Archie Roach and Andrea Keller awarded Fellowship

The Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts is pleased to announce that the 2010 Fellowship grants have been awarded to Archie Roach and Andrea Keller. Each will receive $90,000 over two years for their ongoing creative work and professional development.

Archie Roach will undertake a two-year fellowship to research, develop and at the end of year two present an all Aboriginal radio play that presents Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories to both live and radio audiences. Archie will present a work that integrates live music, storytelling, a strong narrative, acting and foley in a culturally significant and educational performance. The fellowship will involve collaboration with Ruby Hunter, Graeme Leak, Shane Howard, David Arden and Rachael Maza Long.

Within her two-year fellowship Andrea Keller will undertake a series of projects, including writing 50 minutes of new solo piano repertoire; to compose for a new trio which features Genevieve Lacey on recorder and Joe Talia on drums/electronics; to compose an extended work for the Bennett's Lane Big Band; extend beyond jazz audiences and venues in Australia by continuing to work with cross-genre ensembles and artists; and to travel to Europe for 3 months to play solo concerts, undertake a mentorship with pianist John Taylor and develop existing relationships with musicians in the Czech Republic.

The Music Board met on 21-23 September for an assessment and policy meeting where grants were also assessed in the categories of the ABC Radiophonic Residency, New Work, New Work (Media Arts), Presentation and Promotion, Skills and Arts Development (Individuals) and Skills and Arts Development (Organisations).

Highlights of other grants awarded across these categories include Daniel Blinkhorn receiving the ABC Radiophonic Residency to create a radiophonic songbook reflecting aspects of sub sound as radiophonic miniatures; James Rushford to compose a new chamber music work for the Golden Fur Trio in the New Work Category; Abel Cross to compose a new work for the Heavy Metalwork Orchestra, a performance using software to control power tools as instruments in the New Work (Media Arts) category; Royalchord for a national tour and publicity costs to promote their new album in the Presentation and Promotion category; Dane Lam for a contribution towards living expenses while undertaking further conducting development in the Skills and Arts Development (Individuals) category; and The Australian Children's Music Foundation for an Indigenous and Disadvantaged Schools Music program in the Northern Territory in the Skills and Arts Development (Organisations) category.

For a full list of results across all categories please check the meeting assessment report which is available here.