-03
Denton Corker Marshall Appointed Architects for New Venice Pavilion
The Australia Council for the Arts today announced that one of Australia’s most highly regarded architectural practices, Denton Corker Marshall, will design the new Australian pavilion for the Venice Biennale, planned for completion in 2015.
Denton Corker Marshall, whose credits include such landmark buildings as the Melbourne Museum, Museum of Sydney, Australian Embassies in Tokyo and Beijing, and the Stonehenge Visitor Centre in the UK, was unanimously selected from a shortlist of six Australian firms.
“Denton Corker Marshall was considered the outstanding choice to undertake this significant project,” said Chair of the Australia Council, James Strong AO. “We are inspired by their creative vision, confident in their ability and excited by the potential for a truly exemplary building all Australians will be proud of.”
Denton Corker Marshall’s concept for the pavilion is simple. As stated in their submission, the design is “to make a form of the utmost simplicity; a white box contained within a black box. The pavilion is envisaged as an object rather than a building; a presence that is simultaneously powerful and discreet within the heavily wooded gardens.”
John Denton, from Denton Corker Marshall said today: “Venice holds a special place in the arts and architecture worlds so it’s very exciting for us to win this project. I believe it will be a building that will proudly represent Australia and be recognised as a powerful, confident addition to the pavilions in the Giardini.”
The Venice Biennale is the world’s oldest and most prestigious event on the international contemporary arts calendar. Australia has been consistently represented at the event for more than three decades. It regularly attracts a quarter of a million visitors over its five months and last year over 192,000 attended the Australian pavilion’s exhibition.
Selection panellist Brian Zulaikha, President, Australian Institute of Architects said of the winning tender: “Denton Corker Marshall's building is a striking, perhaps timeless addition to the Giardini. Handsome and sculpturally bold, its skilful simplicity creates an inspiring and limitless space for artists and audiences.”
Australia has had a site in the prestigious Giardini location since 1988 – one of only 29 countries to have a permanent national presence – where Phillip Cox designed our first pavilion as a temporary structure for the Arthur Boyd exhibition of that year. The new pavilion is due to be completed for the opening of the 56th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2015. The project, managed by the Australia Council, is estimated to cost approximately $6 million. Australia is the first country to redevelop its site in the Giardini.
High resolution images of the new Australian Pavilion are available for media. www.australiacouncil.gov.au/pavilion
Video
Please view the flythrough of the pavilion design.
Selection process background
Plans to build a new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale were announced on 1 June, 2011.
Stage 1: 67 Expressions of Interest were received following an open call to Australian architects.
Stage 2: six practices were shortlisted based on their demonstrated capability, suitability, experience and skills to undertake the project. They were:
Bud Brannigan Architects
Denton Corker Marshall
John Wardle Architects
Johnson Pilton Walker
Peter Stutchbury Architecture
Sean Godsell Architects
The shortlisted practices were invited to submit a comprehensive tender proposal against a design brief that had been informed by discussions with artists, curators and key stakeholders, and reviewed and endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects.
The winning firm, Denton Corker Marshall, was selected unanimously by a panel comprising:
Ms Lesley Alway (Director, Asialink Arts; former Director, Heide Museum of Modern Art)
Mr Luca Belgiorno-Nettis AM (Joint Managing Director of Transfield Holdings; Chair, Biennale of Sydney)
Mr Doug Hall AM (Australian Commissioner, Venice Biennale 2011; former Director, Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art 1987-2007)
Mr James Strong AO (Chair, Australia Council for the Arts)
Mr Simon Mordant AM (Australian Commissioner, Venice Biennale 2013; Chair, Museum of Contemporary Art)
Mrs Penelope Seidler AM (Director, Harry Seidler and Associates; Board of Directors, Biennale of Sydney)
Mr Brian Zulaikha (President, Australian Institute of Architects; Director, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects)
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (124 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the new pavilion design please contact:
Peter BridgesCommunications Adviser
Phone 0417 390 180, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-04-24
A new agreement needed for women in theatre
A new report, Women in Theatre, released today by the Australia Council for the Arts, offers the first detailed analysis of the representation of women in creative roles in the Australian theatre scene from the early 80s to today.
A key finding is that whilst the concerted policy and strategy interventions of the 80s and 90s saw improvements in the representation and support of women key creative roles throughout this period; over the past decade, there’s evidence that the situation has deteriorated.
The report, a key recommendation from the 2010 Women Director’s Forum, was commissioned through a partnership of the Australia Council’s Theatre and Major Performing Arts Boards. It draws upon data and commentary from reports on the issue of women in creative leadership compiled over the past 30 years, together with interviews with over 40 key industry figures.
Importantly, the report proposes a way forward through three strategies: more rigorous tracking of the state of the sector and any advances for women; greater board and senior management accountability for their track record; and vigilance, through all individuals taking responsibility for their decision-making.
The Australia Council has launched an online survey to gather responses to the report, the issues it raises and the three proposed strategies. Members of the theatre sector are encouraged to read the report and contribute their thoughts. Survey results, along with an upcoming focus group discussion, will enable the Australia Council and the sector to collaborate on further development of the strategies.
“The report confirms what we know instinctively - that there’s no ’silver bullet’ solution,” says Stephen Armstrong, Chair of the Australia Council Theatre Board. “People commonly talk of gender quotas, but this has been shown to be ineffective.”
“It’s also clear that this isn’t isolated to the theatre sector,” says Stephen. “Many of the obstacles detailed in this report are the same ones faced by women in the private sector such as the burden balancing of career and family responsibilities which often falls to women, the lack of sustained organisational reporting and action, and the perception that this is not a problem.”
While the issue of gender equality in the theatre largely fell off the agenda in the early 2000s, it remerged in 2009, with public debate around the unusually low representation of women in creative roles within major theatre subscription seasons for 2010.
“Since 2009 the Australia Council has provided the sector with forum and roundtable opportunities to analyse state of play, and through the newly developed Creating Pathways reporting tool, we plan to collect meaningful data about how our theatre organisations are progressing with the issue,” says Stephen.
“What we need to ensure now is that this report is not an end in itself, but instead, a point of no return in improving the prospects for women creatives in Australian theatre.”
The report brings the Australia Council’s research in this area up to the present day, and provides a basis for the theatre sector to reach agreement on future strategies to achieve and sustain some parity for women in creative leadership.
Women In Theatre can be downloaded from the Australia Council website:
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/womenintheatre
The online survey can also be accessed via this address.
Media contact
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-05-29
A life in music honoured with top Indigenous award
The Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board is proud to present the $50,000 Red Ochre Award, Australia’s highest peer-assessed award for an Indigenous artist, to Western Aranda country musician Warren H Williams for his outstanding contribution to the Indigenous arts.The award is presented today at the 5th National Indigenous Arts Awards, held at the Sydney Opera House. Also presented is the inaugural $20,000 Dreaming Award, for a young and emerging Indigenous artist, awarded to Nakkiah Lui, a playwright from Western Sydney.
Two fellowships of $90,000 over two years are also announced, one going to musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and the other to ‘digital native’, Jenny Fraser.
Warren H Williams is a singer, musician and song writer from Hermannsburg in Central Australia. While known widely as a country musician, he brings together many threads of the contemporary Australian sound, merging Aboriginal music with country and rock, bringing these musical genres onto a world stage.
“Warren plays a vital and unique role in the Australian music industry,” says Lee-Ann Buckskin, who was appointed Chair of the Australia Council ATSIA Board this week. “He’s a quiet achiever who not only shows young people the way to have a successful career in the music industry, but also dedicates his energy to issues of health, Aboriginal rights and the environment.”
“Whenever he talks, people listen; and when he plays, whether it’s in the laneways of Melbourne, in youth centres in Alice Springs, or live on national television – crowds are mesmerised by his music,” says Lee-Ann.
The turning point for Warren’s career came when he joined with John Williamson to sing ‘Raining on the Rock’ – the duet became an anthem for reconciliation and one of Australia’s most recognised country songs.
Warren’s achievements have been recognised through many awards including NAIDOC Artist of the Year in 2006, the Country Music Centenary Medal from the Country Music Association of Australia in 2004, and a Golden Guitar with John Williamson & Amos Morris for ‘Australia Is Another Word For Free’ in 2009.
To date, Warren has released nine albums. His latest offering is a move away from country music to a language album Winanjjara, or ‘song man’ in Warumungu language. It was recorded with the song men of Tennant Creek and sung in two of his maternal ancestors’ languages: Warumungu and Western Aranda.
With his Red Ochre prize money, Warren plans to go to the US country music capital of Nashville to create an album.
“If there is anyone who deserves to be acknowledged for his integrity, commitment and compassion towards his fellow Aboriginal artists and community, it is Warren H Williams,” says Lee-Ann.
Dreaming Award recipient Nakkiah Lui is a 25-year-old Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander woman who grew up in Western Sydney. A passionate playwright, she draws heavily from her own life and community in the Mount Druitt area, which has a large Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. She wrote her first play while studying in Canada as a way to share her culture with an international community.
Nakkiah is currently a resident playwright at Belvoir, Sydney. The award prize of $20,000 allows her to continue her work at Belvoir with her mentor; director and dramaturg Andrea James.
She will write a new play that will receive development assistance, including a staged reading at Belvoir in 2012. Nakkiah aims to explore the role of an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer’s conflicts while working within the police force. The Dreaming Award money will give her the resources to do the required research.
“Nakkiah is a talented emerging playwright with a unique voice,” says Lee-Ann. “She exudes enthusiasm about her work and future career. Her vision for a play examining the tensions surrounding the role of Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer was both clear and compelling.
“I’m very pleased to see the inaugural Dreaming Award presented to someone who will undoubtedly grow to be an important, Australian voice.”
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu will use his fellowship to create a large-scale music and surround multi-screen sensory installation with imagery drawn from his homelands. Audiences of his new digital installation will be able to hear and smell the ocean, and experience the land and community of the remote Elcho Island.
Much of Jenny Fraser’s work as a screen-based visual artist, writer and curator defies categorisation. Through her fellowship she is set to challenge audiences again with her latest unusual storytelling project, Midden.
Midden will celebrate unsung heroes and previously unspoken events in a non-linear documentary. Jenny will use shells, along with screen-based and performance elements to enhance, reframe and remix stories, to create new ways of engaging audiences.
The Australia’s premier Indigenous arts awards a presented
Sunday, 27 May 2012 in the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House, 3.00 - 5.00pm.
Audio and images from the event are available on request
The National Indigenous Arts Awards are presented annually by the Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board to outstanding Indigenous artists as nominated and selected by their peers.
The awards are a celebration of the vibrancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture and a snapshot of the outstanding diversity of Indigenous arts in Australia today.
Red Ochre Award recipients 1993-2011
2011
Archie Roach
2001
Bunduk Marika
2010
Michael Leslie
2000
Mervyn Bishop
2009
Gawirrin Gumana
1999
Justine Saunders
2008
Doris Pilkington Garimara
1998
Bob Maza
2006
Tom E. Lewis
1997
Jimmy Chi
2005
Seaman Dan
1996
Maureen Watson
2004
John Bulunbulun
1995
Rita Mills
2003
Jimmy Little
1994
Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri
2001
Bunduk Marika
1993
Eva Johnson
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (122 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the 5th National Indigenous Arts Awards please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-06-06
Record delegation of Indigenous artists for FOPA
The Australiaa Council for the Arts is proud to announce that 50 of Australia’s best Indigenous artists will attend the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA) to be held in the Solomon Islands’ capital, Honiara on July 1 – 14.The Australian delegation of 50 artists, the largest ever to attend, represents an extensive range of Indigenous artforms and cultural practices, from dance and visual arts in the Torres Strait, desert reggae in Papunya, fabric design in the Tiwi to glassworks and poetry in Canberra.
Amongst the selected artists are the Tjupi Band, who are part of a new wave of Indigenous Australian reggae; the Chooky Dancers, widely known through their previous work, Wrong Skin (Ngurrumilmarrmiryu) and their appearance in the film Bran Nue Dae; Sharon Phineasa, whose passion for preserving culture through artistic expression leads to work across artforms including, painting, printmaking, collage, sculpture and carving; and singer/songwriter Jess Beck creates a unique blend of pop, folk and jazz with her band.
The delegation was selected by the curatorial team of Marilyn Miller, Wesley Enoch, Vernon Ah Kee and Nadine McDonald, with the Queensland Theatre Company.
“I would like to thank the curatorial team for taking such care in selecting this year’s delegation,” says Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council. “Each artist selected is an exceptional representative of their communities and their cultural traditions, both past and present.”
“In full, we see a delegation that is rich in traditional arts and culture, but also displays the vibrancy of contemporary Indigenous arts practice,” says Kathy.
Held every four years since its inception in 1972, FOPA brings together 2,500 performers, artists and cultural practitioners from 27 countries and territories across the Pacific region. FOPA offers Indigenous peoples the opportunity to share customary practices in dance, music, food and crafts. The festival bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary cultural expression, while revitalising and reflecting on traditional arts and culture.
“Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts (ATSIA) board is proud to present and share the cultural expression of Indigenous Australia as part of the world’s largest gathering of Indigenous Pacific cultures,” says Lee-Ann Buckskin, Chair of the Australia Council’s ATSIA board. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the best of our culture with our Pacific brothers and sisters, as well as build connections beyond our borders.”
“It’s more than an artistic and cultural exchange between individuals,” says Lee-Ann. “It’s a social and political exchange between people, between cultures and between countries.”
This year, FOPA will reach a much wider audience than ever before, thanks to an innovative online strategy. A team, including a dedicated blogger, will create digital stories so that people who are unable to attend the festival in Honiara can witness daily activity.
The Australian delegation also for the first time includes film and documentary makers who will both document and contribute creatively to the festival program.
The Australian FOPA delegation will depart Brisbane for the festival 30 June. Artist bios are available from www.australiacouncil.gov.au/fopa.
Podcasts, interviews and images from FOPA will be available from http://fopa.australiacouncil.gov.au which will launch 18 June.
2012 Delegation profiles
Adam James
Arpaka Dance Company
Angela Torenbeek
Christal Ware
Dennis Newie
George Pedro
Georgina Uiduldam
Hans Ahwang
Harriet Naawi
Harry Newie
Majella Newie
Mary Bin Awel
Petrine Saunders
Smiler Sinak
The Chooky Dancers
Djamangi Gaykamangu
Djapana Wunungmurra
Ganapunbun Gurruwiwi
Guymangura Gaykamangu
Lionel Dulmanawuy Garawirrtja
Wakara Gondarra
Dhinawan
Jenni Kemarre Martiniello
Jenny Fraser
Jess Beck
Curtis Argent
James McKendry
Jess Beck
Lyndy Delian
Nicholls Sisters
Glenda Nicholls
Marilyne Nicholls
Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dancers
Ashley Ruska
Donald Dodd
Eugene Ruska
Gavin Cust
Michael Pitt
Trent Thompson
Pauline Clague (Filmmaker)
Penny Smallacombe (Documentary maker)
Peter Sharrock
Sharon Phineasa
Tiwi Design
Douglas Warlapinni
Gordon Pupangamirri
Maria Josette Orsto
Romolo Tipiloura
Tjupi Band
Barnabas Daniels
Ethan McDonald
Jason Butcher
Jeremiah Butcher
Sammy Butcher
Samuel Inkamala
Vicki West
Wayne Quilliam (Photographer)
2012 Delegation profiles
The official 2012 FOPA Australian Delegation profiles can be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (2.06 MB).
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (131 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the 2012 FOPA Australian Delegation please contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Photo: The Chooky Dancers from Elcho Island are among the Australian Delegation attending the 2012 Festival of the Pacific Arts. Credit: Joshua Bond.
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2012-06-06
Australian artists shine at dOCUMENTA (13)
Thursday 7 June 2012 - German Media Release
The works of eight Australian visual artists will be on show at dOCUMENTA (13), one of the most prestigious events on the visual arts calendar, held in Kassel, Germany every five years. The strong and unprecedented Australian presence coincides with the 60th anniversary celebrations of Australian diplomatic relations with Germany. Presented across venues and locations throughout Kassel, documenta has been showcasing cutting-edge contemporary visual arts from around the world since its inception in 1955. The last edition of documenta in 2007 attracted over 750,000 visitors from all over the world, including international collectors, gallery and museum directors and curators, and international press.
This is the largest ever contingent of Australian artists represented at dOCUMENTA (13). The artists are: Gordon Bennett, Simryn Gill, Fiona Hall, Stuart Ringholt, Margaret Preston (deceased), Doreen Reid Nakamarra (deceased), Warwick Thornton and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, and Australia-based Khadim Ali.
The celebration of Australian artists is the vision of dOCUMENTA (13) Artistic Director Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, a former Biennale of Sydney Artistic Director (2008), whose time with the Biennale inspired a passion for Australian artists.
Carolyn worked closely with indigenous curator Hetti Perkins to develop a distinct indigenous Australian element to the event, with four very different contemporary indigenous artists being represented, building an international appreciation of the strength and diversity of the world’s oldest living culture. Christov-Bakargiev invited Perkins to join a core group of international curators to work alongside her as an Agent for dOCUMENTA (13).
“I am pleased to see such strong representation from Australia at dOCUMENTA (13), particularly as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Germany,” says Australian Ambassador to Germany Mr Peter Tesch.
“dOCUMENTA (13) will bring some of the best Australian contemporary visual artists and thinkers to an important global audience, enhancing the reputation of our artists and showcasing Australia’s contribution to global culture,” says Ambassador Tesch.
Australia-based artist Khadim Ali will also participate and undertake a linked residency both before and during the event. Australian writers, poets and scholars including Romaine Moreton, Jill Bennett and anthropologist Michael Taussig have been invited to contribute to the publication series accompanying dOCUMENTA (13), 100 notes – 100 thoughts.
“This is a wonderful moment for Australia to be so well represented at dOCUMENTA (13),” says Professor Ted Snell, Chair of the Australia Council’s Visual Arts Board. “One of the premier forums for contemporary art in the world, the strong cohort of Australian artists, writers and curators is evidence of the vitality and innovation that characterises Australian visual arts.”
“Preceding the Sydney Biennale by a matter of weeks, it’s an excellent opportunity to showcase the achievements of Australian artists working locally and reaching global audiences,” says Professor Snell.
The Australia Council for the Arts has supported dOCUMENTA (13) in partnership with the Australian Government’s nation branding program, Brand Australia, and the Australian Embassy in Berlin.
dOCUMENTA (13) opens to the public on Saturday 9 June 2012 and runs for 100 days until 16 September 2012. Event information and artist bios are available from http://d13.documenta.de/
Media contact
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (153 KB).
Image credits (above): Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Doreen Reid Nakamarra,'Untitled' (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012). Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri: 'Untitled', 2008 Acrylic on Belgian linen 153 x 122 cm; 'Untitled', 2008 Acrylic on Belgian linen 153 x 183 cm; 'Untitled', 2009 Acrylic on Belgian linen 153 x 183 cm; 'Untitled', 2009 Acrylic on Belgian linen 183 x 244 cm; 'Untitled', 2012 Acrylic on Belgian linen 183 x 244 cm. Commissioned by dOCUMENTA (13) and produced by Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd. All works courtesy the artist; Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd. Doreen Reid Nakamarra: 'Untitled', 2007 Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 183 x 244 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; 'Untitled', 2007 Acrylic on linen 183 x 244 cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; 'Untitled', 2008 Acrylic on linen 183 x 244 cm Private collection, Sydney; 'Untitled', 2009 Acrylic on linen 91 x 122 cm, Courtesy of the estate of the artist and Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd; 'Untitled', 2009 Acrylic on linen 122 x 153 cm, Courtesy of the estate of the artist and Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd; 'Untitled', 2009 Acrylic on linen 153 x 183 cm, Private collection, Australia. Photo: Roman März.
(Menu detail): Gordon Bennett, 'Home Décor (after Margaret Preston) #1', March 1, 2010, Acrylic on linen, 182,5 x 152 cm; Courtesy the artist; Sutton Gallery, Melbourne. Photo: Anders Sune Berg.
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2012-06-07
Broadband Arts Initiative
The Hon Simon Crean MP
Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government
Minister for the Arts
Media Release
PIONEERING ARTISTS TO EXPLORE NEXT GENERATION BROADBAND
Four artistic teams will harness the unprecedented creative possibilities of high capacity broadband with $350,000 through the Australia Council’s Broadband Arts Initiative.
Arts Minister Simon Crean today announced the successful artists who will generate new art content for next generation broadband networks in Australia.
“The National Broadband Network is forging new possibilities for artists,” Mr Crean said.
“It is broadening audiences for artists and providing new digital platforms for creating, sharing and presenting work.
“I have been a constant advocate and proponent for this potential, arguing that the NBN is the highway.
“The creative industries are a key part of determining the vehicles that go on the highway. The access and applications are vital.
“Selected by a panel of practicing artists as well as leaders from the broadcast, creative and gaming industries, these teams are breaking creative boundaries with projects that are only possible as a result of high speed broadband infrastructure.
“For example, Terrapin Puppet Theatre has received $100,000 to use high speed broadband to stage a live simultaneous performance of children’s show ‘Shadow Dreams’ to two audiences in different locations.
“In collaboration with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and in a first for puppet performance, this project will feature live networked symphony performances in both locations,” he said.
Festival director Marcus Westbury has received $86,000 for the Screen Portal Project which will connect artists and audiences in real-time interactions on high definition, life-size audio visual screens in public spaces in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, as part of the 2013 International Symposium on Electronic Arts.
The City of Whittlesea, Victoria has received $100,000 for ‘Stay or Leave’ an online public artwork that will reveal the impact of natural disaster. Using the National Broadband Network, this project will work with communities to create a sonic landscape which mirrors the rapidly changing circumstances of extreme events.
Media artist Keith Armstrong has received $64,000 for ‘Long Time, No See?’ an online and installation artwork where the public will generate a vision for Australia’s long term future. This project connects with communities at early National Broadband Network release sites.
“The initiative received enormous interest from artists and arts organisations across Australia, with more than 100 expressions of interest received,” Mr Crean said.
“Such a resounding sector response demonstrates the excitement from the arts community about the possibilities of high speed broadband and the National Broadband Network to allow artists to extend artistic form, rather than just distribute content.
“I commend the Australia Council for giving artists this opportunity to innovate and to find new ways of connecting with audiences.”
Media contacts
Office of the Arts: Glen Atwell 0403 949 599
Australia Council for the Arts: Cameron Woods
Phone 02 9215 9030 0412 686 548
Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Credits: Video introducing Broadband Arts Initiative grant recipients, Keith Armstrong, Terrapin Puppet Theatre, City of Whittlesea and Marcus Westbury, and their arts projects to be delivered over 2012-13. Courtesy the artists and video producer Carli Leimbach.
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2012-06-23
New Chair and Deputy Chair for Australia Council
James Strong, outgoing Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, says he and the Council members and management were all delighted with the appointment of Rupert Myer AM as Chair and Robyn Archer AO as Deputy Chair, as announced by Minister for the Arts, Simon Crean this morning.
The appointments provide a powerful combination of business skills and contemporary arts practice, which will guide the Australia Council through a critical phase as it approaches the outcomes of the Australia Council review and the unveiling of the National Cultural Policy.
Rupert Myer brings extensive leadership and planning experience gained across a number of arts and cultural advisory boards. He is a former Chairman of the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria Foundation and chaired the Commonwealth Government Enquiry into the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft Sector.
Rupert is regarded as a leader in arts philanthropy and became a Member of the Order of Australia in January 2005 for service to the arts, for support to museums and galleries, and to the community through a range of philanthropic and service organisations.
“Rupert is an excellent choice to lead the Australia Council,” says James Strong, whose term as chair of the Australia Council comes to an end on 30 June. “He has exceptional business acumen and an instinct for good governance.”
“He understands the arts and, perhaps most importantly, believes in the centrality of the artist in the ecology of creative organisations, agencies and cultural institutions – a belief which is at the core of all the Australia Council does.”
Robyn Archer is a singer, writer, director, artistic director and public advocate of the arts. She has extensive experience as an artistic director of national and international arts festivals, including the Melbourne International Arts Festival.
She is currently the creative director of the Centenary of Canberra in 2013 and last year was program director for the 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture. In 2001 she was the artistic director of the inaugural 10 Days on the Island festival in Tasmania, instantly establishing it as the state’s premier cultural event.
“Robyn’s vision for the arts is inspiring,” says James. “And it’s her ability to turn that vision into something tangible that makes her one of the country’s truly great artistic leaders. Whether she’s singing, writing, directing a play or directing a festival, she consistently delivers excellence in art.”
Robyn succeeds John Denton in the role of Deputy Chair as his term concludes.
“It’s been a rewarding time serving as Chair of the Australia council,” says James. “The board is a diverse and talented one and I would like to thank the members for their support during my terms.”
“I leave knowing the organisation is in good hands, these are wonderful appointments.”
The arts community paid respect to James Strong at an event at the Australia Council last night. Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton of the Sydney Theatre Company noted James’ long term commitment to the arts. Other attendees included former arts Ministers Helen Coonan and Peter Garrett, who also read a statement from Simon Crean congratulating James on his term as Chairman.
Hi-res images from the farewell event are available for media use from the links below:
Image 1: James Strong speaking (Photographer, Jaime Williams)
Image 2: Left to Right: Cate Blanchett, Peter Garrett, James Strong, Jeanne-Claude Strong and Andrew Upton. (Photographer, Jaime Williams)
Media contact
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-08-09
New Chair Rupert Myer on the the contribution of the arts and culture
The Australia Council's new chair Rupert Myer champions the arts in The Australian.
Rupert Myer has championed the contribution the arts and culture make to Australia in his response to the article by Adam Creighton in The Weekend Australian (4-5 August). He argues that the creation of new artistic works and their presentation in arts institutions such as galleries, museums and theatres represents an important investment in our nation’s creative capital and a significant contribution to its GDP
He also pushes aside some of the misconceptions about arts funding in Australia, particularly the historical evolution, as well as the level of scrutiny placed upon Government investment in arts and culture, cautioning that if such misconceptions go unchecked they risk impacting upon policy decisions.
You can read Rupert Myer's entire article on Artery.
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2012-08-22
Hon Simon Crean MP - Media release - Reform of the Australia Council begins
The Hon Simon Crean MP
Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government
Minister for the Arts
Arts Minister Simon Crean today announced the Australia Council for the Arts will have increased responsibility for a broader range of arts funding programs in the first steps of reforming the Council.
Speaking at the Australian Performing Arts Centres Association Conference, Mr Crean said that Playing Australia, Visions of Australia, Festivals Australia, the Contemporary Music Touring Program, Contemporary Touring Initiative and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy will transfer to the Australia Council from the Office for the Arts.
“The recent Review of the Australia Council recommended a number of significant changes to the structure and operations of the Government’s major arts funding body,” Mr Crean said.
“Today’s announcement is the first step in readying the Australia Council for the challenges of an arts sector that is transforming, and to help deliver on the goals of the National Cultural Policy.
“Through these programs the Australia Council can increase the access of Australians living in regional and remote communities to high quality productions and exhibitions.”
The Chair of the Australia Council, Rupert Myer welcomed the announcement, saying that the Australia Council is perfectly placed to build on the success of the programs.
“This is a significant opportunity for the Australia Council to work more closely with a broader range of arts organisations and with venues throughout regional Australia,” Mr Myer said.
“The regional touring programs have a strong track record in delivering a great variety of high quality arts experiences sought by regional Australians – from contemporary music and circus, to theatre and exhibitions.
“Combining these programs under the Australia Council provides an important opportunity for national overview and we look forward to continuing to work with regional communities and the touring sector to deliver these experiences to regional audiences.
“These changes will provide the sector with a single source of funding with consistent application and reporting processes.
“We will work closely with the Office for the Arts to ensure a smooth transition of program management for recipients and applicants.”
Mr Crean said it was important that arts funding was peer-assessed.
“The Australia Council has a robust assessment process. Peer assessment by experts in the field will continue to be an important feature of the regional touring programs,” Mr Crean said.
The Australia Council will also manage and distribute the Australian Government‘s Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (VACS) funding contribution.
VACS is a joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments to support a strong and dynamic contemporary visual arts and craft sector.
Under the new administrative arrangement, the Government and jurisdictions will continue to play pivotal roles in negotiating the next VACS four-year funding package. Existing VACS recipients will receive funding according to agreements already in place.
Minister Crean also recently announced initial reforms to encourage increased levels of private sector and philanthropic support for the arts with the creation of a new organisation through the merger of Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) and the Australia Council’s Artsupport Australia program.
The Government’s responses to further reforms recommended by the Review of the Australia Council and the Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts will be released as part of the National Cultural Policy later this year.
The transfer of regional touring programs will take place progressively over the next six months.
Further information for recipients and applicants is at arts.gov.au/regional and arts.gov.au/visual-arts/vacs
Factsheets are available to download:
Festivals AustraliaContemporary Music Touring ProgramPlaying AustraliaVisions of AustraliaVisual Arts & Crafts Stratergy
Contact
For inquiries about the announcement please contact:
Glen AtwellPhone 0403 949 599, Email glen.atwell@regional.gov.au
Photo: The Hon Simon Crean MP. Credit: Jamie Williams.
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2012-08-23
Vale Rosanne Fitzgibbon
Vale Rosanne Fitzgibbon
Rosanne Fitzgibbon, widely respected for her work in publishing, has passed away.
Sophie Cunningham, Chair of the Literature Board, said today that the Board would like to express its sadness on hearing of the death of Rosie Fitzgibbon.
“Rosie was one of Australia's most respected and admired literary editors. As well as working with dozens of its finest writers, Rosie shared her forty years of knowledge with us all through her active engagement with the publishing industry, and literary culture in general. She will be sorely missed.”
From Craig Munro and Sue Abbey
Editor Rosanne Fitzgibbon was widely respected for her work over four decades in fiction and non-fiction publishing. For sixteen years from 1989 Rosie was in-house fiction editor at the University of Queensland Press. She was not only responsible for literary fiction and nonfiction but also for scholarly publications in Australian literary studies.
In recent years Rosie was a freelance consultant lecturing on writing, editing and publishing, and conducting seminars and masterclasses for the Queensland Writers Centre as well as workshops for the Literature Board. She judged short story awards for the State Library of Queensland and participated in assessing, judging and editing all the One Book Many Brisbanes anthologies and competitions.
As a publishing editor she worked on numerous story collections, beginning in 1972 with the first work of fiction published by UQP: Michael Wilding’s Aspects of the Dying Process. Others included major collections by Thea Astley, Olga Masters, Lily Brett, Peter Carey, Kate Grenville, and Janette Turner Hospital. In 1998, with her sister Marion Halligan, she edited The Gift of Story: Three decades of UQP short stories.
As a fiction editor, Rosie published the work of many writers including Gillian Mears, Nick Earls, Mandy Sayer, Matthew Condon, Beverley Farmer, Venero Armanno, Rosie Scott, Victor Kelleher, Carmel Bird, Liam Davison, Marian Eldridge, John Clanchy, Barbara Hanrahan, Brian Castro, Nike Bourke, Gerard Windsor, Suzanne Edgar and Gerard Lee.
Rosie’s authors welcomed her warmly sympathetic, generous-spirited and constructive approach to their manuscripts and her unwavering commitment to literary excellence. She was always a book’s most passionate advocate throughout the publishing process from the earliest draft to the design, marketing and promotion of her titles.
Rosie served on boards and committees throughout Australia, including the Queensland Writers Centre, the Brisbane Writers Festival, Australian Book Review and the National Book Council. In 1992 she was awarded the inaugural Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship to work in book publishing in New York. Named after Angus & Robertson’s distinguished literary editor, this award is supported by the Literature Board, the Australian Publishers Association, the Institute of Professional Editors and the Australian publishing industry. Editor Rosanne Fitzgibbon was widely respected for her work over four decades in fiction and non-fiction publishing. For sixteen years from 1989 Rosie was in-house fiction editor at the University of Queensland Press. She was not only responsible for literary fiction and nonfiction but also for scholarly publications in Australian literary studies.
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2012-08-28
Get the music facts
Art Facts: Music, a new digital resource from the Australia Council for the Arts, tells the story of music in numbers. It brings together facts, figures and research from across the music sector and, through an interactive website, will inspire people to discover and share facts about music, sparking quality debate.Art Facts: Music is structured around five key elements of the music ecosystem: creation; industry; global trade; participation; funding and public support. It brings together research from APRA | AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, Live Performance Australia, Music Council of Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and others, allowing people to find it in one place and compare the figures in new ways.
“There’s a wealth of facts and figures on the music industry out there, but it’s in so many different locations – not all of which are readily known or accessible to everyone in the music sector,” says Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts. “Art Facts brings this together. It’s a rich resource for deepening our understanding of the sector learning more about its size, scope, issues and opportunities.”
“Art Facts: Music illustrates the enduring importance of the music industry to Australia both culturally and economically,” says Kathy. “And as new data is released, it can be added to Art Facts, creating a definitive gateway for research, facts and figures on the music industry.”
Matthew Hindson, Chair of the Australia Council Music Board says “there is a multitude of information here, a kaleidoscope of facts - each fact deserving its own analysis and provoking us to consider who makes music, who listens to it, who makes the money and who doesn’t.”
“You can really see the pervasiveness of music,” says Matthew. “Almost everyone makes music part of their everyday lives – as listeners or performers, as audience members and hobbyists - all of which makes music simultaneously remarkable and something that is easily taken for granted.”
“Art Facts: Music also demonstrates the resilience of the music industry, how it defies recent tougher financial times with Australian households spending $2 billion on music each year,” says Matthew. “Australians are buying 100 million recordings per year and live music brings over 42 million fans into Australia’s pubs and clubs.”
“The music industry itself is going through a consumer-lead digital revolution, with spending on digital music set to overtake CD sales in 2012 as fans buy more music online, and embrace subscription services.”
“Seeing the sheer size and scale of the music industry laid out is impressive,” says Matthew. “But in stark contrast, the median creative income for professional musicians is only $7,200 a year.”
Music is the first sector to go under the spotlight in the Australia Council’s Art Facts project. The website will grow to include key facts about all artforms, with other artforms being added throughout 2013. Art Facts will become a permanent resource for learning more about Australian arts through data and analysis.
Art Facts: Music is available at http://artfacts.australiacouncil.gov.au
Media contactCameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-09-11
Next Wave announced as JUMP Mentoring Industry Partner
The Australia Council is excited to announce we will be partnering with Next Wave to deliver Jump Mentoring in 2013.
The newly expanded program supports creative practitioners in the early stages of their careers to work on an applied mentorship and creative project with a mentor who helps them jump to the next level.
Based in Melbourne, Next Wave supports emerging artists to take creative risks, establish critically-engaged professional practices and launch their work into a wider artistic and public domain through development programs and a curated biennial festival.
As the industry partner Next Wave will be delivering a dynamic mentorship induction and skills intensive for recipients of Jump and providing support throughout the duration of the mentorship.
“We think this model of collaboration between industry and government is terrific; partly for how well it channels money directly to early career artists, and now - curators, editors, producers and collectives. This is a big moment for Next Wave. We are thrilled to be sharing our rigorous and sought-after development approach with more, and different, people.” Emily Sexton, Artistic Director
Kath Melbourne, Program Director, ArtStart says “The partnership represents the core strengths of both organisations. The Australia Council is providing its resources effectively to the robust tasks of application, assessment and acquittal while harnessing the talents of Next Wave to deliver timely, relevant and dynamic professional development opportunities to participants on the ground. We hope that this partnership gleans new networks and new opportunities for participants for years to come”
The new website for Jump Mentoring has just been launched and applications are now are now open. Applications close 19 October 2012.
For Further information on how to apply for JUMP please contact:
Laura Naimo
Program Officer, Early Career Artists and Producers Programs
Phone 02 9215 9129, Email l.naimo@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-09-20
Achievements in community arts celebrated
Pioneering community and cultural artist Meme McDonald will be awarded the prestigious Ros Bower Award, worth $50,000, for an outstanding, life-long contribution to community arts and cultural development.The Kirk Robson Award will also be presented to Mohammed Ahmad and Anna Weekes. The $10,000 award recognises outstanding leadership from young people working in community arts and cultural development, particularly in the areas of reconciliation and social justice.
The awards are presented at the 2012 Australia Council Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards, held in Melbourne’s Abbotsford Convent tonight, an opportunity for the sector to gather and celebrate the inspiring work and excellent art from this field.
For over 30 years Meme McDonald has been working in community arts and cultural development as a director, writer, photographer, installation artist, author and filmmaker.
As founder of one of Australia’s first community theatres – West Theatre Company in the western suburbs of Melbourne in 1979 – and its artistic director for eight years, Meme has been one of Australia’s pioneers in the development of community based arts and the role of the professional artist.
Recently, she was artistic director for CONNECTING IDENTITIES, City of Geelong’s three year project as part of the national GENERATIONS project. Meme was also the artistic advisor of the national project. Her leadership role on this project encouraged artists working in Charters Towers in North Queensland, Liverpool in Western Sydney, La Trobe Valley and Wangaratta in regional Victoria, to tackle large issues of concern to their communities.
“As a community artist, Meme continues to lead the field with innovative projects and the influence of her practice on many artists is well recognised,” says Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council.
”Whether working in circus tents, housing estates, or in a North Queensland Rainforest the work she does matters to communities and her ideas remain fresh, engaging and profound,” says Kathy.
Meme has a sustained commitment to working collaboratively with Indigenous communities, leaders, artists and elders; inviting Indigenous perspective and contribution wherever projects are based, not only in regionally based projects in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, but where she lives and works in Melbourne.
Of significance is her 15 year collaboration with Aboriginal storyteller Boori Monty Pryor. Together they have authored six books with the involvement of elders, family members and community from the Kunggandji and Birri Gubba nations, Far North Queensland. These books have been groundbreaking in that they are collaborative works, community based, and have been published by Australia’s leading independent publisher, Allen and Unwin to critical acclaim.
Kirk Robson Award recipient Mohammed Ahmad is a community arts and cultural development artist, writer, editor and actor. He is chief editor of the BYDS literary program Westside Publications.
Mohammed is passionately dedicated to providing a voice to the people of Western Sydney and to get past the stereotypes that are often presented, particularly around Middle Eastern and Indigenous residents of the area.
In 2005 he revived Westside, the publication produced by BYDS, seeing its potential to make real change in the lives of young people from Southwest Sydney. Under Mohammed’s guidance it was transformed into the only publishing program in Australia that exclusively recognises the works of emerging and established Western Sydney artists.
Westside Publications produces ongoing literary anthologies including Westside Literary Journal and Westside Jr., as well as a number of performance events, video projects, workshops and residencies. Mohammed has produced events in the past six Sydney Writers’ Festivals and most recently edited the publication On Western Sydney, the second collection in a new series from Westside Publications.
“Mohammed recognised that the absence of voices from Western Sydney was a gap in the Australian literary landscape,” says Kathy Keele. “Through his publications, workshops and events he has fostered a literary culture in Western Sydney fuelled by the community itself.”
“As a cultural leader and role model he has instigated tangible change and we can expect the legacy of his extraordinary body of community based arts practice to have an impact well into the future.”
As an actor, Mohammed has performed in Urban Theatre Projects' Fast Cars and Tractor Engines (2004 -2005) and Stories of Love and Hate (2008 & 2011). He also performed in the Belvoir Theatre production I'm Your Man for the 2012 Sydney Festival.
Fellow Kirk Robson Award recipient is Darwin-based, Anna Weekes, whose work in community arts and cultural development has seen her working with some of the most vulnerable communities both here in Australia, and also in Vanuatu and Cambodia.
In Australia, Anna has been working with Darwin’s homeless population through projects like Ten Swags and Arts in the Long Grass, a fortnightly event where homeless people (long grassers) gather to eat a nutritious meal, create art and reconnect with their land. An annual exhibition of all of the artists is now an iconic event on the Darwin arts calendar.
Through these programs Anna works with the Aboriginal community at all levels – people diagnosed with mental health conditions, alcoholic and trauma-affected people, with elderly and frail people, with children and with established and emerging artists. Matching enthusiasm with empathy, she has provided a space for healing and reconnecting.
She has also worked with newly arrived refugees through projects including the My Sister’s Kitchen program, an increasingly successful food, art and craft program run with women and families who have recently been offered residency in Australia.
“One of the powerful attributes of Anna’s work is its humanising quality,” says Kathy. “Through her collaborations, we get to see the people whom are too often overlooked or, in some cases, treated with contempt.”
“A testament to the quality of her work is that many of her projects have continued to grow and flourish, long after she has moved on to new ones.”
2012 Australia Council Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards
6.00–9.00pm, Friday 21 September 2012, Abbotsford Convent, Abbotsford, Victoria (map).
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (130 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the 2012 Australia Council Community Arts and Cultural Development Awards contact:
Cameron WoodsCommunications Adviser
Phone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-10-16
Celebrating 20 years of residencies with Time & Vision
Over the past 20 years Acme Studios, London, has hosted 70 Australian artists in residence, supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, resulting in an extraordinary body of work and career building opportunities.Time & Vision is a major project celebrating this milestone; highlighting the range and vitality of contemporary Australian visual art through a publication, exhibition, film and online platform. It demonstrates how important it is to give artists time, space and resources to make new work in different surroundings.
Through personal testimonies from the artists, including Aleks Danko, Sue Pedley, Fiona Hall, Sally Smart and Tom Polo; Time & Vision reveals how these residencies provided the participating artists with time to ‘develop new ideas and experiment’, the ‘luxury’ of thoroughly immersing themselves in research, offered ‘treasured moments’ and demonstrated how ‘a few months can support years of practice’.
“Turning the pages of the publication, it’s a pleasure to watch the residency program unfold over twenty years,” says Ted Snell, Chair of the Australia Council Visual Arts board. “The great benefit in artist residency programs is clear and perhaps best articulated in the words of Jo Flynn, who in the publication says, ‘what studios do, is allow a deep infection to set in: I’ve never quite shaken it’.”
Accompanying the Time & Vision publication is, an exhibition curated by Paul Bayley, presented at the Bargehouse on the Southbank, a perfect backdrop for the experimental and hybrid practices that are evident and strong in Australian visual arts.
New work includes: Paul Knight’s large-scale photographic pieces; a site-specific sculpture inspired by the building’s former use as a manufacturer of egg products by Lyndall Phelps; an audience participation painting performance piece by Tom Polo; Sally Smart will be creating a new wall piece; a performative video by Daniel von Sturmer; and a site-specific installation that incorporates ceramic sculptures and paintings by Michelle Ussher.
Artists recreating, showing recent work, or exhibiting works in London for the first time are Daniel Crooks, Nicole Ellis, Patrick Hartigan, Jacki Middleton, Vanilla Netto, Helen Pynor, Erica Seccombe, Renee So and Kathy Temin.
In 1992 the Australia Council became the first national cultural body to form an international residencies partnership with Acme Studios. The exhibition reflects the new internationalism showcasing Australian talent operating successfully overseas.
“The Australia Council for the Arts is delighted to support Acme in organising this unprecedented exploration of Australian artists work over the past twenty years. The publication is an important document of their achievements, creates the context for future discussion about artists residencies and makes visible what goes on behind studio doors,” Says Ted
“I would like to thank the artists whose creative vision has been at the core of Time & Vision, it’s been an honour to support a roll call of some of the most interesting Australian artists of our time.”
The Time & Vision publication is officially launched at the exhibition private view on Tuesday 23 October 2012, by His Excellency Mr. John Dauth AO LVO, High Commissioner for Australia. It is available for purchase through the Time & Vision online platform:
http://vaaus.co.uk
Media contactCameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-10-18
[imi] Innovation Artist Placements and Workshop
[imi] is a research project that examines the role creative innovation plays in the context of interactive media entertainment and to explore how successful companies in this space derive and exploit creative inspiration.
Artist Placements
Interactive Media Innovation [imi] are looking for artists for paid placements in a range of interactive media companies in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The [imi] Artist Placements are opportunities for selected artists to spend up to 8 weeks working in one of [imi]‘s Industry Partner Interactive Media companies where they may contribute to the development of ideas, observe processes, or develop partnerships, prototypes or pitches for future projects.
Applications close 31 October. Placement would take place between December 2012 and May 2013.
For more information check out the website or complete an expression of interest.
Workshops
The [imi] Artist Workshops are single days, one in each city, where artists and interactive entertainment company representatives will meet and engage in professional development and creative play. These day-long sessions combine dissemination of information about arts and interactive entertainment to all participants, with exercises for brainstorming innovative, original interactive ideas.
Limited spaces are available for the [imi] Artist Workshops held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Sydney: Friday November 30th 2012
Brisbane: Monday December 3rd 2012
Melbourne: Wednesday December 5th 2012
For more information check out the website or complete an expression of interest.
[imi] ~ interactive media innovation ~ is funded by the Australian Research Council and the Australia Council for the Arts.
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2012-10-24
Touring update and FAQs
On 22 August 2012 the Minister for the Arts, the Hon Simon Crean MP, announced the transfer of a number of touring programs to the Australia Council.
The programs are: Playing Australia, Visions of Australia and the Contemporary Touring Initiative, Festivals Australia, and the Contemporary Music Touring Program.
The Australia Council has established a National Touring team within the Arts Development Division. Our team combines strong experience in museums, galleries, libraries and performing arts. Funding decisions will be made by peer panels with appropriate expertise to assess the applications.
Some of these programs are now open for applications, with others to open shortly. We look forward to working with a broad range of arts organisations and venues throughout Australia as we administer these programs and will keep you informed of any developments.
You can find information on these programs at http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/touring and there are some FAQs below.
Who will manage the grants within the Australia Council?
Arts Development will administer Visions of Australia and the Contemporary Touring Initiative, Playing Australia, and Festivals Australia.
The Australia Council’s Music Board will administer the Contemporary Music Touring Program.
Who will assess the rounds?
The Australia Council will appoint appropriate skills-based panels. We will ensure panels have required expertise and sector knowledge. Panellists will conform to Australia Council Peer Guidelines.
What are the key dates?
Visions of Australia round 39 opens 23 October 2012, closes 30 November 2012
Playing Australia round 41 opens 23 October 2012, closes 30 November 2012
Contemporary Music Touring Program round 24 opens 26 October 2012, closes 3 December 2012
The Australia Council will also open Festivals Australia:
Festivals Australia round 35 opens 23 October 2012, closes 23 November 2012
How do I apply?
The Australia Council uses an on line application process for all grants.
Application forms will be found on the Australia Council site as per opening round dates above.
- Playing Australia
- Festivals Australia
- Visions of Australia and Contemporary Touring Initiative
Application forms for the Contemporary Music Touring Program will be available online shortly.
The grant system enables support material to be attached in electronic form www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants
Will the guidelines change?
The guidelines for the current rounds will largely remain unchanged; this includes support material requirements.
Who do I contact about the programs?
Please call Toll-free 1800 226 912 if you have questions regarding the programs.
Playing Australia, Visions of Australia and the Contemporary Touring Initiative, Festivals Australia:
Penny Miles, Program Manager National Touring
Tara Kita, Program Officer.
Contemporary Music Touring Program:
Morwenna Collett, Program Manager Music.
If you have questions regarding previous rounds decisions or contracts please refer: to the following fact sheets:
Contemporary Music Touring Program: Fact Sheet
Playing Australia: Fact Sheet
Visions of Australia and Contemporary Touring Initiative: Fact Sheet
Festivals Australia: Fact Sheet
For further information regarding dates and guidelines: www.australiacouncil.gov.au/touring
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2012-10-29
Australian arts and culture central in Asian Century
The Australia Council for the Arts welcomes today’s release of the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper, by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Lowy Institute.
The paper calls on all Australians to boost their understanding of our region's history, culture and customs and urges a boost for Asian languages in Australia's schools and universities. It lays out a series of pathways for Australian arts, artists and cultural institutions to play a pivotal role in building our relationships and networks across our region.
“The Australia Council’s engagement with Asia must increasingly build deep cultural interconnections between our nation and our neighbours,” says Rupert Myer, Chair of the Australia Council. “It is our view that the presence of Australian arts in Asia is a compelling sometimes underutilised asset that makes a substantial contribution to strengthening Australia’s economic, political and cultural objectives.”
“The Australia Council works to build strong two way relationships over the long term ­- the Council’s relationships across the incredibly diverse region of Asia require sustained effort and investment,” says Rupert. “More and more, Australian artists are working with peers in Asia and we envisage new artistic collaborations and experiences.”
The foundations have been well laid for the exchanges of artistic and cultural traditions between Australian and Asian artists and organisations, bolstered by investments in touring and artist residencies by the Australia Council and Asialink Arts among other agencies.
Australia’s artists and arts companies – across the performing arts, visual arts and literature – have made strong inroads into the region’s cultural markets and have developed an impressive network of relationships.
Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council says, “The opportunities for the arts and culture in Asia are not only for immediate market-driven outcomes but also enduring relationships grounded on reciprocity, cultural exchange and a sharing of aesthetic traditions and practices.”
“We welcome Arts Minister Crean’s initiatives to lead even closer collaboration between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia International Cultural Council, Screen Australia and other agencies to ensure we have a coordinated, highly visible impact across our region,” says Kathy.
Rupert Myer concludes, “Australia’s arts and cultural sector will continue to deepen its connections with Asia’s arts communities and audiences, and its large and expanding market. With established in-roads and growing expertise, the Australia Council welcomes the Government’s focus on Asia and stands ready to contribute to the nation’s objectives in the Asian Century.”
The Asian Century White Paper is available at: http://asiancentury.dpmc.gov.au/
Media contacts
Brendan Wall
02 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910
b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-11-09
Community Arts and Education Placement
The Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII) in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Embassy in Jakarta, AusAID and Community Partnerships of Australia Council for the Arts are working in partnership to enable a Community Arts and Education Placement for one or more Australian community arts and cultural development (CACD) practitioners. Successful practitioners will work with two schools in Jakarta including SMA Al Izhar, a private Islamic senior school in Fatmawati and SDN 11 Pondok Labu, a government primary school in Pondok Labu on Jakarta’s outskirts. The purpose of this placement is to work with local students, families, artists and the broader community to develop a public artwork in the built environment of the school that reflects the unique identity and culture of the school and its community.
This placement is a pilot that will be independently evaluated to determine the value of CACD processes and outcomes in developing communities and education contexts. The aims of this placement are: to enable a greater sense of community ownership of, and direct engagement with, schools that have participated in the BRIDGE[i] program, enhance intercultural exchange within the school community and Australian aid agencies; share community arts and cultural development skills with local artists in Indonesia; and demonstrate Australia’s commitment to education in Indonesia. The placement budget is up to $35,000 and will cover artist(s) fees, production costs as well as travel and accommodation expenses. If required, the successful artist/s will be offered in country language and culture training. The successful artist(s) is required to collaborate with an independent evaluator to be chosen by the project partners.
Selection criteria:
Five years (or more) experience as a Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) practitioner demonstrating successful facilitation of high quality community driven processes and public art outcomes
Experience working with young people and/or in an education context
Leadership and skills sharing experience that would enable collaborative work with local artists in an Indonesian context
Capacity to collaborate with a range of partners including evaluation partners
Willingness to share results with the Australian CACD sector and project supporters including AusAID, DFAT, AII, the Australian Embassy and the Australia Council for the Arts
Desirable criteria:
Experience working in a developing community and/or country
Knowledge of Indonesian language and/or culture
Support material:
All support material will be received electronically via email (j.bray@australiacouncil.gov.au). You may submit support material via a URL if this is more convenient.
Artist biography for each artist involved (up to two pages each)
Artistic support material (in one of the following formats: five pages of written material, or 10 printed photographs or electronic images, or five minutes of video or sound recording, or up to three live website links [URL])
Up to five support letters (maximum of one page each)
Download the application form here.
All Deed Poll Waiver Release Form.
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2012-11-19
CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts to depart at the end of the year
Ms. Kathy Keele, Chief Executive Officer, of the Australia Council for the Arts will leave the national funding and advisory agency at the end of this year.
In making the announcement, the Australia Council’s Chair, Mr. Rupert Myer AM, paid tribute to Ms. Keele’s leadership: 'I congratulate and thank Kathy for her tireless and strategic work on behalf of the arts. She has made a transformative contribution to the Australia Council’.
‘Kathy leaves a responsive and highly capable organization. She has ensured that the Council is steadfastly committed to supporting Australian artists, companies and creativity across our nation, our region and beyond, and is at the forefront of research into the value of the arts.’
'It has been an honour to lead the Australia Council for almost six years; however, I feel the timing is right.’ said Ms. Keele ‘It has been an extraordinary journey; from working with artists in regional and remote communities, to providing insights into how Australians are participating in the arts, to working with such a committed Governing board and executive staff. I am sad to leave; but I depart knowing that the Australia Council is delivering sustained outcomes for Australian arts and culture nationally and internationally.'
‘It has been inspiring and immensely satisfying to work closely with artists, arts professionals, the business and wider communities to support the making and appreciation of great art.'
‘I am grateful to current Chairman, Mr. Rupert Myer and previous Chair, Mr. James Strong, who have supported me and ensured that the Australia Council continues to be deeply engaged with the arts sector and the Australian public.' said Ms. Keele.
Arts Minister Simon Crean thanked Ms Keele for her leadership and dedication leading the Australian Government’s principal arts funding and advisory body.
"Ms Keele has managed the Australia Council at a time of major changes in the arts and broader cultural sector and helped the Council respond to it,” Mr Crean said.
“She has overseen the Council during a major review process and I thank her for her contribution in setting future directions for Government support for the arts and for artists.”
Mr. Myer said the Council will now commence the search for a new CEO.
He also announced that Ms Libby Christie will act as CEO from January 2013. Ms. Christie is currently Executive Director of Arts Funding at the Australia Council. She is an experienced business and arts leader and was previously Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (256.7 KB).
Contact
For inquiries contact:
Brendan WallPhone 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2012-11-21
Unique Indigenous story teller awarded
Indigenous writer, poet and story teller Herb Wharton has been awarded the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature; a $50,000 award that recognises the achievements of eminent writers who have made outstanding and lifelong contributions to Australian literature.
Herb Wharton is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal literature and stories, for education and cultural understanding. He is a prominent speaker at national and international festivals and a lecturer in Australian Indigenous literature. He is a Life Member of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre and a supporter of their Indigenous Heritage Project.
Coming to writing later in life, Herb presents a lifetime of experiences and a passion for recording the stories of the Aboriginal men and women and their role in the Australian pastoral industry. This has driven Herb Wharton's development as a storyteller and a writer of international note.
“Herb's writing presents a unique and otherwise untold perspective of Australian rural heritage,” says Sophie Cunningham, Chair of the Australia Council Literature Board. “Through his stories, novels, poetry, notes, and collection of oral histories, Herb continues to ensure that stories of the Aboriginal contribution to the development of the Australian pastoral industry are told.”
“He is a wonderful advocate for Aboriginal literature and stories, as well as rural heritage more broadly,” says Sophie. “The importance of Herb's work in documenting and telling these stories is reflected by the now 20 boxes of his writing, notes and recording of oral histories that are held in the University of Queensland's Fryer Library.”
His earlier career as a stockman drover and labourer had taken him across the Queensland outback. Since Herb began writing, he has furiously jotted down stories from his travels on scraps of paper; TAB forms, the backs of envelopes – any blank paper at hand.
Herb wrote his first poem for musician Stan Coster, who went on to write many songs for Slim Dusty. The poem was written as a letter to answer Stan's questions "about the past and the present‟. However, Herb quickly realised that this poem only gave rise to more unanswered questions, and so he began to write more poems to seek further answers about the land and the history of Aboriginal people.
At first he hid the poems because "it was a real shame job; you can't show written stories to people.‟ But after encouragement, in 1990, he entered several poems in a competition for unpublished Aboriginal writers, and as a result was commissioned to write a novel for the University of Queensland Press. The resulting book, 1992's Unbranded, drew on Herb's experiences as a stockman in the Australian interior.
He has since published Cattle Camp (1994) which is based on the true stories of Aboriginal stockmen and women, as well as a collection of short stories in Where Ya' Been, Mate? (1996). He has also published the semi-autobiography Yumba Days (1999), which was written during a residency at the Australia Council's Paris studio. More recently, Herb has self-published a collection of poems, Kings with Empty Pockets (2003).
Herb is currently working on his next novel and has also recently purchased his home, a two-room "shack‟ in Cunnamulla where he made his first notes and wrote his first novel. He aims to establish a trust, to ensure that his home will one day welcome and nurture visiting artists (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) in outback Queensland.
The Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature
presented Thursday 22 November in the Rover Thomas Auditorium at the Australia Council for the Arts
5.00-7.00PM
Chair of the Literature Board Sophie Cunningham's speech at the ceremony is available to read here.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an embedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (91.4 KB).
Contact
For inquiries contact:
Gabrielle WilsonPhone 0433 972 915, Email gabrielle@articulatepr.com.au
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2012-12-06
Vale Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
The Australia Council joins family members, friends and the national community to mourn the death of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.Dame Elisabeth has been one of Australia’s most active philanthropists and passionate supporters of the arts.
We take this moment to pause and reflect on her immense contribution to our national life which has been far reaching, spanning the arts and culture, health, education and community.
Her lifelong commitment to the culture of our country has assisted Australian creativity in enumerable ways. Her giving was often discrete and ongoing. She avoided the limelight and had an unflagging commitment to ensuring that talent is fostered and fully developed.
A truly outstanding humanitarian, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s legacy will live on in the thousands of people her generosity has touched.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the Murdoch family and to Dame Elisabeth’s many friends.
Rupert Myer AM
Chair, Australia Council for the Arts
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2012-12-06
New Australia Council Director of Literature
The Australia Council for the Arts today announced the appointment of Jill Eddington as its new Director of Literature. Previously the Director and CEO of the Byron Bay Writers Festival and Northern Rivers Writers’ Centre, Jill will commence her new role in January 2013.As Director of Literature, Jill will be responsible for providing leadership to the Australia Council’s Literature section and will be the senior advisor to its Literature Board, implementing its decisions and providing key links between the Australia Council, writers and the publishing sector.
“I am looking forward to joining new colleagues at the Australia Council for the Arts. The writing and publishing industry is in a state of transformation at the moment. I hope to work with the board to assist the sector to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities for writers and the vibrant literature sector in Australia,” said Jill.
Jill has worked extensively with the Literary Sector including, most recently, her role as curator of the Australian Society of Authors 50th Anniversary Program. She has also worked with the State Library of Queensland, Arts Northern Rivers and has consulted to the wider arts community.
As the Director of for the Byron Bay Writers Festival from 1999 to 2006, Jill established an extensive network of relationships with Australian and international writers and publishers and expanded audiences for the Festival and ongoing programs.
Jill takes over the position from Susan Hayes who has been in the Director of Literature role for four years. Susan’s dynamic leadership saw increased exposure for Australian writers through appearances at major writers’ festivals in Europe, Asia and North America. She also led important research into the publishing industry that ultimately led to major alterations in the way the Literature Board supports publishers. Her reforms were welcomed by Australian publishers.
Susan plans to retire following her career which has included positions at the Centre for Studies in Australian Literature at the University of Western Australia and on the literary journal Westerly. In 1996 she was appointed State Literature Officer for Western Australia. After moving to Sydney, Susan managed Australia’s National Playwrights’ Centre and served a term as Chair of the Australian Society of Authors. From 2005 to 2008 she managed the CAL Cultural Fund. Susan is a Churchill Fellow and has an MPhil. in Australian Studies.
Media contactsCameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan Wall
02 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910
b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-01-31
New Geeks in Residence for arts organisations
Four arts organisations will employ geeks who will share their passion for solving technological problems in creative environments, helping arts workers become better equipped to work in digital spaces.
Now in its third year, the Australia Council for the Arts’ Geek in Residence program supports organisations to employ geeks to deliver dynamic digital initiatives across their organisation and its community. The geeks provide skills, information and connections needed to succeed in the digital era.
“Geek in Residence is a really popular program because it’s not just about an external expert delivering a digital project and then leaving the building,” says Libby Christie Acting Chief Executive of the Australia Council. “The program provides intensive professional development for artists and the participating organisations in their own environment leaving a valuable legacy in terms of new organizational skills and digital capacity."
Western Sydney’s Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) are well known for working at the intersection of the arts, community cultural development and digital technology, but a recent technology audit found they were in need of some ‘geek know-how’ and a strategic approach to keeping the organisation up-to-date with rapidly changing technologies.
The Geek in Residence at ICE will work closely with ICE manager, producers and curatorial staff to build capacity within the organisation to engage in digital change. The geek will work across all aspects of the ICE’s activity from community development, creative enterprise, training marketing and promotion and operations.
At Arts Access Victoria a project lead by Akash Temple, an artist with a disability and a self-professed technology geek, will explore and promote the ways artists and audiences with a disability are using technology to overcome barriers to participation in arts and cultural activities.
The residency will ultimately deliver a fully-accessible digital publication produced by artists with a disability. The publication will outline available technology and how it can be used by producers and organisations to work with artists with a disability, and to engage audience members who have a disability.
A unique opportunity at Barkly Regional Arts (NT) in Tennant Creek will see a resident geek explore the interface of new media and Indigenous cultures in remote regional Australia. The geek will work within Barkly Arts as they focus on exploring how arts and culture in their communities can interact with cutting edge digital media.
Bell Shakespeare’s (NSW) geek will be the driving force behind a new online platform for inter-community exchange. A unique and advanced online interface will share the company’s touring stories as well as fostering dialogue between communities and the company. An additional component will enhance the company’s Learning Program with access to learning resources and virtual classroom activities extending the experience of their in-school program.
Some of the geek roles will be recruited during February.
Follow the Australia Council on Twitter @auscouncilarts and the hash tag #residentgeeks to keep up with all the latest geek activity.
Media contact
Cameron Woods
02 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548
c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-01-31
Message to flood affected artists and organisations
The Australia Council sends a message of support to those dealing with the threat and devastating consequences of the widespread floods now affecting Queensland and Northern NSW.
We understand how disruptive these floods will be to the lives and plans of everyone living in affected areas. If the floods have impacted any art projects you are currently working on with Australia Council support please do contact the Australia Council person you are dealing with and we will be happy to assist you to renegotiate project time frames and discuss other changes that you may require.
We hope that the impact of the floods is minimal and that you are safe and well. Once again please contact us if there is anything we can do to assist you at this time.
Libby Christie
Acting CEO
Australia Council for the Arts
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2013-02-06
Hon Simon Crean MP - Media release - Fiona Menzies to head up Creative Partnerships Australia
The Hon Simon Crean MP
Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government
Minister for the Arts
Arts Minister Simon Crean today announced Ms Fiona Menzies as the first Chief Executive Officer of the new single agency to drive a new culture of giving and investment in Australia’s cultural sector.
Mr Crean said the new philanthropy and social investment agency for the cultural sector will be named Creative Partnerships Australia.
“Donation, social investment and business partnerships are already essential to the innovation and sustainability of the cultural industries in Australia, but there’s much more to be done,” Mr Crean said.
“Creative Partnerships Australia is a crucial part of the strategy in the National Cultural Policy and I thank Mr Harold Mitchell who recommended this new approach in his 2012 Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts.
“Creative Partnerships Australia has the responsibility for creating a new culture of giving and investment for the cultural industries in Australia by bringing donors, business, artists and cultural organisations together.
“A strong new agency requires strong and creative leadership and I welcome Ms Menzies to the role and look forward to her working together with Chair, Ms Carol Schwartz AM.
“Ms Menzies’ experience as Development Manager of Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre over the past three years, and her extensive background in arts policy provides the industry knowledge and innovative approach required to establish Creative Partnerships Australia.”
Chair of Creative Partnerships Australia, Ms Carol Schwartz AM said Ms Menzies is recognised within the industry as a strategic and insightful voice on cultural sector development and planning.
“She will be instrumental in leading Creative Partnerships Australia to encourage and support philanthropy and investment in the cultural industries.”
Ms Menzies said she was excited about the challenge of redefining the way the Australian cultural sector is supported, working in partnership with government, donors, investors and the community.
“Australia’s funding landscape is on the cusp of a generational change and I look forward to leading Creative Partnerships Australia to drive this change,” she said.
Mr Crean announced the creation of a single agency to replace the Australia Business Arts Foundation and Artsupport Australia in August last year.
“It is a very exciting time to be involved in supporting the cultural industries in Australia,” Mr Crean said.
“Private philanthropy and sponsorship is vital for the growth and durability of the cultural industries and enables artists and organisations to plan for the future and produce high-quality, challenging and relevant work.
“I thank the staff and management of AbaF and Artsupport for the hard work in creating a success story in driving new revenue streams for the sector and guiding the establishment of the new agency.”
Creative Partnerships Australia strengthens the Australian Government’s broader work in strengthening social investment in the not-for-profit sector and encouraging entrepreneurial skills across the economy.
Ms Menzies starts in the new role this week.
Contact
For inquiries about the announcement please contact:
Georgia BrumbyPhone 0401 097 176
Photo: The Hon Simon Crean MP. Credit: Jamie Williams.
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2013-02-06
Creative Partnerships Australia CEO Appointed
The Australia Council for the Arts welcomes today’s appointment of Ms Fiona Menzies as Chief Executive Officer of Creative Partnerships Australia. Ms Menzies will lead the organisation which has been established to promote and support social investment in arts and culture.Creative Partnerships Australia is the single agency created through the consolidation of the Australia Council’s Artsupport Australia initiative and the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF). The establishment of Creative Partnerships Australia follows recommendations in the report of the 2012 Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts, which was chaired by Mr Harold Mitchell AC.
Chair of the Australia Council and board member of Creative Partnerships Australia, Mr Rupert Myer AM, says, “The Australia Council welcomes the appointment of Ms Fiona Menzies. Her extensive arts sector experience, communications and policy background, combined with her deep commitment to arts and culture will provide valuable leadership to this important new organisation.”
“The Australia Council plans to work closely with Creative Partnerships Australia Chair Ms Carol Schwartz AM and Ms Menzies to extend support to the arts in Australia through philanthropy and social investment,” says Mr. Myer.
“We welcome the opportunity presented through the establishment of Creative Partnerships Australia to build on the strong foundations laid through the work of Artsupport Australia and ABaF. The Australia Council is proud of the achievements of its Artsupport initiative over the past nine years and the additional financial support the program has delivered to Australia’s arts sector. Social investment is vital to build resilience and support ongoing growth of the arts sector and provides artists with opportunities to innovate, explore and create,” he says.
Acting Chief Executive of the Australia Council Ms Libby Christie says: “The Australia Council looks forward to supporting Creative Partnerships Australia and sharing knowledge and experience. In collaboration with the new organisation, we have the ability to create strong, long–term partnerships which will stimulate private investment to complement public support for the arts. I look forward to working with Ms Menzies to bring additional resources to the national arts sector.”
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (101 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Gabrielle Wilson Phone 0433 972 915, Email g.wilson@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan Wall Phone 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-02-12
Hon Julia Gillard MP and Hon Simon Crean MP - Media release - Gotye Creates History at Grammys
The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Prime Minister of Australia
The Hon Simon Crean MP
Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government
Minister for the Arts
Australian singer-songwriter Gotye has created Australian music history at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, winning three awards, including for Best Record for his hit song Somebody That I Used to Know featuring Kimbra.
Gotye, real name Wouter (Wally) De Backer, is the first Australian to win multiple Grammys for the same release and only the second to win Best Record after Olivia Newton-John with ‘I Honestly Love You’ in 1975.
His album Making Mirrors took home the award for Best Alternative Music Album, while single Somebody That I Used to Know featuring Kimbra, won Best Record and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
After taking Australia by storm in 2011, the Federal Government provided Gotye with a $10,000 Australia Council grant to showcase his talents at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Simon Crean congratulated Gotye on his Grammy wins, as recognition of the overwhelming success and popularity of his winning single and album.
Gotye is an outstanding example of the quality of the artistic talent in Australia today and highlights the need for continued investment in young artists and musicians.
In recent years he has achieved much-deserved global recognition for his work, with Somebody That I Used to Know going platinum in Australia and the US, and achieving number one status in more than 18 countries.
At home he was recognised with six ARIA Awards in 2011.
Gotye will land in Canberra on Friday to join Minister Crean and officially open the Fractured Heart interactive sculpture at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
The event brings together school students to discuss film and music in a virtual roundtable using high-speed broadband.
Gotye will also launch Fractured Heart which he created with arts collective illuminart for his 2011 ARIA Awards performance of Somebody That I Used to Know.
Fractured Heart is on long-term loan to the National Film and Sound Archive.
For more information visit: http://www.nfsa.gov.au/whats-on/gotye-at-nfsa.
Contact
For inquiries about the announcement please contact:
Press officePhone 02 6277 7744
Minister Crean's officePhone 02 6277 7380
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2013-02-25
Art in Festivals initiative calling for artists
The Australia Council is pleased to announce that the SITUATE Art in Festivals initiative, which supports early career artists to develop experimental work within a festival environment, is now calling for artists to participate.
The $250,000 Art in Festivals initiative is part of a suite of residencies and mentorships supported through the Australia Council’s Early Career Artists and Producers Program and is part of the more than $7m invested by the Australia Council in Tasmanian arts in the past year. The initiative is delivered by Salamanca Arts Centre, who were awarded the project in December through a competitive application process.
Salamanca Arts Centre will partner with festivals to provide early career artists with an opportunity to present work at a range of major music and arts festivals across Australia and internationally.
“We’re pleased to work with Tasmania’s dynamic Salamanca Arts Centre on SITUATE,” says Acting CEO of the Australia Council Libby Christie. “Salamanca have developed a strong and diverse national – even international - network of festival partners offering participating artists high profile, exciting opportunities to engage with a vast range of audiences.”
Partner festivals include Dark Mofo and MONA FOMA, Darwin Festival, Harvest Music and Arts, Fringe World, WOMAdelade as well as the international festival Vry Fees in South Africa. More partner festivals will be added throughout the initiative.
Artists participating in the initiative will have opportunities to test new ideas; collaborate with artists and technicians from different disciplines; work small and/or large scale in a site-specific context; and receive wide exposure and access to significant networks in the industry.
“SITUATE provides a chance for audiences from a diverse range of festivals to experience first-hand the best of Australian emerging and experimental practice,” says Libby Christie “For the artists, it’s an extraordinary opportunity to create new work, explore new ideas, discover different way of working and create challenging experimental art works for festival audiences.”
Fifteen early career artists, working across artforms and disciplines, will be selected through a national call by a Curatorium comprising of practicing artists, industry professionals and curators.
These outstanding artists will then attend an intensive 16 day residential Artist Laboratory in Tasmania, which includes time at the closing weekend of the new winter Dark MOFO festival.
They will be mentored by established artists and producers as they develop their ideas and concepts and will then go through a commissioning process by partner festivals leading to the production and presentation of their work in 2014 and 2015.
Rosemary Miller, CEO and Artistic Director of Salamanca Arts Centre says, “This is a very exciting project that provides Early Career Artists with opportunities to create new works for multiple festivals, in Tasmania, across Australia and internationally.
Applications open Monday 25 March 2013 for 2 weeks, closing on Monday 8 April 2013 via the SITUATE: Art in Festivals website.
www.situate.org.au
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (88.1 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Cameron WoodsPhone 0412 686 548 / 02 9215 9030 , Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-03-04
Vale James Strong AO
The Australia Council mourns the death in Sydney on Sunday 3 March 2013 of its former Chair Mr James Strong AO.
James Strong led the Australia Council as its Chair from 2006 to 2012. He was a passionate and highly respected advocate for the arts, blending business acumen with a love for arts and culture.
Prior to becoming Chair of the Australia Council, Mr Strong played an active leadership role in the arts. He made a significant contribution to the sector, serving on many arts company boards. He was a director of Opera Australia, Chair of the Sydney Theatre Company, Chair of Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Chair of the Australia Business Arts Foundation.
Mr Strong led the 2005 Orchestras Review, which resulted in the orchestras’ independence from the ABC, establishment as statutory bodies and increased investment from the federal government. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2006 for services to business and to the arts, as an administrator and as a philanthropist.
‘I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of James Strong. He has made an enduring contribution to the arts in Australia and will be missed by the Australian arts sector,’ said Australia Council Chair Mr Rupert Myer AM. ‘James brought a dynamic combination of corporate experience and deep passion for the arts. He was a great friend to Australia’s artists and a distinguished cultural leader.’
‘His legacy is a strong and vibrant Australian arts sector of significant international standing.’
The Australia Council community extends deepest sympathy to his wife Jeanne-Claude, sons Nick and Sam, and James’ many friends.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (172 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Brendan WallPhone 0427 689 910 , Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-03-05
Simon Mordant appointed Venice Biennale Commissioner for 2015
Mr Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, today announced the appointment of Mr Simon Mordant AM as Commissioner for the Australian exhibition at the 56th National Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2015. The announcement has been made today ahead of the Australia Council’s annual Visual Arts Award ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney this evening.
Mr Mordant is currently the Commissioner for the 2013 Australian Venice Biennale exhibition, which commences in June this year when a solo show of the work of artist Simryn Gill, curated by Catherine de Zegher will open in the Australian Pavilion at the 55th National Art Exhibition.
Prior to the 2013 Biennale, Mr Mordant was Deputy Commissioner to Mr Doug Hall at the 2011 Venice Biennale, when an exhibition of work by artist Hany Armanious attracted more than 190,000 visitors to Australia’s national pavilion.
“We are very pleased to re-appoint Simon Mordant to the role of Commissioner,” says Mr Rupert Myer. “The Australia Council has managed Australia’s representation at the Venice Biennale for more than 30 years and the appointment of a dynamic commissioner underpins a successful Australian exhibition. The role of commissioner is vital to driving advocacy and fundraising programs around our participation in each Biennale and Simon has an impressive track record in these endeavours.”
“Simon’s dedication to the arts is unquestionable and his commitment to the Venice Biennale in particular has been extraordinary,” says Mr Myer. “As Commissioner, Simon continues to play a high profile role fostering international interest in Australian artists.”
A committed supporter of the arts, Mr Mordant is the Chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA). Earlier, as Chairman of the MCA Foundation, he was pivotal in driving fundraising for the Museum’s major $53 million redevelopment and expansion project. He is currently leading the fundraising for the development of the new Australian Pavilion in Venice.
Mr Mordant also sits on the Board of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), the Sydney Theatre Company, the Leadership Council for the New Museum in New York, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tate International Council and a member of the International Council of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
“I’m absolutely delighted to continue working with the Australia Council to deliver the Australian representation at the Venice Biennale,” says Mr Mordant. “Behind this showcase is an important public/private partnership and I am passionate about continuing to strengthen Australia’s representation at Venice.
“2015 will be a very important year for Australia with the planned opening of the new Australian Pavilion - the only 21st century building in the Biennale gardens. The world will be focussed on Australia and I am honoured to accept this role of Commissioner at this time,” he says.
The Biennale is considered the most important and prestigious event on the international contemporary art calendar. Australia’s long history of representation at the Venice Biennale began in 1954 with the exhibition of Sidney Nolan’s iconic works, followed by renowned artists including; Arthur Boyd, Rosalie Gascoigne and Albert Tucker. Recent Australian representatives include: Imants Tillers (1986), Judy Watson, Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1997), Howard Arkley (1999), Patricia Piccinini (2003), Ricky Swallow (2005), Susan Norrie, Daniel Von Sturmer and Callum Morton (2007), Shaun Gladwell (2009) and Hany Armanious (2011).
The 2013 Venice Biennale featuring Simryn Gill’s Here art grows on trees opens to the public on 1 June and continues until 24 November.
Visit http://venicebiennale.australiacouncil.gov.au for more information
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (146 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Brendan WallPhone 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-03-05
Leading artist and curator win major visual arts awards
Tracey Moffatt, one of Australia’s leading internationally acclaimed contemporary artists, and Juliana Engberg, Artistic Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Melbourne and Artistic Director of the forthcoming Biennale of Sydney; are being honoured today for their achievements in the arts with the Australia Council Visual Arts Award and Medal respectively.
Since her groundbreaking Something More exhibition, presented at the Australian Centre for Photography in 1989, Tracey Moffatt’s work has featured in more than 100 solo exhibitions across Europe, the USA and Australia. Her work is held in the collections of some of the world’s most prestigious art museums and galleries including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Guggenheim, Centre Pompidou and the Tate Gallery. Many of her photographs and short films have achieved iconic status both in Australia and around the world.
"Tracey Moffatt’s outstanding contribution to the cultural life of this nation has been acknowledged with the 2012 Australia Council Visual Arts Award," says Mr Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council, who is presenting the $40,000 award at an award ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney this evening.
"Tracey’s work has been critically acclaimed internationally for more than two decades, following the selection of her short film Night Cries for official competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival," says Mr Myer. "More recently, she was recognised with a solo exhibition of her films and videos at the Museum of Modern Art in New York."
"During the intervening decades Tracey’s career has been defined by an extraordinary list of achievements. She more than fulfils the criteria of the Award to ‘inspire Australians’ through her her compelling and dynamic practice," he says.
Juliana Engberg receives the $10,000 Medal for her outstanding contribution to the development of the Australian cultural sector. In a career spanning nearly 30 years of curating, teaching, talking and writing about art, Juliana Engberg continues to be at the forefront of contemporary curatorial practice. As well as curating over 400 exhibitions, she is a prolific writer and editor, having written over 1,500 articles about contemporary art in catalogues, books and journals. She is one of Australia’s most accomplished public commentators on contemporary art.
"Few individuals have made such a distinguished contribution to the development of the Australian visual arts sector as Juliana Engberg," says Mr Myer. "As a curator and advocate for Australian art she has taken the work of Australian artists to the world and brought the best of international practice back to Australia.
"As Artistic Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), in Melbourne since 2002, Juliana has brought a keen intellect and distinctive eye to the curatorial process that has enlivened the cultural scene in this country and simultaneously advanced the careers of many Australian artists".
Both Engberg and Moffatt will be honoured at a ceremony at the MCA at 6PM this evening, surrounded by arts sector leaders and close family and friends. A key note address will be delivered by philanthropist and Chief Commissioner of the Venice Biennale, Simon Mordant AM.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (146 KB).
Additional information on the 2013 Australia Council Visual Arts Award and Medal:
The Australia Council Visual Arts Award is to acknowledge and honour the exceptional achievements of Australian craftspeople, designers, media artists, visual artists and arts writers who have made and are continuing to make an outstanding contribution to the development of Australian art. Award recipients receive a specially commissioned pin and $40,000.
The Australia Council Visual Arts Medal is to acknowledge and honour extraordinary professional achievements of living curators, administrators and/or advocates of contemporary Australian art, who have made and are continuing to make an outstanding contribution to the development of the Australian cultural sector. The recipient receives a specially commissioned medal and $10,000.
The 2013 recipients’ biography:
Tracey Moffatt
iTracey Moffatt is one of Australia's leading contemporary artists. Since 1989, she has held numerous solo exhibitions in major museums around the world. Her short film Night Cries was selected for official competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, followed by her first feature film, beDevil, in 1993. In 1997, she exhibited in Aperto at the Venice Biennale and at the Dia Centre for the Arts, New York in 1997/98.
Comprehensive survey exhibitions of her work have been held at the Museum of Contemporary Art (2003), Sydney and the Hasselblad Centre in Goteburg, Sweden (2004). In 2006, she had her first retrospective exhibition in Italy, at Spazio Oberdan, Milan. In 2007, Charta Publishers, Milan, published a monograph, The Moving Images of Tracey Moffatt. She is also a recipient of the 2007 Infinity Award for art by the International Center of Photography, New York.
A solo exhibition of her films and videos was held in May 2012 at the Museum of Modern Art. Moffatt is represented in North America by Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York and has been represented by Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, since 1998.
Juliana Engberg
Juliana Engberg is currently Artistic Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, where she has commissioned and curated, numerous exhibitions including: Pipilotti Rist: I Packed the Postcard in My Suitcase; Yael Bartana: TRILOGY; Nathan Coley Appearences; Mortality; Joseph Kosuth Texts for Nothing, Samuel Beckett in Play; Plenty Ought To Be Enough: Barbara Kruger; Richard Billingham: People Places Animals; Jenny Holzer: For the Centre, Retrospectology; among many others.
In 1999 she was the Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Melbourne International Biennial 1999 Signs of Life, and before accepting this commission was Senior Curator at the Museum of Modern Art (Heide), Melbourne, Senior Curator of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Assistant Director of the Monash University Gallery, and Director of the formative contemporary art space the Ewing and George Paton Galleries, The University of Melbourne.
A curator, writer, publisher and designer, she has been described as ‘an impeccable eye wedded to a keen intellect’ by influential ArtForum magazine. She has worked with some of the leading international artists of the last and this century.
She was recently appointed Artistic Director of the 19th Biennale of Sydney 2014 one of the most prestigious international contemporary art events presented in Australia. She is also Professorial Fellow in the Faculty of Monash Art Design and Architecture.
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Gabrielle WilsonPhone 0412 686 548, Email g.wilson@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan WallPhone 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-03-07
Memorial service for James Strong
James Alexander Strong
31/7/1944–3/3/2013
Passed away peacefully from lung complications at the Mater hospital Sydney.
Born in the town of Lismore, New South Wales.
Adored son of the late Russell and Kathleen Strong.
Loved and loving husband of Jeanne-Claude.
Treasured and inspirational father of Nick and Sam and father-in-law of Katherine.
Treasured brother to Phillip and David, and brother in law to Brenda and Ann.
Uncle to Earl, Katherine, Sally, Terry, Robert, Rachel and Greg.
A public memorial service will be held at 2pm on Monday 11 March at the City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place, Sydney.
Contributions in lieu of flowers can be forwarded to the James Strong Scholarship Fund. Details will be provided within the memorial service book.
A QANTAS tribute A380 will fly over the Sydney CBD at 1.00pm.
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2013-03-12
New investment in Australian creativity
Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts has today welcomed the launch of the National Cultural Policy and response to the recommendations of the Australia Council review.
Speaking from the National Press Club in Canberra, where Minister for the Arts The Hon Simon Crean MP launched the policy, Mr Rupert Myer said, 'The development and delivery of the National Cultural Policy, Creative Australia, symbolises the importance of the arts to a vibrant, innovative and healthy Australia. It is an opportunity to reposition artists and creativity at the centre of Australian life.'
'Creative Australia embodies the principle that the arts are for everyone, and experienced in many ways in every community – from Indigenous arts and cultures across the country, to opera on the harbour, blockbuster exhibitions in our galleries, and local performing arts centres,' Mr Myer said.
The Policy presents a national framework for the arts, culture and creativity; providing Australia with a set of strategic directions, initiatives and themes.
'This is an opportunity to ensure artists and Australian creativity are recognised, valued and celebrated for the immense contribution they make to our nation and society. It is an historic juncture to be seized – where digital technology and the global creative community and market place are expanding artistic horizons beyond anything we have seen in the past.
'The Australia Council is delighted that Creative Australia positions our organisation as a pivotal driver of the nation’s cultural future,' said Mr Myer.
Creative Australia includes the Government’s response to the review of the Australia Council. Initiated in 2011, the review affirmed the inaugural Chair Mr H.C 'Nugget' Coombs' original vision for the Australia Council as relevant today, but recommended that the Council’s enabling legislation and governance be updated to reflect the Council’s place in 21st century Australia.
Included in the response to the recommendations is a $75.3 million increase to funding to the Australia Council over four years. This additional funding is chiefly in aid of its core responsibility to support more artists who have achieved excellence in practice.
'The Australia Council receives applications from more high-quality artists today than ever before, some of them working in ways not imagined 10 years ago. This increased funding is welcomed as it represents a significant further investment in artistic excellence of this kind,' Mr Myer said.
'The response to the Australia Council review also provides a timely opportunity to remake the institution to fit the times. Modernised legislation will clarify functions and remove constraints, providing Council with greater flexibility to engage more artistic expertise to assist its planning and decisions. Importantly, the new legislation also confirms that Council’s decisions on arts funding are made at arms’ length from government.
'Four decades after the establishment of the Australia Council I believe the changes outlined in this announcement offer the Australia Council a new flexibility, new tools, better interconnectivity and ways of meeting the challenges and securing the opportunities that lay ahead,' Mr Myer said.
'The Australia Council looks forward to a continuing dialogue with the sector as we implement the adopted review recommendations,' he concluded.
Find out more
The National Cultural Policy, Creative Australia, is available here:
culture.arts.gov.au
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (45 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Brendan WallPhone 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron WoodsPhone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-04-03
Get the facts about visual arts!
Spending on visual arts and craft has grown 26% since 2004. With 11 million attendances annually, exhibitions draw bigger crowds than the footy (10 million). More than 1.65 million Australians attend Indigenous visual art exhibitions and events each year. These are just some of the facts drawn together in the Australia Council’s new digital resource, Art Facts: Visual Arts.
Art Facts: Visual Arts outlines the story of the visual arts and craft sector in numbers. As an interactive website, it brings together facts, figures and research from across Australia to inspire people to discover and share facts about visual arts and crafts, sparking quality debate about this important area of Australian culture.
Art Facts provides the arts sector with a ‘one stop shop’ for data that has until now only been available in separate reports, including the latest statistical data from the Australia Council, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and industry research reports. The visual arts are the second sector to go under the Art Facts spotlight, following Art Facts: Music, which was released in 2012.
‘While there are a range of reports, facts and figures out there on the arts, Art Facts provides the crucial step of consolidating them in one place, allowing people to examine and compare the figures in new ways.’ says Australia Council Chair Mr Rupert Myer AM. ‘The Art Facts research program is a rich resource for deepening our understanding of the arts, sector by sector.’
This edition on the visual arts includes analysis of the latest available statistics about visual arts creation, industry, global trade, participation and support.
‘One thing that’s clear is the deep engagement Australians have with visual arts and crafts,’ says Mr Myer. ‘The visual arts and craft are some of the most popular cultural activities in Australia and, in terms of creativity, there are more Australians creating visual arts and crafts than any other type of art.’
‘Australian household spending on the visual arts is also on the rise with people now spending more on paintings, carvings and sculptures, art and craft materials, and art gallery and museum admission tickets,’ says Mr Myer.
Many visual artists prefer to practice in regional areas. Like many other types of artists visual artists tend to earn low incomes. Significantly many visual artists also contribute their skills to areas outside of the visual arts.
‘Visual artists are also valued in other industries, with 20% applying their artistic skills in the creative industries, such as advertising, design and architecture; and another 20% contributing them to non cultural sectors,’ says Ms Libby Christie, Acting Chief Executive of the Australia Council.
With facts about music already available, the Art Facts website will grow to include key facts about all artforms, with other artforms being added throughout 2013. Art Facts will become a permanent resource for development of more rigorous understanding of Australian arts through data and analysis.
Art Facts: Visual Arts is available at
http://artfacts.australiacouncil.gov.au/visual-arts Also follow Art Facts on Twitter through the hashtag
#artfacts
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (96 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Brendan WallPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron WoodsPhone 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548 , Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-04-08
Top music honour for national treasure Kev Carmody
The $60,000 Australia Council Don Banks Music Award – the nation’s most valuable individual music award – is today presented to singer, storyteller, activist and artist, Kev Carmody, for his outstanding contribution to Australian music.
Kev Carmody’s music is about the exchange and passing on of stories, where music is used as a vessel for these stories. He writes songs drawing on a unique life experience, with an eye for historical and political narratives. His songs cover land rights and black deaths in custody through to Christian theology, poverty in the UK and celebrations of all walks of Australian life.
‘Kev Carmody is a talented and distinctively Australian artist, a storyteller of depth and integrity as well as an extraordinary advocate for the rights and values of Indigenous Australians’, says Professor Matthew Hindson AM, Chair of the Australia Council Music Board. ‘From blunt protest songs to poetic ballads, he performs with a clarity and grace that has won him fans across Australia and around the world.’
Starting as a drover at the age of four in Queensland, Carmody grew up moving across the state with his family, following the work. At 33 he enrolled at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education, which became the University of Southern Queensland, to study music, then history and philosophy. Having had limited opportunities for schooling, Carmody negotiated to present his essays in song.
His first album Pillars of Society, released in 1988, was dubbed by journalist Bruce Elder, writing for Rolling Stone Magazine, ‘the best album ever released by an Aboriginal musician and arguably the best protest album ever made in Australia’.
Carmody has since been a recipient of the 2005 Jimmy Little Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music (The Deadlys), 1993 Country Music Association of Australia Heritage Award for From Little Things, Big Things Grow; and 2001 Australian Film Industry’s Open Craft Award in a Non-Feature Film for an Original Score.
Carmody is known for embracing a vast range of styles, mixing folk and country with reggae, funk, traditional didgeridoo and mandolin, hard rock, and gospel; as well as for his ‘hand-made’ approach to recording.
‘Kev’s music is an invaluable collection for the nation, but his contribution to music is greater than songs and stories’, says Matthew Hindson. ‘So much can be learned from his approach to recording. His favourite studio is a converted cold room and fruit packing shed, and if he’s searching for a certain sound he’ll often make the instrument to achieve it, creating unique and beautiful effects.’
In 2007 Paul Kelly, who describes Kev Carmody’s work as ‘one of our nation’s greatest treasures’, bought to fruition a tribute album with many notable Australian musicians recording their versions of Carmody’s songs. In 2008 Cannot Buy My Soul became a tribute event at the Sydney Festival. The calibre of artists that joined Carmody on stage, including Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Tex Perkins, Dan Sultan and Steve Kilbey amongst others; is a testament to the respect that Kev Carmody has achieved within the Australian music industry.
‘Kev Carmody is held in the highest regard by his peers and his fans’, says Matthew Hindson. ‘His contribution to Australian music and to Australian culture is indisputable. It is a pleasure to award him the 2013 Australia Council Don Banks Music Award.’
The Australia Council Don Banks Music Award is presented at 6.00pm, Monday 8 April
at the Brisbane Powerhouse
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (129 KB).
BACKGROUND – Australia Council Don Banks Music Award
The Australia Council Don Banks Music Award is one of the top annual awards the Australia Council offers in recognition of Australian artists whose work represents outstanding achievement in their respective fields.
The Award is valued at $60,000 and is offered by the Council’s Music Board. The Board offers only one award annually to an individual artist.
The purpose of the Australia Council Don Banks Music Award is to honour an artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australia music over a period of many years. The award was established in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer, and the first Chair of the Music Board. Initially established to recognise Australian composers, nominations are now invited for music artists, including performers, from all areas of music.
The award is intended for artists over the age of 50, and is granted only once in an artist’s lifetime. Nominations are accepted from individuals and arts organisations. Artists may not nominate themselves; nominations must come from a third party.
Past winners of the Australia Council Don Banks Music Award include:
Richard Mills (1996)
Richard Meale (1997)
Bernie McGann (1998)
Brenton Broadstock (1999)
Bunna Lawrie (2000)
Allan Browne (2001)
Lyndall Hendrickson (2002)
John Curro AM MBE (2003)
Jan Sedivka (2004)
Carl Vine (2005)
Richard Gill OAM (2006)
Peter Sculthorpe OBE (2007)
Bob Sedergreen AM (2008)
Dr Tony Gould (2009)
Warren Fahey AM (2010)
Belinda Webster OAM (2011)
Jon Rose (2012)
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Cameron WoodsPhone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan WallPhone 02 9215 9166, 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-04-19
New Australian Pavilion at Venice Biennale given green light following excellent public and private support
Minister for the Arts, The Hon Tony Burke MP today announced that public and private support for the new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has exceeded $6 million after he confirmed the Australian Government will contribute $1 million through the Australia Council towards this landmark project.
At a special reception hosted by the Australia Council in Sydney today, Chair Mr Rupert Myer AM praised key supporters of the much-anticipated redevelopment project and confirmed total pledges now exceeded $6 million. Mr Myer said, “The generous support received for the new Australian Pavilion ensures it is firmly on track to open as planned at the 56th International Art Exhibition in 2015. It promises to be a stunning and distinctive addition to the Venice Biennale landscape and an important addition to Australia’s cultural infrastructure.”
Addressing today’s reception, Mr Burke acknowledged assembled donors to the project and congratulated the architect for the new Pavilion, Denton Corker Marshall. Mr Burke said, “Australia’s creative and philanthropic community has once again shown a willingness to support iconic works that symbolise Australia’s artistic creativity on a global stage. The Australian Government is pleased to partner with the many generous private supporters who have contributed to help this vision become a reality. ”
The private fundraising efforts for the new pavilion have been led by Australian Commissioner for the 2013 and 2015 Venice Biennales, Simon Mordant AM. Following an initial pledge of $1 million, the Mordant family increased its commitment to $2 million after seeing the selected design for the Pavilion.
Significant contributions have also been pledged by the Belgiorno-Nettis family, as well as Allan Myers AO QC and Maria Myers AO, Andrew and Cathy Cameron, the Nelson Meers Foundation and an anonymous donor.
The project has also captivated the attention of some of our most celebrated global artistic achievers with noteworthy support received from Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, as well as Rachel Griffiths and her husband and visual artist Andrew Taylor, each of whom have been involved in opening previous Biennales in Venice for Australia.
“I gratefully acknowledge the donors for their outstanding generosity and philanthropic leadership for the Pavilion redevelopment project,” said Mr Myer. “In particular, special thanks must go to Simon and Catriona Mordant. Their dedication and commitment to the arts in Australia is unrivalled and the success of this project is testament to their tireless commitment to fostering international interest in Australian artists.”
Mr Mordant responded by saying, “Today’s announcement is a significant milestone and a clear indication that we are full steam ahead to open the new Pavilion as anticipated in 2015. I am sure I speak for all donors when I say I am thrilled and proud to see this extraordinary vision close to being realised. The overwhelmingly positive response from the Federal Government, philanthropic and creative communities reflects a deep commitment to the Venice Pavilion and the excitement that surrounds the dynamic new design. Venice is the most important contemporary art and architecture exposition globally and Australia will be the focus of the world when this new Pavilion opens in 2015.”
The new Australian Pavilion, designed by Denton Corker Marshall, will be the first 21st century building in the historic Biennale Gardens. Application and development approvals are being progressed in Italy with the assistance of the authorities in the city of Venice and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The first breaking of ground on the project is currently scheduled to commence in December, with capital works expected to take approximately twelve months.
Guests at today’s announcement were also provided with a copy of a new publication, which celebrates the existing Australian Pavilion as designed by Australian architect Philip Cox. The publication includes details of each short listed and the winning designs for the new Pavilion. The book was co-published by the Australia Council and Australian Institute of Architects, honouring the contribution the existing Pavilion has made to the arts and architecture.
For more information on the Venice Biennale Australian Pavilion redevelopment project, visit http://venicebiennale.australiacouncil.gov.au
Additional information on the Australian Pavilion Redevelopment Project:
Key donors to date:
Significant donors to date include: the Mordant family, the Belgiorno-Nettis family, together with Allan Myers AO QC and Maria Myers AO, Andrew and Cathy Cameron, Nelson Meers Foundation, and one anonymous and; Sir Ron Brierley, Denton Corker Marshall, Adrian and Michela Fini, Gandel Philanthropy, Annabel and Rupert Myer AM, and Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull.
We also acknowledge generous donations from:
Geoff Ainsworth, Lesley Alway and Paul Hewison, Charlene and Graham Bradley AM, Karilyn Brown, Paul and Samantha Cross, Fiorella and Phillip de Boos-Smith, Dr Paul Eliadis, Terry and Lynn Fern, Neilma Gantner, GrantPirrie family, Ginny and Leslie Green, Rachel Griffiths and Andrew Taylor, Julian and Stephanie Grose, Doug Hall AM, Mark Henry, Janet Holmes à Court AC, Carolyn Kay and Simon Swaney, Kathy Keele, Elizabeth and Colin Laverty OAM, Amanda and Andrew Love, Mark and Louise Nelson, Anna and Morry Schwartz, Penelope Seidler AM, Vivienne Sharpe, Upton Blanchett family, and Brian Zulaikha.
Project history:
Following a feasibility study funded by the Australia Council and the Mordant family, The Australia Council announced the intended redevelopment of the Australian Pavilion in June 2011. The Australian Pavilion is positioned within the Biennale Gardens (Giardini della Biennale) in Venice. Almost 100 countries exhibit in Venice and Australia has one of 29 pavilions within the Biennale Gardens, all built at different periods. The current Australian Pavilion was designed by Australian architect Philip Cox and opened in 1988. The new Pavilion, to be designed by architects Denton Corker Marshall, will be the first 21st century building in the historic Biennale Gardens.
The Venice Biennale:
The Venice Biennale is considered the most important and prestigious event on the international contemporary arts calendar, and is the oldest and largest established biennale in the world. Australia has been consistently represented at the Venice Biennale for more than three decades, through the financial support and management of the Australia Council. The Biennale is a significant opportunity to present the best of Australia’s contemporary visual art to international curators, collectors and media. It opens doors for the Australian artists and for Australian art generally. More than 30,000 of the world’s leading curators, collectors, critics and media attend the three-day Vernissage period and more than 440,000 people visit the Biennale over six months.
The Architects:
Denton Corker Marshall’s credits include such landmark buildings as the Melbourne Museum, Museum of Sydney, Australian Embassies in Tokyo and Beijing, and the Stonehenge Visitor Centre in the United Kingdom. The new pavilion will be completed for the opening of the 56th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale, in 2015.
The Selection Panel:
The selection of the architect for the new Australian Pavilion involved a two-stage process managed by the Australia Council, and endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects. The selection panel for the redevelopment project comprised: Ms Lesley Alway (Director, Asialink, Arts; former Director, Heide Museum of Modern Art), Mr Luca Belgiorno-Nettis AM (Joint Managing Director of Transfield Holdings; Chair, Biennale of Sydney), Mr Doug Hall AM (Australian Commissioner, Venice Biennale 2011; former Director, Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, 1987-2007), Ms Kathy Keele (former CEO, Australia Council for the Arts), Mr Simon Mordant AM (Australian Commissioner, Venice Biennale 2013 and 2015; Chair, Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia), Mrs Penelope Seidler AM (Director, Harry Seidler and Associates; Board of Directors, Biennale of Sydney), the late Mr James Strong AO (former Chair, Australia Council) and Mr Brian Zulaikha (former President, Australian Institute of Architects and Director, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects).
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (96 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Brendan WallPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Gabrielle WilsonPhone 0433 972 915 , Email g.wilson@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-04-23
The Australian Pavilion at the 55th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia will feature a new body of work by artist Simryn Gill
The Australian Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale La Biennale di Venezia dates: 1 June – 24 November 2013 La Biennale di Venezia Vernissage dates: 29 May – 31 May 2013 The Australian Pavilion Official website: http://venicebiennale.australiacouncil.gov.au Sydney, Australia: The official Australian representation at the 55th International Art Exhibition comprises an exhibition of new works by Simryn Gill and is curated by Catherine de Zegher. Simryn Gill works in the realm of the ephemeral and the domestic, with its daily habits and repetitions. Through her images and collections of objects, she brings into play her, and our, everyday experiences. Once formed, these works have the unexpected capacity to disturb our ideas of order. Be they books and words, landscapes of sublime power, or discarded objects of uncertain value, the different elements of her work exist in the present. In the words of the artist Simryn Gill, “These are ordinary things, yet they are indeterminate and open in their nature, and can be the hardest of things to describe clearly or grasp simply.” “Simryn Gill’s terrain,” says Catherine de Zegher, “ is the intertidal zone, the insecure in-between zone—that shifting place on a beach where the ocean comes in, covering over shells and crabs, sandflies and sprouting mangroves, and bringing with it detritus of man-made goods down maritime trade routes, to then retreat again. Her work proposes a space of negotiation between the small and the global, between nature and industry, as it reveals an understanding of the interconnectedness of all in a world in flux.” “We take great pride in the fact that for more than three decades the Australia Council has managed and lead-funded our national representation at the Venice Biennale,” says Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council. “Venice is considered the most important and prestigious event on the international contemporary arts calendar. It is an unmatched opportunity for Australia to present its finest artists to the world and an opportunity for dialogue about creativity and ideas between artists, professionals and audiences. We are thrilled to be presenting Simryn Gill’s work at the 55th International Art Exhibition.” “Simryn Gill continues a tradition of outstanding Australian representation at the Venice Biennale,” says Australian Commissioner Simon Mordant AM. “We are truly delighted that Simryn is our representative for the upcoming biennale. Visitors will be intrigued by the way Simryn has engaged with the Australian Pavilion. In Here art grows on trees Simryn blends the everyday elements of her practice for a powerful, almost radical result. Simryn and Catherine have created an exhibition we are excited about and very proud of.” Simryn Gill lives and works in Sydney, Australia, and Port Dickson, Malaysia. She has exhibited widely, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Tate Modern, London; and The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC. Her work has been included in numerous group exhibitions. In 2009, she showed in 9th Sharjah Biennial, in 2011 at the 12th Istanbul Biennial, and most recently in 2012 with a commission for Documenta 13 in Kassel, Germany. Gill’s works are held in collections such as the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia; Tate Modern, London; Singapore Art Museum; The Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. A major new publication of Simryn Gill’s work, edited by Catherine de Zegher, will be launched at the vernissage, featuring essays by Carol Armstrong, Lilian Chee, Ross Gibson, Kajri Jain, Brian Massumi, Michael Taussig and Catherine de Zegher. Simryn Gill is represented by Breenspace, Sydney; Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai; and Tracy Williams Ltd, New York.
About the curator
Catherine de Zegher is currently the Curator for the forthcoming 5th Moscow Biennale (2013). She was previously co-Artistic Director of the 18th Biennale of Sydney (all our relations) in 2012, the same year she won two international critics awards for her book and exhibition On Line. Drawing Through the Twentieth Century at MoMA, where she was a guest curator in the Department of Drawing. Prior to this, de Zegher held various positions in Europe and North America, notably as the Executive Director of the Drawing Center in New York City and the Belgian Commissioner for the 47th Venice Biennale. De Zegher has written and edited numerous books on drawing and feminism and is currently working on a collection of her published essays.
About the Commissioner
Simon Mordant AM is Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Greenhill & Co. Inc., a leading global independent corporate advisory firm. He is a committed and passionate supporter of the arts. Mordant has served as Chairman of the Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia (MCA) since 2010, having also served previously as Chairman of the Museum’s Foundation. Mordant also sits on the Board of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), the Sydney Theatre Company, the Leadership Council for the New Museum in New York, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tate International Council and a member of the International Council of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
About the Australia Council
As the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, the Australia Council has managed and lead funded Australia’s participation in the Venice Biennale since 1978. The Australia Council is committed to building opportunities for the international presentation and collection of Australian contemporary art, and representation at the Biennale is an important part of this strategy. Australia’s participation in the Venice Biennale has contributed to the professional development of many artists and has opened up significant exhibition opportunities internationally.
About the Australian Pavilion
The Australian Pavilion is positioned within the Biennale Gardens (Giardini della Biennale). The pavilion is one of 29 pavilions within the Biennale Gardens, all built at different periods by various countries. The Australian Pavilion was designed by renowned Australian architect Philip Cox and opened in 1988. Australia’s representation at the Venice Biennale began in 1954 with an exhibition of Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale and William Dobell’s iconic works, followed by visual arts luminaries such as Arthur Boyd, Rosalie Gascoigne and Albert Tucker. Other previous Australian representatives include Bill Henson (1995), Judy Watson, Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1997), Howard Arkley (1999), Lyndal Jones (2001), Patricia Piccinini (2003), Ricky Swallow (2005), Susan Norrie, Daniel Von Sturmer and Callum Morton (2007), Shaun Gladwell (2009) and Hany Armanious (2011).
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (96 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Australia and New Zealand
Brendan Wall | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Gabrielle Wilson | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 0433 972 915 , Email g.wilson@australiacouncil.gov.au
International
John Diviney | Brunswick ArtsPhone +971 (4) 446 6270, Email jdiviney@brunswickgroup.com
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2013-04-29
Leading Australian artist unveils large scale rooftop installation for major museum in Paris
The critically acclaimed musée du quai Branly in Paris will soon be home to a dynamic new installation by leading Aboriginal Australian artist Lena Nyadbi. At a special ceremony in Canberra today, Australia will celebrate a major new commission specifically designed for the Paris museum’s rooftop. At almost 700 square metres, the large scale art installation has been designed to be viewed from the Eiffel Tower and by Google Earth users, making it one of the largest artworks made by an Australian artist and an important new addition to the world renowned museum dedicated to the arts and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
One of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, Lena Nyadbi is a Gija woman of Nyawurru skin. Born around 1936 in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia, Nyadbi is best known for her rich, spare aesthetic. After a decade under apprenticeship to leading Kimberley master artists, Nyadbi began painting in 1998. Her paint is hand-made using natural ochre and charcoal from Gija country. This literal inseparability from country is implicit in the power of her artwork.
In a unique partnership between the Australia Council, the musée du quai Branly, and the Harold Mitchell Foundation, the artist was last year commissioned to create a new site-specific installation for the museum’s rooftop terrace. To be unveiled in Paris on 6 June 2013, the outdoor work is titled Dayiwul Lirlmim (Barramundi Scales). Filling the 700 square metres rooftop, the giant rendering is an adaptation of a new black and white painting by the artist. The original artwork will also go on display at the Paris Museum. Both works have been inspired by Nyadbi’s mother’s land in Dayiwul Country in Western Australia.
Located on the left Bank in the heart of Paris, the musée du quai Branly is one of France’s national museums and is a world leading centre for global cultures and arts. The musée collection comprises more than 300,000 works of art, of which 33 000 are from Oceania. Today the musée collection features 1423 Aboriginal works of art including weapons, boomerangs, tools and sculptures. The installation will be viewed by the seven million people who visit the Eiffel Tower every year and by Google Earth users.
“This powerful new work by Lena Nyadbi is an historic opportunity to highlight and promote Indigenous Australian art and cultures to a global audience in Paris,” said Australia Council Chair Mr Rupert Myer AM. “It is also an opportunity to continue to develop the relationship between the Australia Council, Australian galleries and museums and the musée du quai Branly. Importantly, this commission builds on the success of a project in 2006 with the musée which featured work by eight artists, including Lena Nyadbi on the ceilings and facade of the museum which attracted the attention of visitors from around the world.”
Harold Mitchell AC, Chairman of the Harold Mitchell Foundation said, “Through the Harold Mitchell Foundation we seek to have a transformational impact with the projects we fund. Presented in the heart of European civilisation this project both raises the profile of Indigenous art and expands the ways we think about the possibilities of Aboriginal art in a global context”
“We are very excited to present work of this magnitude by an important contemporary Australian Aboriginal artist,” said Stéphane Martin, President of the musée du quai Branly who approached Australia Council in 2011 with the proposal for a large scale work at the museum. Since 2011, numerous discussions and visits with the artist at her home in Western Australia have resulted in the extraordinary artwork Dayiwul Lirlmim. “The scale and prominence of this project is a reflection of the growing interest in contemporary Aboriginal Australian art among museum visitors across Europe and internationally,” said Mr Martin.
“Lena Nyadbi’s remarkable paintings at once embody a particular place and culture and speak many languages” said Ms Lee-Ann Buckskin Chair of the Australia Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board. “Translated from a canvas an architectural scaled sculptural form, Nyadbi’s commission highlights the dynamism of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts among the Indigenous cultures of the world”.
The Paris installation will coincide with a major new exhibition of Kimberley artists from the Warmun Art Centre at the Australian Embassy in Paris, which will open on 6 June 2013.
This project is being presented by the Australia Council for the Arts, musée du quai Branly, Harold Mitchell Foundation, the Australian Embassy in Paris and the National Gallery of Australia.
A reception is being held to launch the project in Australia on Monday 29 April, 12.30pm–2.30pm at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.
Special guests at the event include the Minister for the Arts The Hon Tony Burke MP, artist Lena Nyadbi, Australia Council Chair, Mr Rupert Myer, Ambassador of France to Australia H.E. Mr. Stéphane Romatet and President of the musée du quai Branly, Mr Stéphane Martin.
All media are welcome to attend.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (197 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about this media release contact:
Australia
Gabrielle WilsonPhone 0433 972 915, Email g.wilson@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan WallPhone 02 9215 9166, 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
France
Nora CharifiMusée du quai Branly
Phone 33 (0)1 56 61 52 87, Email nora.charifi@quaibranly.fr
Photo: Lena Nyadbi. Credit: Photo Jonathon Kimberley, Warmun Art Centre.
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2013-05-07
Workshop brings together Indigenous writing sector
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from across Australia will gather at the State Library of Queensland, Brisbane from 9 – 10 May 2013, for the inaugural Workshop being presented by the First Nations Australia Writers’ Network.
With a focus on sustaining the sector and skills development, the Workshop will bring together 65 emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from across Australia, as well as international guests from Canada and New Zealand, to participate in peer-to-peer workshops, formal presentations and round table discussions.
"Our writers have won some of the most prestigious literary awards in Australia,” says First Nations Australian Writers Network National coordinator, Cathy Craigie. “Two Aboriginal authors have won the Miles Franklin Award – Alexis Wright with Carpentaria in 2007 and Kim Scott with The Deadman Dance in 2011. Herb Wharton was awarded the 2012 Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature.”
“The depth of talent and experience that exists within our community is extraordinary and it is now time for us to work together to strengthen our future,” says Cathy.
The program includes some of the most highly regarded writers in Australian literature today. A keynote session will feature Alexis Wright in conversation with Dr. Sandra Phillips. In a panel presentation, Doing it our way, Melissa Lucashenko hosts authors Herb Wharton, Dr. Anita Heiss and Kim Scott. While international perspectives will be presented from story teller, Sharon Shorty (Canada) and writer, Anton Blank (New Zealand).
Sophie Cunningham, Chair of the Australia Council Literature Board and Jill Eddington, Director of Literature will chair industry roundtable sessions; one for publishers and another for the wider sector including representatives of the writers festival and centre networks and key organisations. Other participants include Philip McLaren, Bruce Pascoe, Alexis West, John Harding, Sam Wagan Watson and Lionel Fogarty.
Lee-Ann Buckskin, Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the Australia Council, which provided $300,000 in three year strategic partnership funding to the First Nations Australian Writers Network, congratulated the group on its acheivement.
“We are pleased to partner with the First Nations Australian Writers Network on this significant milestone,” says Lee-Ann. “It is a strong testament to the exciting storytelling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers and its recognition worldwide.
“It builds upon the Australia Council support for research, international exchanges with Canada and New Zealand through the Honouring Words initiative, and the groundbreaking Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Aboriginal Literature.”
“Everyone involved in establishing this week’s workshop are to be congratulated, and we look forward to the outcomes that will inform future policy initiatives in this vibrant and culturally significant sector,” concluded Lee-Ann.
For more information and to register please visit: http://fnawworkshop.com
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (38.1 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Brendan WallPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron WoodsPhone 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548 , Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-05-08
Rose Hiscock: Appointed to Director of the Powerhouse Museum
Australia Council Acting CEO, Libby Christie today congratulated Rose Hiscock on her appointment to the role of Director of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, including the Powerhouse Museum, for the next five years from July 2013.
"The Australia Council applauds the announcement today by NSW Minister for Arts, George Souris of Rose Hiscock’s appointment to lead one of the State’s most dynamic and important cultural institutions," Ms Christie said.
"It is an inspired and richly deserved appointment that acknowledges the remarkable energy and talents Rose has brought to the role of Executive Director Arts Development at the Australia Council, resulting in significant market and audience growth for the thousands of Australian artists and organisations we support, both nationally and internationally.
"Among her many achievements at the Australia Council, Rose has led the process of reform to national touring for Australia’s performing arts and has been integrally involved in the development of a new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. She has also developed and led a program of groundbreaking research that is shining a new light on the way Australian artists work and interact with audiences.
"While Rose leaves very big shoes to fill, we are very fortunate that she has assembled an outstanding research, marketing and audience development team that will continue to deliver invaluable insights for the artists and organisations we support and for the benefit of the broader arts sector."
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2013-05-14
Australia Council fellowships offer artists creative freedom
Australia Council Chair Mr Rupert Myer AM today announced the
11 recipients of the second annual Australia Council Creative Australia Fellowships. The announcement was made at a special event at the Melbourne Recital Centre attended by the artists as well as a broad cross section of the arts community.
With original funding for only five fellowships across the two categories, the Australia Council committed to a further six after being impressed by the exceptional quality of applications, bringing the total funding pool to $860,000.
The highly sought after fellowships attracted a total of 255 applications (172 for early career and 83 for established.) The established artists will each receive $100,000 for one year and the early career artists will receive $60,000 over two years.
Mr Myer congratulated the recipients of the prestigious Creative Australia Fellowships which aim to support both emerging and established artists develop their arts practice, to experiment, research and develop new ways to present their works.
“These grants provide artists with the valuable time and financial security to focus on their work and in turn drive innovation and dynamic growth in our arts,” Mr Myer said.
“The Australia Council is deeply committed to supporting the development and the celebration of Australia’s creative talent, offering training opportunities and career pathways in the arts and its related industries.
“Through the Fellowships the Australia Council is providing direct support to artists at critical stages during their careers to ensure they have time to develop, to support risk taking, experimentation and innovation.”
“These Creative Australia Fellowships were designed to recognise artists who have already made a significant contribution to Australian culture and to those that are taking an original approach to artistic practice, including those who are working across multiple disciplines,” said Mr Myer.
"The Fellowships are an investment in the long term sustainability of each artists’ career. So from the perspective of the Australia Council, this is an investment in the future of art."
Managed by the Australia Council the Creative Australia Fellowships are a major initiative to support the professional development of outstanding artists working across the sector and Australia. The Fellowships are a centrepiece of the Federal Government’s Creative Australia Artist Grants initiative with $10m committed to individual artists over five years.
A list of recipients and bios are available here.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (44 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Brendan WallPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron WoodsPhone 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548 , Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-05-15
Australia Council Welcomes Federal Budget Commitment to Australian Artists
The Australia Council today welcomed confirmation in the 2013-14 Federal Budget of an additional $75.3 million in funding over four years to support Australian artists and arts organisations, as outlined in the National Cultural Policy Creative Australia.
Australia Council Acting CEO, Libby Christie said the additional resources would directly support the work of Australian artists and arts organisations.
“On behalf of the arts sector we are delighted that the additional funding outlined in Creative Australia has been confirmed in the Federal Budget,” Ms Christie said.
“There is a large pool of outstanding artistic talent in our community and we will be working in consultation with the sector to allocate funding in line with the greatest needs to achieve the greatest impact for Australian artists and audiences.”
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2013-05-16
Australia Council welcomes new CEO, Tony Grybowski
Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, Rupert Myer AM today welcomed the announcement by Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP that Tony Grybowski has been named as the Australia Council’s new CEO.
“The members of the Council, our staff and members of artistic communities across Australia join me in expressing our delight that Tony has been appointed CEO, effective immediately,” said Mr Myer.
“Tony has been Executive Director, Arts Organisations at the Australia Council for the past five years and is well known to artists and arts organisations for his passion and commitment to creativity.
“He knows the arts landscape very well and from all perspectives – as a musician, an arts administrator and a member of state and federal funding organisations. He has worked extensively with youth and community arts and will bring a unique blend of experience to the role of CEO.”
Tony Grybowski has spent a lifetime in the arts that include many years as a performing musician. In Arts Administration, Tony has 25 years of experience which include management positions with the Sydney Symphony, Musica Viva Australia and seven years as General Manager of the Australian Youth Orchestra. He also spent a period with the
State Government of Victoria at Arts Victoria. His experience covers work with individual artists across the spectrum of art forms and arts organisations, both large and small, in Australia and internationally.
Tony Grybowski said he was honoured to be taking on the role. “For me, this is the best job in Australia. Being vitally involved in nurturing and supporting creative expression of all kinds, at a time marked by technological change and extraordinary innovation in the sector, is a challenge of the most exciting kind.
“With the announcement of the new National Cultural Policy, Creative Australia and passage of the legislation to make the Australia Council more flexible and responsive will come great opportunity. I see an even more exciting future for the arts in Australia and for the Council’s role, including the new proposed Sector Strategy Panels, in supporting and developing a more creative and enriched community,” he said.
Mr Myer praised Libby Christie who has acted in the role of Chief Executive since 1 January for navigating the organisation through an unprecedented period of change that included the release of Creative Australia and the introduction of the new Australia Council legislation into Parliament.
“We are very fortunate to have an executive of Libby’s talent within our ranks and we thank her for her stewardship of the organisation at an extremely active time for the arts sector.”
Mr Myer said Tony Grybowski’s appointment comes after an extensive search.
“We naturally cast our net widely, but were very pleased to find our internal succession planning has delivered us the outstanding candidate,” he said.
Tony Grybowski – Biography
Tony Grybowski was educated in Melbourne and graduated from the University of Melbourne with degrees in music and education in 1988. Tony commenced his career in Arts Administration with the Victorian Arts Centre, working with the State Orchestra of Victoria. He subsequently spent three years working with the Sydney Symphony and in 1992 was appointed to the position of Planning and Operations Manager with Musica Viva Australia, a position he held for 6 years. In 1998 Tony was appointed to the position of General Manager of the AustralianYouth Orchestra and steered this national company through a period of significant growth and development. After seven years with the AYO, Tony returned to Victoria and joined the Arts Victoria as General Manager of the Programming and Innovation Unit, leading a range of cultural policy work. Tony joined the Australia Council in November 2007 as Executive Director, Arts Organisations Division.
During his career Tony has served on a range of Boards and Committees, including; Deputy Chair Youth Music Australia, Board of the Institute of the Arts at the Australian National University and the Orchestral Association of Australia. Tony was an inaugural member of the Australia Council’s Youth Panel and served for five years on Arts NSW’s Music Committee and as Deputy Chair of the Queensland based contemporary music ensemble, Elision.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (63 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Cameron WoodsPhone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan WallPhone 02 9215 9166, 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-05-22
Libby Christie Appointed Executive Director of The Australian Ballet
Chair of the Australia Council, Rupert Myer AM today congratulated Libby Christie on her appointment to the role of Executive Director of The Australian Ballet, effective from late July 2013.
“On behalf of everyone at the Australia Council I congratulate Libby on her appointment to this prized role and thank her for her outstanding contribution to our organisation since 2009,” Mr Myer said.
“The Australian Ballet is one of the largest and most successful arts organisations in Australia and this appointment ensures its future is in very good hands.
“Libby has an extensive and successful leadership record in the major performing arts field and a great, contemporary understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the sector.
“While she will play an important role at the Australia Council for the next two months in implementing some of the major initiatives from Creative Australia, we look forward to a continued close working relationship with Libby when she commences her new role at The Australian Ballet,” Mr Myer said.
Ms Christie joined the Australia Council as Executive Director of Arts Funding in 2009 after six years as Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony and a distinguished corporate career in management and business development.
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2013-05-27
Artists celebrated at 6th annual National Indigenous Arts Awards
The Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board is proud to present the $50,000 Red Ochre Award, Australia’s highest peer-assessed award for an Indigenous artist; to actor, dancer, choreographer and painter David Gulpilil, OAM.
Presented since 1993, the Red Ochre Award acknowledges the outstanding contribution of an artist to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts at the national and international levels. It is presented today at the 6th National Indigenous Arts Awards, held at the Sydney Opera House.
Also presented is the $20,000 Dreaming Award, for a young and emerging Indigenous artist, awarded to Rhonda Dick, a photographer from South Australia; and Two fellowships of $45,000 per year over two years to visual artist, Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello; and writer, activist and musician Richard Frankland.
“The Australia Council’s National Indigenous Arts Awards highlight the outstanding achievements o Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists” says Rupert Myer, AM, Chair of the Australia Council. “They celebrate the continuity and dynamism of contemporary Indigenous cultures in Australia.”
"These awards and fellowships are a significant recognition of the unique and important work of each of the recipients,” says Lee-Ann Buckskin, Chair of the Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board.
“The Red Ochre Award for David Gulpilil is wonderful acknowledgement from his peers of David’s continual efforts to bring the experiences and wishes of his people to national and international attention,” says Lee-Ann. “He is unquestionably one of the most respected Australian actors on the international film stage, and a major contributor to the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders”.
David Gulpilil was first cast in the 1971 film Walkabout because of his extraordinary talents as a dancer. He was just 15 and had never acted before. Since then he has appeared in films that have been milestones in Australian cinema, and which have helped define Australian culture.
These include Storm Boy, Mad Dog Morgan, The Last Wave, Crocodile Dundee, Two Hands, Rabbit Proof Fence, The Tracker, Ten Canoes and Australia. He has also acted in a wealth of television roles. Mr Myer said Tony Grybowski’s appointment comes after an extensive search.
Director Rolf de Heer says David’s performance in Walkabout, “was so strong, so imbued with a new type of graceful naturalism, that it redefined perceptions of Aboriginality in the field of acting for the screen.”
His performance in The Tracker is his most critically acclaimed role to date, receiving numerous awards in 2002 including Best Actor at The Australian Film Institute Awards, the Inside Film Awards, and the Film Critics Circle Awards.
David’s latest completed film, Satellite Boy, directed by Aboriginal director Catriona McKenzie, is set in Western Australia and will open in Australian cinemas on June 20.
“Beyond his work on screen, David’s contribution to our people is astounding,” says Lee-Ann. “He has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to many people, opening doorways and creating career pathways where there were previously none.”
With the support of his family and community David has a master plan to create economic development in Arnhem Land to generate jobs, social benefits and a new dimension for Australian tourism and the arts. David is already widely recognised as being a major influence on the growing number of Indigenous professionals across Australia.
Twenty-six year old Rhonda Unurupa Dick is the recipient of the 2013 Dreaming Award, which is given to an artist aged between 18 and 26 to support them to create a major body of work, while being mentored in a chosen discipline by another established professional artist or by an arts institution nominated by the artist.
Rhonda is Pitjantjatjara and a photographic artist from the community of Amata in South Australia. Soon after starting a job as an arts worker at the local Tjala Arts Centre in January 2012 she discovered her love of photography and devoted herself to its practice.
“Rhonda’s work is about her family, her community and her country,” says Lee-Ann. “It attracted attention as soon as she started to show it, receiving the inaugural Desart Annual Aboriginal Arts Worker Prize 2012, for her series entitled My great grandmothers’ country.”
“It’s a joy to support this emerging artist who will undoubtedly create something wonderful from the opportunity, “says Lee-Ann.
The Dreaming Award comes with a prize of $20,000 which Rhonda will use to study photography at the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney under the mentorship of photographer Nici Cumpston. After spending a year developing new work and her practice Rhonda’s works will be displayed at a solo exhibition at the Outstation Gallery in Darwin and at Gallery Gabriella Pizzi in Melbourne.
Fellowship recipient Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello is a Southern Arrernte woman. She is an awardwinning poet, writer, and visual artist as well as an academic, teacher and community leader. In 2008 the Adelaide-born artist, now resident in Canberra, worked with glass for the first time and was immediately hooked on the medium.
Since then she has become known for her extraordinary evocations of traditional weaving in hot blown glass. Jennifer’s Fellowship will allow her to undertake an extensive program of glass blowing, kiln work and coldworking to create a significant body of 70-90 pieces based on traditional Aboriginal woven eel traps, fish traps, baskets, fish scoops and dillibags.
Richard Frankland plans an ambitious musical based on Indigenous Australian history, to be developed with the assistance of his two-year Fellowship.
Richard has written, directed and produced more than 50 film and video projects. As a musician he formed The Charcoal Club and once supported US star Prince. His work as a field officer with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody inspired his award-winning play Conversations with the Dead.
A Gunditjmara man raised in south-western Victoria, Richard Frankland has long been recognised for his passionate advocacy of social justice in writing, film and music. Now he plans to combine the three art forms to tell the story of ‘Indigenous Australians from invasion to today’ in a stage musical to be offered to theatre companies in 2014.
Red Ochre Award recipients 1993–2013
2013
David Gulpilil
2002
Dorothy Peters
2012
Warren H Williams
2001
Bunduk Marika
2011
Archie Roach
2000
Mervyn Bishop
2010
Michael Leslie
1999
Justine Saunders
2009
Gawirrin Gumana
1998
Bob Maza
2008
Doris Pilkington Garimara
1997
Jimmy Chi
2006
Tom E. Lewis
1996
Maureen Watson
2005
Seaman Dan
1995
Rita Mills
2004
John Bulunbulun
1994
Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri
2003
Jimmy Little
1993
Eva Johnson
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdbedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (61.3 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Cameron WoodsPhone 02 9215 9030, 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
Brendan WallPhone 02 9215 9166, 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-05-27
The Australia Pavilion opens at the 55th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia
The Australia Pavilion opens at the 55th International Art Exhibition -
la Biennale di Venezia
La Biennale di Venezia dates: 1 June – 24 November 2013
La Biennale di Venezia Vernissage dates: 29 May – 31 May 2013
The Australian Pavilion Official website: http://venicebiennale.australiacouncil.gov.au
Venice, Italy: The Australia Council today officially unveils the Australian representation at the 55th International Art Exhibition- la Biennale di Venezia. Situated in the Giardini della Biennale, the Australian Pavilion features a site-specific project by Simryn Gill. Curated by Catherine de Zegher, Here art grows on trees continues Gill’s work with the passage of time and the habitation of places.
The artist works in the realm of the ephemeral and the domestic, with its daily habits and repetitions. Through her images and collections of objects, she brings into play her, and our, everyday experiences. Once formed, these works have the unexpected capacity to disturb our ideas of order. Be they books and words, landscapes of sublime power, or discarded objects of uncertain value, the different elements of her work exist in the present. In the words of the artist, “These are ordinary things, yet they are indeterminate and open in their nature, and can be the hardest of things to describe clearly or grasp simply.”
“Simryn Gill’s terrain,” says curator Catherine de Zegher, “is the intertidal zone, the insecure in-between zone — that shifting place on a beach where the ocean comes in, covering over shells and crabs, sandflies and sprouting mangroves, and bringing with it detritus of man-made goods down maritime trade routes, to then retreat again. Her work proposes a space of negotiation between the small and the global, between nature and industry, as it reveals an understanding of the interconnectedness of all in a world in flux.”
As always, Gill’s work is precise and poignant. She considers the building’s structure, composed of two rectangular volumes alongside each other, each having a different height and floor level. The upper floor holds the series of twelve large screens of collaged drawings, Let Go, Let Go, and the lower section contains the series of mine photographs, Eyes and Storms. The roof is partially removed exposing both of these works in equal measures to the elements. Throughout the exhibition’s six month duration, visitors will experience a process of disintegration: the transformation of Gill’s artwork by sunlight, rain and wind, and by the birds and insects feeding on the paper which itself features insects.
“Here, amidst the trees, Gill’s site-specific project presents paper works as being of vegetation, as a cog in the whole system of turning wheels, as just a link in the chain, in the string of gems that the world is offering—a cyclic instead of linear world-view. Originating from pulp made of decayed plants, the works will slowly return to the vegetal in an organic cycle from foliage to folio to foliage. In short, her project is about entropy, the passage through time: paper’s passage, the work’s passage, the Pavilion’s passage, the artist’s passage,” says de Zegher.
Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council, says: “In Here art grows on trees, Simryn Gill presents art that is disciplined and rigorous but also poetic, subtle and inclusive. Gill’s combination of works in various media use methodical collections and thoughtful interventions to transform the Australian Pavilion. I am delighted to offer our warmest congratulations to Simryn and extend our thanks for her commitment and endeavour in realising this ambitious project. Considered the most prestigious event on the contemporary art calendar, Venice is an unmatched opportunity to present our finest artists to the world. Simryn Gill continues a 60-year tradition of outstanding Australian representation at the Venice Biennale.”
Simon Mordant AM, Australian Commissioner, says: “It has been an enormous privilege to be Commissioner for Australia’s representation at the 2013 Venice Biennale. For this project, Simryn Gill blends the everyday elements of her practice for a powerful, almost radical result. The artist asks us to see her work as finite and impermanent. By literally peeling back the roof, she is setting in motion an exhibition which will evolve throughout the course of the six-month exhibition. Visitors will watch as it changes, registers the elements and transforms over time. What will be left is unknown. However, I have no doubt that it will leave a lasting impression on visitors. We are truly delighted that Simryn Gill is our representative for the 55th International Art exhibition.”
A major new publication of Simryn Gill’s work, edited by Catherine de Zegher, was launched today in Venice. The publication features essays by Carol Armstrong, Lilian Chee, Ross Gibson, Kajri Jain, Brian Massumi, Michael Taussig and Catherine de Zegher.Simryn Gill is represented by Breenspace, Sydney; Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai; and Tracy Williams Ltd, New York.
About the Artist
Simryn Gill lives and works in Sydney, Australia, and Port Dickson, Malaysia. She has exhibited widely, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Tate Modern, London; and The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC. Her work has been included in numerous group exhibitions. In 2009, she showed in 9th Sharjah Biennial, in 2011 at the 12th Istanbul Biennial, and most recently in 2012 with a commission for Documenta 13 in Kassel, Germany. Gill’s works are held in collections such as the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; Museum of Contemporary Art Australia; Tate Modern, London; Singapore Art Museum; The Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
About the Curator
Catherine de Zegher is currently the Curator of the forthcoming 5th Moscow Biennale (2013). She was previously co-Artistic Director of the 18th Biennale of Sydney (all our relations) in 2012, the same year she won two international critics awards for her book and exhibition On Line. Drawing Through the Twentieth Century at MoMA, where she was a guest curator in the Department of Drawing. Prior to this, de Zegher held various positions in Europe and North America, notably as the Executive Director of the Drawing Center in New York City and the Belgian Commissioner for the 47th Venice Biennale. De Zegher has written and edited numerous books on drawing and feminism and is currently working on a collection of her published essays.
About the Commissioner
Simon Mordant AM is Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Greenhill & Co. Inc., a leading global independent corporate advisory firm. He is a committed and passionate supporter of the arts. Mordant has served as Chairman of the Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) since 2010, having also served previously as Chairman of the Museum’s Foundation. Mordant also sits on the Board of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), the Sydney Theatre Company, the Leadership Council for the New Museum in New York, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tate International Council and a member of the International Council of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
About the Publication
Here art grows on trees presents Simryn’s Gill’s oeuvre, including her latest works commissioned for the Australian Pavilion at the 55th International Exhibition of Art ¬– la Biennale di Venezia. Edited by the exhibition curator, Catherine de Zegher, this limited edition monograph also includes beautiful artwork plates selected by the artist to illustrate her extensive practice.
Commissioned essays by leading international thinkers include: Catherine de Zegher (Online. Drawing Through the Twentieth Century, MoMA), Carol Armstrong (Scenes in a Library, MIT Press), Lilian Chee (Conserving Domesticity, ORO Editions), Ross Gibson (26 Views of a Starburst World, UWA Press), Kajri Jain (Gods in the Bazaar, DUP Books), Brian Massumi (Semblance and Event, MIT Press), and Michael Taussig (What Color is The Sacred? UCP).
About the Australia Council
As the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, the Australia Council has managed and lead funded Australia’s participation in the Venice Biennale since 1978. The Australia Council is committed to building opportunities for the international presentation and collection of Australian contemporary art, and representation at the Biennale is an important part of this strategy. Australia’s participation in the Venice Biennale has contributed to the professional development of many artists and has opened up significant exhibition opportunities internationally.
About the Australian Pavilion
The Australian Pavilion is positioned within the Biennale Gardens (Giardini della Biennale). The pavilion is one of 29 pavilions within the Biennale Gardens, all built at different periods by various countries. The Australian Pavilion was designed by renowned Australian architect Philip Cox and opened in 1988. Australia’s representation at the Venice Biennale began in 1954 with an exhibition of Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale and William Dobell’s iconic works, followed by visual arts luminaries such as Arthur Boyd, Rosalie Gascoigne and Albert Tucker. Other previous Australian representatives include Bill Henson (1995), Judy Watson, Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1997), Howard Arkley (1999), Lyndal Jones (2001), Patricia Piccinini (2003), Ricky Swallow (2005), Susan Norrie, Daniel Von Sturmer and Callum Morton (2007), Shaun Gladwell (2009) and Hany Armanious (2011).
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (197 KB).
Contact
For inquiries about the appointment contact:
Australia and New Zealand
Brendan Wall | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Gabrielle Wilson | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 0433 972 915 , Email g.wilson@australiacouncil.gov.au
International
John Diviney | Brunswick ArtsPhone +971 (4) 446 6270, Email jdiviney@brunswickgroup.com
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2013-06-03
CEO UPDATE – JUNE 2013
Welcome to the first of regular updates on what is happening in and around the Australia Council at an exciting time for the arts sector and our organisation. My focus is firmly fixed on our role of supporting and developing a more creative and enriched community, particularly in those areas of greatest need. In the next few months I am looking forward to visiting as many artists and organisations across the country as time and travel routes permit. For now, here’s an update on some of the more significant things we are working through this month.
Australia Council legislation
The passage of our new enabling legislation, the Australia Council Bill 2013 remains well on track after passing through the House of Representatives recently and progressing to the Senate. It is anticipated the Bill will be debated in the Senate during one of the allocated sitting weeks in late June. Should the Bill be approved at this stage it will soon after proceed to the Governor General for assent and become law, replacing the existing Act that has served us for almost four decades.
As you may be aware, the legislation adopts the majority of recommendations that were made in the 2012 Review of the Australia Council, including updating our governance structure in line with other modern statutory authorities such as Screen Australia and the National Portrait Gallery of Australia. In practice, the new legislation would remove some constraints and enable the Australia Council to be more flexible and responsive to the needs of artists today and into the future.
If you are interested in reading more about the Australia Council Bill 2013, including the parliamentary speeches made during debate of the legislation, you can find all of the information you need at the following link:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5021
Federal Budget and additional funding allocation
We were very pleased that the 2013-14 Federal Budget confirmed delivery of an additional $75 million over four years, of which $60 million has been provided to support unfunded excellence as flagged in the Creative Australia announcement. That means an additional $15 million in grant funding will be available for distribution to Australian artists and arts organisations in the 12 months from 1 July 2013.
The mechanics of allocating the extra funding in the first year will be determined when the Australia Council’s governing Council meets in mid-June. The allocation of funding beyond the first year will be based on existing long term analysis of the sector, supported by the development of a five-year strategic vision and framework for the Australia Council that will be the subject of extensive consultation with stakeholders, commencing later this year. In the context of that work we are well on the way to reviewing our grant programs with the goal of simplifying and streamlining the categories, acknowledging common artform elements. Put simply, we aim to give more artists easier access to our grant programs.
Executive Team
2013 has to date been a year of great energy and change in the arts sector, and three members of our senior executive team have recently been rewarded with leadership appointments in some of the nation’s most significant cultural institutions.
As I said when our Minister, the Hon Tony Burke MP confirmed my appointment as the Australia Council’s new CEO on May 16, playing a central role in supporting and nurturing creative expression of all kinds, at a time marked by technological change and extraordinary innovation in the sector, is for me a challenge of the most exciting kind.
Last month the NSW Minister for the Arts, the Hon George Souris, announced that Rose Hiscock had been appointed to the role of Director of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney from July 2013. This is a fitting recognition not only of Rose’s extensive expertise in the museum sector, but also of the remarkable energy and talents she has displayed in delivering significant market and audience growth for thousands of Australian artists.
And The Australian Ballet recently announced that Libby Christie has been appointed to the key role of Executive Director, effective late July. Libby has made a tremendous contribution to the Australia Council in applying her outstanding business and management expertise to the roles of Director of Arts Funding, Acting CEO and Director of Arts Organisations. Her return to the Major Performing Arts sector ensures The Australian Ballet is in good hands.
For the near future, we are delighted that Rose and Libby remain integral to our executive team. For the longer term we have already commenced an executive search for new members of our leadership team at this pivotal time in our organisation’s history.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of processes in play right now that will help to shape our cultural future. The Australia Council is very pleased to have such an active role in helping to generate more opportunities for artists through these processes.
I look forward to providing a further update in July. Have a great month!
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2013-06-12
Australian arts contributors acknowledged in 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List
Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, Rupert Myer AM, today congratulated those Australian artists, educators and administrators whose contribution to the cultural life of our nation has been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
“On behalf of the Australia Council I would like to extend our congratulations to all of the arts and cultural recipients of Honours in this years Queen’s Birthday Honours List,” said Australia Council Chair Mr. Rupert Myer.
“This recognition is integral to who we are as Australians. These Honours help define, encourage and reinforce our national cultural aspirations. They acknowledge, celebrate and thank those who make a difference, those who achieve their best and those who have made an enduring contribution to Australia’s creative life.
“I am delighted to see that artists and arts leaders across the whole spectrum of the arts have been recognised across all of the Honours categories,” said Mr. Myer. “Some are well known to Australian and even international arts communities, while others have dedicated their time and passion for little recognition.
“Significantly, many of those recognised have selflessly fostered and supported young and emerging creative talent, ensuring that generations of Australians benefit from their experience. In particular, it very gratifying to note the many Australians who have been acknowledged in the OAM category for the contribution they have made to local and community arts organisations across the nation,” Mr Myer said.
Each year the Australia Council makes approximately 1800 grants valued at more than $170m to artists and more than 160 organisations in every state and territory in the fields of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, music, community partnerships, literature, theatre, visual arts, and dance. All of the Council’s funding decisions are made at arm’s length from government by peer review.
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST
ARTS AND CULTURAL RECIPIENTS
Recipients from the fields of arts and culture in the AC, AO, AM and OAM Queen’s Birthday Honours categories follow:
COMPANION (AC) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
Professor Jill KER CONWAY
For eminent service to the community, particularly women, as an author, academic and through leadership roles with corporations, foundations, universities and philanthropic groups.
OFFICER (AO) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
Dr Kenneth Willis CATO
For distinguished service to the graphic design profession as a practitioner, and through education and development roles both nationally and internationally.
Mr Robert Henry DICKERSON
For distinguished service to the visual arts as a figurative painter, and to the community through support for a range of cultural, medical research and social welfare organisations.
Ms Fiona Margaret HALL
For distinguished service to the visual arts as a painter, sculptor and photographer, and to art education.
Professor Shirley Elizabeth McKECHNIE OAM
For distinguished service to the performing arts, particularly dance, to the education and development of dancers and choreographers, and to research.
MEMBER (AM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
Mr Les BLAKEBROUGH
For significant service to the visual arts as a ceramicist and educator and through professional artistic associations.
Mr Kim David CARPENTER
For significant service to the performing arts.
Mr William Delafield COOK
For significant service to the visual arts as a realist painter of Australian landscapes.
Mrs Robin Ann DALTON
For significant service to the film industry as a producer, literary agent and author, and as a mentor to emerging actors and writers.
Mr Ivor Arthur DAVIES
For significant service to the music and entertainment industry as a songwriter and performer, and to the community.
Ms Nance Gwyneth GRANT MBE
For significant service to the performing arts, particularly opera.
Ms Nanette Louise HASSALL
For significant service to the performing arts, particularly through dance education.
Professor John Raymond HOPKINS OBE
For significant service to the performing arts, particularly as a conductor, to music education, and to the community.
Mr Timothy KAIN
For significant service to music as a classical guitarist, educator and mentor.
Mr Colin Herbert KOCH
For significant service to arts administration, particularly the development of Indigenous art and culture.
Ms Katie LAHEY
For significant service to business and commerce, and to the arts.
Ms Frances Irma LINDSAY
For significant service to the arts, particularly as a curator and administrator in galleries and museums.
Ms Elizabeth Maria MORGAN
For significant service to music education, particularly of the violin.
Mr Aarne Olavi NEEME
For significant service to the performing arts as a director and educator in theatre and television.
Mr Stephen Richard PHILLIPS
For significant service to arts administration in the field of opera.
Ms Merlyn QUAIFE
For significant service to music.
Mr Kenneth Reginald REED
For significant service to the performing and visual arts as a supporter and philanthropist.
Mr Rowan Alexander ROSS
For significant service to arts governance, and to business.
Ms Katrina Le Breton RUMLEY
For significant service to the visual arts, particularly in the museums and galleries sector
Mr Robert Philip SESSIONS
For significant service to the Australian publishing industry.
Ms Judith Margaret SMALL
For significant service to folk music, as a songwriter and recording artist.
Mrs Anna Trehearne SWEENY
For significant service to opera as a teacher of movement and stagecraft.
MEDAL (OAM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
Mr Bruce Edwin ARMSTRONG
For service to music, particularly brass bands, and to the community of Warragul
Ms Renie Ann ALLISON-MARTINI
For service to the performing arts, particularly through dance education.
Ms June Marie BENNETT
For service to music, and to the community of Broken Hill.
Mr Roy Alfred BERRYMAN
For service to the arts through a range of photographic organisations, and to the community of the Gippsland region.
Ms Beverly May BILLS
For service to the visual and textile arts.
Ms Naida Elizabeth BLACKLEY
For service to education as a music teacher.
Mr Lloyd David BLAZELY
For service to the community, particularly through the Salamanca Arts
Ms Carol Elissa BOOTHMAN
For service to the arts as an educator.
Mr Russell Stuart BROWN
For service to the arts, particularly theatre in the Canberra region.
Mr Alan Vincent BROWNE
For service to music as a jazz musician, and to the community.
Ms Jennifer Joy CHAPMAN
For service to music as an educator and musical director.
Mr Robert McBeath CROSER
For service to the arts through contributions to amateur theatre as a director and mentor.
Ms Hazel Eileen EDWARDS
For service to literature.
Mr Alexis Helen FITZGERALD
For service to the community of Esk, particularly through choir and music.
Ms Evelyn Christine FRANCE
For service to art.
Ms Roseanna GALLO
For service to the community, particularly through singing and entertainment.
Mr Kenneth William HEMMENS
For service to the performing arts, and to education.
Ms Heather Marian JOYNES
For service to arts and crafts, particularly embroidery.
Mr Robert Charles KIRCHNER
For service to the arts, and to the community.
Mr Rupert McCALL
For service to the community, particularly as a poet.
Ms Heather Colleen McKEAN
For service to the performing arts as a country music entertainer and promoter.
Mr Daryl John POWELL
For service to the community through the teaching, promotion and preservation of Australian folk music and dance.
Ms Margaret Spehr REICHELT
For service to the community, particularly as a teacher of highland dancing.
Ms Deidre May RICKARDS
For service to music education.
Mr David George ROACH
For service to the arts through contributions to amateur theatre, and to the community.
Ms Kim Marie SUTHERLAND
For service to the arts.
Ms Marie-Claire SZEKELY
For service to the performing arts, particularly opera.
Mr Viktor ZAPPNER
For service to the arts through the introduction and promotion of jazz in north west Tasmania.
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (197 KB).
Contact
Brendan Wall | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron Woods | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2013-06-12
ISEA2013 showcases Australia’s electronic arts practice
Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, Rupert Myer AM, today addressed some 450 delegates of the International 19th Symposium of Electronic Art (ISEA2013) at the gala reception held in Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum, in a celebration of innovation and creativity in the arts and in our society.
Presented by the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) and held alongside Vivid Sydney, ISEA2013 showcases the best media artworks from around the world, while bringing together engaging presentations and thought-provoking speakers, providing a platform for the lively exchange of future-focused ideas.
Speaking at the gala event, Mr Myer described the Australia Council’s $325,000 investment in the ISEA2013 public program as “a long term investment in the future of creativity in this country.”
“ISEA2013 presents a dazzling array of contemporary electronic arts practice by creative pioneers working at the intersections of art, science and technology in increasingly imaginative ways. It also affords a wonderful opportunity for dialogue and collaboration between practitioners the world over,” Mr Myer said.
“Digital and new media has become an integral part of artistic creation, presentation and distribution in the 21st century, and the Australia Council is delighted to be supporting artists working in the media arts space across all artforms.
“We are particularly pleased that ISEA’s 2013 public program showcases the breadth of Australia’s media and interdisciplinary practice for both local audiences and for ISEA’s visiting global audience of peers.
“This event reinforces our view that national funding organisations such as the Australia Council ought to be shaped by the creative experimentation and directions pursued by artists rather than the categories defined by bureaucracies or notions of traditional media,” Mr Myer said.
Mr Myer said the Australia Council recently reaffirmed its commitment to fostering and supporting artistic innovation in electronic arts and media arts practice with the dedication of a standalone Emerging and Experimental Arts section of Council.
“That is what the new structures and processes soon to be implemented at the Australia Council represent – a platform that reinforces the centrality of the artist and seeks to raise the profile of the artist in everything we do,” he said.
2013 marks 21 years since the event was hosted in Australia, with the 3rd International Symposium on Electronic Art (TISEA) hosted in Sydney in 1992, providing the opportunity to reflect on 21 years of rapid development and change in digital practice in the arts.
The 19th International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA2013) is held Friday 7 to Sunday 16 June 2013 at venues across greater Sydney.
http://www.isea2013.org
Formats
This media release can also be viewed in an emdedded frame below (we recommend using the 'view in fullscreen' viewing option), on the Australia Council's Scribd account or downloaded as a PDF (197 KB).
Contact
Brendan Wall | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 9215 9166 | 0427 689 910, Email b.wall@australiacouncil.gov.au
Cameron Woods | Australia Council for the ArtsPhone 9215 9030 | 0412 686 548, Email c.woods@australiacouncil.gov.au
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2010-01-14
Warning: Scam related to the Australia Council
The Australia Council for the Arts is warning people about a current scam involving callers who claim to be from this organisation.
The caller tells people they are eligible to be reimbursed overcharged bank fees and quotes the name and ABN of the Australia Council. Another caller tells people they are eligible for a refund and leaves a number to call if they want to proceed - a number answered by a voice identifying as the "Australia Council".
We warn that these are scam calls. The Australia Council is not in the business of reimbursing bank fees or phoning people to offer "refunds".
All reporters of scams please contact your local police station.
Alternatively, please contact SCAM Watch: visit website for details, or call 1300795 995.