artery

No 13 | 2010

Kens art for its own sake

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FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

INSIDE

John Romeril profile

5
Photo: Stu Spence

Are you a lover, a flirter, unattached or an outsider? Im not quizzing you on your personal life, but rather gauging how you feel about the arts, and how often you participate in arts activities. According to our latest national research survey, More than bums on seats: Australian participation in the arts (see page 12), most of you see yourselves as lovers. Indeed, the survey found that more than 16 million Australians regularly participate in the arts meaning we are just as likely to be found at a gallery or theatre on the weekend as we are at a footy match. This is great news for all of us who work to increase Australian participation and enjoyment of the arts and broaden opportunities for engagement. All of us now have the task of making sure our leaders and opinion-makers know that the electorate out there is full of arts lovers and flirters. Evidence of this engagement is all around us, from well-attended regional events to free arts extravaganzas such as the current 17th Biennale of Sydney. Visitors are lapping up the opportunities to experience great Australian art, and learn how artists do their work. In this edition of artery, we look at the innovative ways our artists are breaking down the barriers to reach their audiences to keep this momentum going. From the crowd participation work by Parachutes for Ladies: I thought a musical was being made (page 10), to Alana Valentines Beanie Festival-inspired play A Head Full of Love (page 4), our arts go way beyond the four walls of a gallery and engage all walks of life. They are at the core of so many different communities. Some people used to say that a perception of elitism was a barrier to arts participation, but physical barriers are really a bigger challenge. In May, one of these barriers was explored at the Arts Activated National Conference in Sydney a crucial and enlightening event examining disability in the arts. Jenny Sealey was especially inspiring about her groundbreaking work in the UK. In this edition, we chat to Jenny and also with two artists with disabilities on what they think of the opportunities for artists and audiences with disabilities in Australia. Returning to the More than bums on seats report, it was encouraging to find that most Australians agree with the idea that the arts make for a richer and more meaningful life. A brilliant example of this is the Heaps Decent project (page 13), which gives young people in juvenile justice centres the opportunity to make their own music through a program run by national and international DJs. The program provides an outlet for expression but also a way to build musical skills. I also wanted to share with you a special moment we all experienced at the Australia Council during National Reconciliation Week in June. An Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony was performed throughout our building to cleanse it and create a harmonious and respectful working environment for staff and guests. This was a pivotal event for us at council as it was the first time such a special ceremony had been performed. I speak for all here in saying it was an honour to be involved in such a moving event. Finally, I encourage you all to join our new artery Facebook group. As well as keeping you up to date with new stories and council news, well be opening up some discussion subjects that we hope to feature in upcoming editions. Keep on participating, Kathy Keele

Our dancers in Venice

8
How Daniel got his groove

13
Many splendoured excellence

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FRONT COVER: Ken Unsworths Toyland Fever 2009
Photo: Paul Green

artery is the quarterly newsletter of the Australia Council for the Arts. The Australia Council is the Australian Governments arts funding and advisory body. For comments or submissions to artery: The editor, artery Australia Council for the Arts, 372 Elizabeth Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 (02) 9215 9000 comms@australiacouncil.gov.au. Visit us online at www.australiacouncil.gov.au Australia Council 2010. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all rights are expressly reserved. ISSN 1834-1500

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Michael Leslie wins Red Ochre

Literature fellowship winner Anita, a Wiradjuri woman from Sydney, is a prolific author and social commentator, as well as a vocal advocate for Indigenous arts and culture. She is best known for her fictional writing about Indigenous women including Not Meeting Mr Right, Avoiding Mr Right and the novel Manhattan Dreaming.
Dr Anita Heiss
Photo: Courtesy of Anita Heiss

Anitas $90,000 grant over two years will help her research and produce two works, including a memoir, Am I Black Enough For You? The work will include my insights on contemporary Australia and views on Aboriginal people today like the need for greater selfrepresentation in literature and the classroom, said Anita. Music fellowship winner Lou Bennett is a singer, songwriter and musician who came to prominence in Tiddas, alongside Amy Saunders and Sally Dastey. Lou wrote some of the groups signature songs. She is the vocal supervisor and member of the internationally acclaimed Black Arm Band and has performed with her own band, Sweet Cheeks, since 2002. The $90,000 fellowship will launch Lou on a two year journey of mentorship, travel and skills development. At Black Arm Band over the past three years Ive taken the role of vocal supervisor and arranger and I really enjoy that work. Its a real healing process, for me and the people I work with. This fellowship will help me continue on that path and help my community and Australia, she said. Visual artist Zane Saunders will spend up to three months at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation studios in Connecticut, USA as part of his award. Born in Cairns in 1971, Zane has work in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Victoria. He says the Albers Foundation Residency will enable him to develop new works and promote Australian Indigenous art and artists internationally. The Qantas Indigenous Young and Emerging Visual Art Award went to 21-year-old Sydney woman Crisse Longbottom. She is currently studying for a diploma in photography and will use the $10,000 prize to further her work. This year I am going to focus on my younger brothers football team, the La Perouse United under-15s rugby league team, and at the end of the season I am going to have an exhibition with all the photographs, she said.

Michael Leslie
Photo: Courtesy Rio Tinto

Five leading and emerging Indigenous artists were recognised at the 2010 National Indigenous Arts Awards.

Lou Bennett
Photo: Singing Bowl Media 2009

Michael Leslie, the Western Australia-based artistic director, dancer and teacher, recently won the Australia Council Red Ochre Award for his lifetime of achievement in Indigenous dance. The award, including $50,000, was presented to Michael, 53, at the National Indigenous Arts Awards in May by Olympic swimming champion and Indigenous advocate, Ian Thorpe. Growing up in Moree and Liverpool in NSW, dancing was far from Michaels mind. My role models were my uncles and my father. I became a welder and then I thought: this aint for me. I got burnt all the time, he told the Sydney Morning Herald. His eyes and mind were opened when he saw a TV ad featuring jazz-ballet. The women in the commercial attracted me to dancing, he said. Aged 20, Michael started dancing at the Aboriginal Dance Theatre in Redfern, Sydney. He went on to achieve great success as a dancer and actor, both in Australia and the US. He then became a choreographer and director and cofounded both the Black Swan and Marrugeku theatre companies. Last year he established the Michael Leslie Foundation to teach performing arts to young people in remote and disadvantaged areas. Through the foundation Michael tutors about 600 students a week in schools in WAs Pilbara region. Michael hopes more young Indigenous Australians will experience the transformative power of the arts. The arts can empower and help people harness their own destiny, he said. The performing arts is an area in which Aboriginal people can, will, and are making an important cultural and social contribution to Australia. The other winners of National Indigenous Arts Awards were: Dr Anita Heiss (literature fellowship); Lou Bennett (music fellowship); Zane Saunders (Albers Foundation Residency); and Crisse Longbottom (Qantas Young and Emerging Indigenous Visual Art Award).

Zane Saunders
Photo: Nancia Guivarra

Crisse Longbottom
Photo: Nancia Guivarra

Its all about the young kids. I have two kids of my own, so I know how important it is to capture every part of their lives.

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Folk hero embraces 21st century

Award-winning folk music guru Warren Fahey presents an installation at the Sydney Biennale. Warren Fahey has been awarded Australias most prestigious individual music prize for his 40-year contribution but the veteran folk icon is not resting on his laurels. The $60,000 Australia Council Don Banks Music Award 2010 was presented to Warren in April by Arts Minister Peter Garrett. Warren has pursued his passion for Australian folk music as a writer, performer, music publisher and broadcaster. He founded Folkways music and Larrikin Records in the 1970s. Matthew Hindson, Chair of the Australia Council Music Board, said: Warren has made an immeasurable contribution to our folk culture. While honoured and excited to be recognised for the music Ive travelled with for more than 40 years, Warren is not slowing down. At the 17th Biennale of Sydney, Warren,in collaboration withvideo designer Mic Gruchy,ispresenting a major installation on historic Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. Titled Damned Souls and Turning Wheels, the installation explores the convict and industrial history of the island using six projectors, field recordings and music. He will also present concerts with his performance group, The Larrikins. Werecreatinganimmersive experienceoffering anemotivehistory of Cockatoo Island, said Warren, whose imagination was fired by the islands151-year historyas a convict prison, bushrangers jail, home for wayward girls,nautical training schooland,in the 20thcentury,naval dockyard and engineering works. While Warren has spent much of his life celebrating and collecting the folk music of the past, the installation and other projects demonstrate his vision for the future. I love the challenge of new media. Im very much of the 21st century. You need to take advantage of everything you can find to make something old attractive to young people. Warren believes his greatest achievement is being able to follow my passion creatively over five decades both in my business and in my life being able to tap Australians on the shoulder and remind them who we are as a people, he said. We need to know more about our identity. We need to celebrate the Anglo-Celtic side of our history alongside Australias multiculturalism. Our great songs, stories, yarns and recitations need to be kept alive because weve moved from a people that used to entertain each other to a people that gets entertainment from the electronic media, said Warren. > www.warrenfahey.com > www.biennaleofsydney.com.au

Warren Fahey
Photo: James Houston

Beanies on sale at Beanie Festival 2009

Photo: Courtesy Alana Valentine

Heads full of love

The Alice Springs Beanie Festival inspires a new play from acclaimed writer Alana Valentine. The new work is set at the annual Beanie Festival where the sale of handmade beanies by Indigenous women and the arts come together will be read at this years event in Alice Springs. Head Full of Love, by awardwinning playwright Alana Valentine, tells of two women who connect during the festival. Despite their different backgrounds, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, the characters find much to share, including health problems that reflect wider community issues. The plays title was inspired by a comment from the Beanie Festivals artistic director, Merran Hughes, that during the festival you walk around with love on your head. Alana Valentine, whose better-known plays include Parramatta Girls, Run Rabbit Run and Savage Grace, attended the 2009 Beanie Festival and spent many hours interviewing participants. As a playwright my process is very interview-based. A lot of my work references verbatim theatre and more often than not is a collaboration with people Ive met, said Alana. The Beanie festival began in 1997, organised by Adi Dunlop, to promote the sale of beanies crocheted by Aboriginal women in remote communities. It has since evolved into a major event each June, featuring workshops, entertainment, competitions and the Beanie Olympics. The festival aims to develop Aboriginal womens textiles, promote womens culture and the beanie as a regional artform, as well as showcase handmade textile arts. The idea of a Beanie Festival at first made Alana smile at such a bizarre and unlikely thing for Alice, but as she immersed herself in the event she saw strong connections forming, particularly between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. Following a rehearsed reading at the festival, Head Full of Love will be produced at the Darwin Festival in August, directed by Wesley Enoch. The play is the first of two projects undertaken by Alana Valentine as the recipient of a two-year Fellowship grant from the Australia Councils Literature Board. The second, Ear to the Edge of Time, is a play about women in radio astronomy, a field in which Australia leads the world, according to Alana, who recently spent two weeks with scientists at the Parkes radio telescope. I just love radio astronomy, she said. Scientists are obsessive and competitive all the things that make a good play. I thought there must be women scientists all around the world working in this field. > www.beaniefest.org

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board member profile

Frederick Parslow, Brian James and Marion Edward in the 1982 MTC production of The Floating World. Photo: David Parker

John Romeril is a pivotal playwright in Australian theatre. His first plays, I Dont Know Who To Feel Sorry For (1969) and Chicago, Chicago (1970) were written while he was still a student. Since then he has written over 40 works including Mrs Thally F (1971), The Floating World (1975) and The Kelly Dance (1984). He has also written for television and his filmscript One Night the Moon was produced in 2001. His work has won John Romeril the Canada-Australia Photo: Mayu Kanamori Literary Award in 1976, the Victorian Government Drama Fellowship in 1988, the Asialink Playwrighting Competition in 2004, John was a key writer for the Pram Factory and recently won the 2008 Patrick White Award. His plays have been widely performed here and internationally. John was the recipient of an Australia Council Creative Fellowship (2004-2006) from the Literature Board. He was appointed to the Australia Council Literature Board in 2009.

work the thermals, all the better if Im with Rosemary my partner.

The most overplayed song on my iPod/CD player is Frankly

Im a free-to-air man. Birdsong. Wind. That pesky pre-dawn possum clattering home from the pub. I also rate face-toface conversation easy listening.

A book that changed my life Schweik. Bit of a mindopener. From little countries great things come.

calf liver, osso buco, fish-head curry. as a socially tenable survival skill.

Its not cool or fashionable, but I love well-braised rabbit, My greatest fear is eras when lack of empathy is deemed Knowing what I know now, if I had to go back and choose a non-arts career, I would be OK with engines. My most torturous/challenging creative work was ... always IS,
the next one.

have you done?

Im always being asked Apart from Floating World, what What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Consistency. One-tune singers, like one-track minds, are the enemy of drama.

My most treasured possession is a photo of my stepson

My greatest arts achievement is using photo-voltaic panels to power my Mac Plus, and every computer Ive used since. The artist I most admire is ... not a one choice question I hope, but Hokusai, S.T. Gill, Rothko, Archile Gorky, Kurt Schwitters Serenity of a luminous sort sketched in times of upheaval and dislocation. My favourite hero of ction is Schweik, but when I next
spot the Edith Grossman translation I promise Ill make a start on Don Quixote.

Angus and his dog. Wasnt long before the dog got skittled; then Angus himself died way too young. Mortalitys a bone I gnaw on.

My mother always told me Not failure but low aim is a crime. She was quoting my grandmother. Behind them: a string of very wise women. In the movie of my life, Id be played by me, on a scandalous wage for having to do it twice. The author I would choose to pen the story of my life would be ... arent authorised biographies a form of vanity publishing?
of quince, finding hooded orchids, watching a wedgetail

My hero in real life is the gentle soul who wrote Eternity in chalk. How blessed is Sydney? Australias greatest concrete poem: an ever-fading one-word haiku.
despite some dumb dramaturgy.

I am happiest when making a move on an unraided stand

My last truly exciting night in the theatre was ... Wrong Skin,

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The artist as diplomat

The Goethe-Institut meets the Australia Council.

The European Cultural Institutes currently working in Sydney representing Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Britain pledged in January a greater co-operation and formed the first Australian EUNIC (European Union National Institute of Culture). A similar cluster will be formed in Melbourne. Arts leaders such as Australia Council CEO Kathy Keele and the Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut Hans-Georg Knopp gathered Hans-Georg Knopp at the Sydney event to discuss Photo: Tom Koprowski what overseas role the arts can play in soft diplomacy. Martin Portus, Director of Communication at the Australia Council, later spoke to HansGeorg about the global network of 136 institutes which he governs from Munich. Martin Portus: What impression of German culture does the Goethe-Institut wish to communicate? Hans-Georg Knopp: Foreign cultural relations and that is what the Goethe-Institut engages in tries to connect individuals and social groups in Germany with those abroad. As a player in the field of cultural relations, we do not engage in presenting a certain idea of Germany there are no showcases touring around the world financed by the GoetheInstitut. In fact, we try to provide an infrastructure for common experiences and processes of learning. Under these circumstances, productive and long-lasting relations between the German side and our partners abroad get established. Both sides learn from each other, experience the other as less and less alien and develop curiosity for their respective partner. MP: In what cases do you think culture is best used for soft (or hard) diplomacy? HGK: Cultural relations are international relations without politics and without economy. We need that channel of exchange where both sides can be sure that they are not dealing with somebody who tries to take advantage in terms of power or monetary benefit. It is a field where the relationship between societies can grow in trust. The main reason for distrust is strangeness. Cultural relations bring societies together. Diplomacy is a field where particular interests matter culture is a field where trust can grow because particular interests do not matter. MP: What are the sorts of programs and cultural exchanges, which for the Goethe-Institut, work best between Germany and Australia? HGK: The classic genres of film, literature, theatre and the visual arts seem to be in high demand in Australia and,under ideal circumstances, resonate these themes.We are also very aware of the need to strengthen the position of the German language in schools and universities across Australia. MP: Given the impressive network of Goethe-Instituts around the world, what are some of the traps to watch out for in running cultural institutes representing a national culture in another country? HGK: There are various traps. First of all, those of a material kind the network has its price. It is very costly to maintain hundreds of real properties and buildings. If funding goes

Using the arts in soft diplomacy

Klaus Krischok, Director of the Goethe-Institut in Sydney, also spoke to Kathy Keele for its magazine kultur. In this extract, Kathy comments on the ways Australia maintains an overseas cultural focus. The job of pursuing a broad cultural engagement is done by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), usually directly through its overseas missions. That cultural priority of soft diplomacy does vary with individual missions around the world, and with diplomatic priorities, strategies and budgets dedicated to different regions. Much of this vital work promoting people-to-people links and positive images of Australia is done through foundations and institutes. We have a less specific brief to use the arts overseas in a diplomatic role. The Australia Council does advise the Australian International Cultural Council and the DFAT on the cultural programs most appropriate for our artists and the audiences they attract. We have built a full knowledge of the area, given our work developing overseas audiences for Australian arts and our consistent presence at key festivals, book fairs and art biennales.

down, we are in danger of merely maintaining our presence without being able to work on projects. But then again, the network is a source of abundant knowledge and allows us to connect with thousands of people and organisations abroad. To live up to this potential is a major challenge and it does not come naturally. To speak in economical terms: we are a rather small company with hundreds of branches worldwide if that is a not challenge to modern management then I do not know what is. MP: How has the purpose of the Goethe-Institut changed as the world changes, as boundaries between cultures and ethnicities shift and communications go global? HGK: The Goethe-Institut was founded in 1951. World War II had ended just six years earlier. Large parts of the world were destroyed especially in Europe; Germany was the main source for the violence that led to millions of deaths and countless atrocities. One of the reasons the founders of the GoetheInstitut had in mind was to bring Germany back to the group of civilised nations. That of course is a term of the time, but I think with the focus on German history, it is still a qualified expression. So the Goethe-Institut was founded to show the world that Germany is not identical with National Socialism. With the end of the Cold War we increasingly had to face a development that eventually was called globalisation. We witnessed the end of a bipolar world and the rise of countries such as China, India, Brazil, and also Russia. Today we try more than we ever before to learn with and from each other. As communication becomes global, we need to learn from each other on the global scale, too. The work of the GoetheInstitut wants to promote a partnership in learning with all its partners all around the world. Sometimes we have to take into account that our partners abroad are not specifically interested in a German view of things but rather in a European view. That, too, is a challenge for national institutes for culture like the Goethe-Institut. A few years ago we founded EUNIC European National Institutes for Culture. Together we bring a European view into international cultural relations and there are active local branches in more than 50 cities all over the world. One of the youngest branches is now in Sydney.
> www.goethe.de

Image: What is Pogoism? PHOTO: JAMES MORGAN

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inbrief
An Aboriginal Smoking Ceremonyat the Australia Council building in Sydney made a striking statement to mark National Reconciliation Week and celebrate respect, reconciliation and Indigenous artists. The ceremony was performed to cleanse the building and to create a harmonious and respectful working environment for the staff and guests of the Council. In the lead up to the significant week, the Australia Council was treated to the intimate acoustic performance and discussion by Indigenous Melbourne-based musician and star of Bran-Nue Dae, Dan Sultan. National Reconciliation Week also marked the opening of RESPECT, an exhibition of works supported by the Australia Council between 20072009 that explore respectful collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Curated by activist and writer Djon Mundine, RESPECTs opening was attended by Indigenous artists and representatives of Indigenous arts organisations from across Australia. The week also saw the launch of new research on Indigenous music. The Song Cycles research, undertaken by the Australia Council, shows that while there is huge interest in music made by Indigenous artists, they get just a fraction of the airplay and sales enjoyed by other musicians. The research also shows that though 90 percent of Australians agreed Indigenous arts are important to our culture, commercial Indigenous record sales are less than one percent of the market and Indigenous music gets 0.14 percent of commercial radio airplay, 1.37 percent on ABC and four percent on community radio. There is so much potential for people around Australia and the world to hear what Indigenous musicians are doing if we bridge some gaps in the music business, said Dr Mark Bin Bakar,Chair of the Australia Councils Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board.

National Reconciliation Week celebrates Indigenous art

Ebony Williams and Mark Doyle perform a traditional smoking ceremony at the Australia Council.
Photo: Sharon Hickey

Top 10 lit mags at one new site

Are your magazine tastes more literate than Lindsay Lohan? Then Literary Magazines Australia (LMA) might be just what the doctor ordered. LMA brings together the best new writing on offer in Australia from 10 of the countrys most respected literary magazines: Australian Book Review, Grifth REVIEW, HEAT, Island Magazine, Meanjin, Overland, Quadrant, Southerly, Voiceworks and Wet Ink. From the creative and insightful through to the poignant and discursive, these publications serve up engaging, entertaining and provocative work by both new writers and established figures such as Peter Carey, Frank Moorhouse, Marion Halligan and John Birmingham. The new LMA website provides easy access to a huge range of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, essays, factual writing, literary criticism, reviews, opinions and letters. Magazines are thermometers of a societys vitality, culture, interests and concerns, said Dennis Haskell, Chair of the Australia Councils Literature Board. Australias literary magazines provide a meeting place in print or pixels of imaginative explorations of our lives and our languages. They provide an opportunity to experiment with what the economics of book publishing might not allow. They can stir your conscience while you stir your tea, he said. The 10 magazines were selected by the Literature Board based on their continued high standards, their long life and their ability to nurture new talent while also featuring highly regarded authors. The beauty of LMA is that each magazine works in different ways, said Professor Haskell, himself a respected poet and former editor of a literary journal. HEAT for example is designed to be devoured in a few dedicated sittings perfect for weekend reading.Wet Ink, however,could be a commuters best friend dive into a short story where you meet a beautiful stranger, have a torrid affair, then go your separate ways, all before you get off the bus.
> www.litmags.com.au

Geeks bearing gifts

Just because you can act, or write, or sculpt doesnt necessarily mean you have a clue about the digital world. With this in mind, the Australia Council for the Arts has announced the participants of its Geek in Residence program, matching tech-savvy geeks with nine selected arts organisations to help them explore a new world of possibilities. Geeks have been placed at: The Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia, Country Arts SA, IAD Press, Salamanca Arts Centre, Shopfront: Contemporary Arts and Performance, Sydney Dance Company, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, University of Queensland Press and West Space Inc. The Geek in Residence program provides intensive professional development for artists and organisations in their home environment, where geeks can share their passion for solving technological problems in creative environments. This is not about having someone to provide IT support, or populate Facebook for six months, said Fee Plumley, Manager of the Australia Councils Digital Program. Its about increasing the skills and confidence of the people behind the arts organisations and then watching new ideas flow. Of course well see some web development, taking the companies into the Web 2.0 realm. But well also see one of the geeks dusting off a 60-year archive of orchestral recordings digitising it, repurposing it and bringing it off the shelf and back to life. Another will be working on electronic data interchange for literary publishers, another on an ambitious cross-platform project combining live and online performances, she said. Whats important is that theyre not just going to build something and walk out. Its a collaborative process and the impact of their work will be felt well after the geek has left the building. The nine teams have begun work and each will share their outcomes as they go via the program blog www.artsdigitalera.com providing useful lessons for the broader sector.

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Our diverse dancers on show in Venice

Touring and transfixing global audiences; just another day at the office for Australian dancers.

Australian artists took centre stage at the Venice Dance Biennale in a special showcase celebrating the talent and variety of the industry. Invited by the festivals new artistic director, Brazilian choreographer Ismael Ivo, the Sydney Dance Company, Splintergroup, Chunky Move and solo artist Ros Warby shared the spotlight with other dance artists from New Zealand and Canada in a bi-regional event that drew significant industry attention. When I was appointed artistic director of Sydney Dance Company in November 2008, one of the first phone calls that I got was from Ismael Ivo, said Barcelona-born Rafael Bonachela. Just to congratulate me about my new job and also to say, please could Venice be your first gig in Europe? For me it was a totally great thing to be able to get a job and on top of it to have this amazing, very, very prestigious invitation. In Venice, an exciting depth of the Australian dance scene was on offer. From Ros Warbys singular focus on the extraordinary possibilities of the human body with Monumental, to the magical realism of Gavin Webbers cinematic Roadkill; the dazzling technological achievements of Chunky Moves Glow and the epic themes of Rafaels debut work We Unfold, as well as newer pieces 6 Breaths and Adam Linders Are We That We Are. Each production spoke to Ismaels festival focus on capturing emotions as well as the performance maturity and high production values of Australian works. The breadth of performance from the exceptional solo artist Ros Warby to the hyper-technology of Glow by Chunky Move captured Venetian audiences, said Sandra Bender, Executive Director of Arts Development at the Australia Council for the Arts. Venice was an exciting frontier for all the artists, with each keenly conscious of just who would be in the audience. A lot of programmers and agents travel to Venice for the festival, said Rafael. Everyones there. The main aim was establishing networks with theatres and presenters, said Gavin. Often if you go to an event like the Venice Biennale, there are already a lot of presenters attending, and you can invite other presenters from Europe to see your

work, which if youre performing in Australia is difficult to do. It gives the opportunity to get people to see the work and continue its touring viabilities. We certainly invited people in Europe to come and see the show, said Chunky Moves Gideon Obarzanek. All performances in high profile situations tend to have positive outcomes for the company. Indeed, for Gideon its very important for Chunky Move to be on the move. We tour a lot and its important for a number of reasons. Its important for us artistically to show our works in different places and different contexts, to share our work with other audiences and other artists, he said. Theres a very important dialogue that takes place within festivals and other theatres around the world in showing our works. From a viability point of view in regards to employment of artists and technicians, it provides a significant amount of work for Australian dancers and technicians with the amount of touring we do. It takes us a very long time to develop works. Our work is quite unique and a lot of the development is technical research to make those things happen. So we invest time and resources into making the work. Then we like to perform them for a significant period of time, and touring is a big part of that, said Gideon. Each of the artists echo the importance of touring which, given the remoteness of Australia, can be prohibitively costly.

Theres a very important dialogue that takes place within festivals and other theatres around the world in showing our works. Gideon Obarzanek
Splintergroups Roadkill
Photo: Courtesy Gavin Webber

Chunky Moves Glow

Photo: Rom Anthoni

For Australians to tour, the major cost is actually that initial flight and freight from Australia to another continent. Once youre there, those costs are not as great, so the longer you can be out, the more cost effective it becomes, said Gideon. Its a point on which Rafael agrees. We are 17 dancers, so thats a lot of plane fares, he said. If you have a company of 10 dancers or fewer, its always easier to move and do international touring, but I think that this is our opportunity to show Europe what we do. Gavin also says funding international plane tickets can be tricky. It is one of the hardest things to deal with and sometimes it can be a bit of a deal breaker if theres just one theatre thats interested in your work.

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Australian dancers are internationally known for being extremely physical, really fearless, very committed, devoted and hardworking. Rafael Bonachela

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influences, and one of the biggest ones Id say, is the Australian sense of humour. I think its really important and thats something that we certainly love and use a lot, said Gavin. That irony about yourself; youre completely invested in what you do, but at the same time youre ready to undercut it by not taking yourself too seriously, but taking what you do very seriously. Theres something very beautiful about that which I think is uniquely Australian, he said. I was happy to be presenting alongside other Australian companies in Venice, said Ros. Im glad that theres work alongside it that is coming from a slightly different place, and I was excited about the range of work being presented. It felt like a really good cross section of work and I was honoured to be a part of that. As a newly adopted Australian, Rafael is perhaps the most effusive. With the mention of the word Sydney, people get excited. Theres something positive, he said. Its exciting to want to see something from so far away, and Australian dancers are internationally known for being extremely physical, really fearless, very committed, devoted and hardworking. With Gavin Webber now based in Germany, Rafael Bonachela hailing from Spain by way of London, and Rafael Obarzanek and Ros Warby consistently in development or on tour, the internationalisation of Australian dance becomes clear. Weaving their evocative emotional landscapes through their

Rafael Bonachela's We Unfold with members of Sydney Dance Company. Photo: Tim Richardson

As long as you set up enough say around three venues then you can apply to the Australia Council for funding to help pay for the airline tickets, because the Australia Council is aware of the difficulty of getting us over here, he said. The increased strength of the Australian dollar has also had a significant impact on touring artists, making subsidies such as those from the Australia Council stretch even further. Two years ago it was trading at around 62 cents US but now its far higher, said Gideon. He says subsidies are vital for touring. The advantage of a company like Chunky Move is that we can make that money stretch a lot further through bigger tours, said Gideon. For an independent artist such as Ros Warby, Australia Council support has been crucial. Ive been very, very fortunate and very grateful for the support. The brilliance of the support has been the consistency. Since my first travel study days through early development projects into where I am now, its just been a very steady journey, she said. I feel that the relationship has been very supportive to my pathway and artistic learning and journey, and continues to be. The importance of touring in spite of the financial pressure is something the Australia Council acknowledges. Most of these companies are on tour overseas when they touch down in Venice, said Sandra Bender. Given the degree of turbulence within the international marketplace, it not only demonstrates the international commitment to their work but the necessity for these companies to keep their artists employed and generate interest and resources for the development of their next work through their international networks, she said. The significance of Australia being on show at Venice was evident, but what does Australian dance represent? Its very diverse. In fact its signature is almost its diversity, said Gideon. Youre obviously influenced a little bit by your marketplace, but youre also influenced completely by how you grew up and the

One of the biggest influences Id say is the Australian sense of humour Gavin Webber

Ros Warby
Photo: Courtesy Ros Warby

differing performance meant each artist ventured to Venice with the hope of establishing new contacts and taking their creations to an even broader audience. But on another level, it was just another day at the office. In some ways theres not a huge difference from performing in Mildura or performing in Venice, said Rafael. We put on the show and people come and see it. Its important for us for people to experience it. But also, being in Venice placed the work in a different context. It put the work in the context of this is current, contemporary work from Australia, and hopefully that brings more opportunities to perform in that part of Europe.

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Working the crowd

Parachutes for Ladies I thought a musical was being made

Photo: Courtesy Jess Olivieri

A 1964 murder inspires the art of crowd behaviour.

The protracted murder and rape of New York bar manager Kitty Genovese in 1964 has inspired two Sydney artists to create an outdoor performance work exploring the bystander effect. The media and gossip frenzy that followed the brutal killing focused on rumours that the crime committed by serial killer Walter Moseley, who is still in jail was witnessed by 38 people, none of whom called the police. The public imagination was fired by a reported comment from a neighbour saying: I didnt want to get involved, and research which later suggested that people in large crowds are less likely to intervene to help a victim. Jess Olivieri and Hayley Forward, who collaborate with Parachutes for Ladies, became fascinated by the murder and its aftermath after hearing a radio documentary. We dug a bit further and found that the incident is surrounded by dramatic myths, said Jess. For instance, the New York Times reported that 38 people saw or heard something but in fact there were only 12 witnesses and one did call the police. Jess said that the inaccurate New York Times report sparked a massive public debate about a perceived social phenomenon called the bystander effect. Research after the event suggests that crowds can be a factor for disempowerment. In a group, people are less likely to intervene to change the course of something. Some of the reasons identified include a diffusion of responsibility, taking cues from others and the concept of social proof, said Jess. Jess and Hayley took that crowd interaction as a starting point for the work I thought a musical was being made, which played on the corner of Russell and Lonsdale Streets, in Melbournes CBD, during the Next Wave Festival in May. I thought a musical was being made included 38 performers at street level and 38 audience members placed above street

level at locations including a gym, a caf and a Greek community club. The audience wore headphones that played a soundtrack about the fact that theyre watching it and not doing anything. This had the effect of creating both distance and intimacy with the performance happening on the street. Engaged in location-appropriate activity, such as running on a treadmill or drinking coffee or sharing Greek cakes, audience members could see only fragments of the performance, which climaxed with a moment when the audience and performers interact. Weve referred to musicals in the title of the work because were really interested in how Busby Berkeley created choreography that turned his mainly female performers into a shape-making machine that dehumanised them, said Jess. That reminds us of how people lose their separate identity in crowds. We also did this because a witness to the original case said he thought a movie was being made to explain his inaction. Developing the work has made Jess and Hayley reflect on their own behaviour in crowds. I think at times you do choose to ignore someone who needs help or perhaps make up a story for yourself to explain why you dont help someone. For instance, I noticed a woman having trouble getting onto a tram. I decided I didnt need to help because Im small and a woman, said Jess. The production of I thought a musical was being made was supported by Australia Council funding. The funding meant that the work could happen, said Jess. We could do things on the scale we wanted and we had creative freedom. We were also able to pay small fees to the people who helped us.
> www.parachutesforladies.com

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Kens art for its own sake

Im involved in making art, I'm not involved in the art world.

As part of his remembrance of Elisabeth, Ken invited 168 of their friends to Cockatoo Island for a black-tie ball and fourcourse banquet. Elizabeth and I, when we were young, used to love dancing. Wed dance together at home or go out to a nightclub sometimes. Dancing has been something that Ive really enjoyed. So I wanted to create an environment, a situation where the guests who came to Cockatoo Island were required to reach a certain standard of ballroom dancing and I would provide the environment for it and the dinner and wed have a great time, he said. A lot of my guests were absolutely thrilled that they went through that experience. It awoke a love of dancing it had that side effect. Some say that an artist should not consider the audience during the creative process. Ken agrees. As an artist ... you dont use that as somehow evaluating a spiritual aesthetic life in some way ... with the idea or the notion that you will somehow be rewarded, even in terms of successful sales in a gallery, he said. I was asked to do an opening not long ago and I made the observation that art doesnt owe anybody anything. You do it and thats it. What might flow from that is not the reason why you did it. Did he never make a piece of art in the hope of getting a sale? Oh, God no. A huge amount of my ideas exist in drawings. There hasnt been the opportunity to realise the work. So when you get an opportunity to realise it, thats good. Otherwise you just keep going and putting, first of all, the ideas down on paper. I dont make anything because I think it would be useful for an exhibition or it might get sold. If it does come it comes later, he said. I hardly sell anything. I think the last time I sold something was about five years ago. I dont understand the workings of the art world ... Im not involved in it. Im involved in making art, Im not involved in the art world. I do what I want to do and Ive been fortunate enough, with the support of my wife, to be able to do that. If someone is interested in it, OK thats good; if not, well, it goes back to the studio, he said. Ken has some very basic advice for young artists. Just work. They get plenty of advice in art school about how to get a foothold in the art world ... in their own minds they come out fully fledged artists and look for a good gallery, an income, fame and fortune. Perhaps a lot of them have forgotten that art is one of those activities where youre working for a long time, building up your experience and your working knowledge ... It takes time, and its a hard road to hoe, he said.

Ken Unsworths A Razed Glass 2009

Photo: Paul Green

Award-winning veteran sculptor reflects on life as an artist.

Ken Unsworth says the $40,000 Emeritus Award that he received this year for his exceptional contribution to Australian sculpture and the development of visual arts came as a shock. It was totally out of the blue and totally unexpected, he said. In fact, I think I said at the gathering that there are so many other artists who are equally or even more deserving of it. It places you, in a sense, in an awkward situation. You think why me and not someone else? A painter-turned-sculptor, Kens career spans more than 30 years and includes such popular works as his captivating Suspended Stone Circle IIin the Art Gallery of NSW. This is one of his levitation works with 103 river stones each weighing around 15kg held in place by three wires tied to three rings secured to the ceiling structure representing a force field. Last year, Ken exhibited four major installation works in an extensive site-specific exhibition space in the Turbine Hall on Cockatoo Island. For nearly 10 years before that Ken had cared for his wife Elisabeth, who passed away in October 2008. Was it difficult to come back after all that time? Not in the least, because I was still working at home on my artwork, he said. I did the exhibition to honour Elisabeth. Obviously it was very important. If you live with someone for 53 years and they have been an important influence and support in your life, and you really depended on each other, that doesnt go away. It affects every part of your daily existence.

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Survey finds more bums on seats

TOP FIVE COMMENTS
The arts should be an important part of the education of every Australian. People can enjoy both the arts and sport. Indigenous arts are an important part of Australias culture. The arts should receive public funding. The arts make for a richer and more meaningful life.

KEY FINDINGS
The arts are strongly supported by the community Attitudes towards the arts are increasingly positive The internet is now a key tool for the arts Interest in Indigenous arts is growing There are significant opportunities to build arts audiences.

Big Day Out, Gold Coast 2010

Photo: Newspix

Over 16 million Australians are actively taking part in the arts, according to the latest research from the Australia Council.

creative arts. Popular online artforms were writing and visual arts, film and video. Creative participation was common through online communities or social networking on art. For the first time, the survey also uncovered four distinct attitudes towards art in the Australian population: the Lovers, the Flirters, the Un-attached, and the Outsiders. The Lovers (38 percent) were highly engaged with the arts and saw this as integral to their lifestyle. They believed the arts provided them with a more meaningful and richer life and helped them feel part of their local community. The Flirters (26 percent) were more likely to be influenced to attend arts events by their friends. They liked the arts, but were not sure that this helped them feel part of their local community. However, they strongly believed that the arts were a way of saying important things that need to be said in our society. The Un-attached (19 percent) had a neutral attitude towards the arts. Many had not actually participated in, or attended any, of the main art forms in the past year, and some had never experienced these artforms at all. They did not dislike the arts, but did not think the arts were relevant to them personally. The Outsiders (17 percent) believed the arts tended to attract people who were pretentious and elitist. They believed the arts required a reasonable level of understanding to appreciate them fully and therefore the arts were not for them. The study provides a benchmark for the health and significance of the arts in Australia and will be repeated in future years to monitor how our relationship with the arts changes, said CEO Kathy Keele. I look forward to the debate and dialogue that this research will undoubtedly stir as all of us look for creative and innovative ways of engaging with new and existing audiences, she said.
Survey results are being presented in a national roadshow of arts sector briefings in major cities throughout 2010. Join the conversation about what the results mean for arts across Australia at www.australiacouncil.gov.au/participation

The Australia Councils latest research survey, More than bums on seats: Australian Participation in the arts, is great news for the arts in Australia. The first major survey of its kind for 10 years, the research showed increasingly positive attitudes to the arts in Australia. The research included group discussions, interviews with arts marketers, and a survey of 3,000 Australians. Top survey comments were that the arts make for a richer and more meaningful life, and that the arts should be part of every Australians education. Weve discovered that nine out of every 10 Australians aged over 15 made the arts part of their lives in the past year, said Australia Council CEO, Kathy Keele. Nearly three quarters of Australians attended the arts last year and, most impressively, four out of 10 of us creatively participated in the arts thats over 7.2 million people exploring art around the country. The research focused on audience access and participation in the arts. It covered all major artforms including visual arts and crafts, music, theatre, dance, reading, writing and music. The survey highlighted an increasing interest in Indigenous arts, growing engagement by young people, and revealed significant opportunities to build arts audiences. It also picked up on some distinct attitudes across the Australian population. Nine out of 10 Australians agreed Indigenous arts were important to our culture. While 17 percent of Australians attended an Indigenous arts event in the past year, 47 percent have an increasing interest. Young people in Australia were more involved in the arts than any other age group. They were more likely to be creatively engaged in visual arts and crafts, theatre and dance, creative writing and music. Australias educational curriculum had a part to play, with secondary and tertiary students more likely to be involved in the arts. Young people also took advantage of the internet for

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How Daniel got his groove

Now I want to work on getting my music out there for people to hear.
Learning music skills and developing a career plan have had a positive impact on Daniels life. Yeah it keeps me out of trouble. My brother is doing the music lessons with Heaps Decent now too, he said. Australia Council funding has assisted Heaps Decent in taking the program up a notch in 20102011, with longer and more regular workshops at two NSW juvenile institutions. Riverina Juvenile Justice Centre in Wagga Wagga caters to boys while the Juniperina Juvenile Justice Centre in Sydney houses girls. Both centres include a large majority of Indigenous youth from across the state. Heaps Decent program manager Erin Morrissey said previous programs had been highly successful in engaging young people. The DJ equipment we use in the workshops is simple and hands-on. It quickly engages young people and we can move forward to other activities such as music production, songwriting, rapping and singing, said Erin. The Heaps Decent program is boosted by a strong array of partners including principal partner Fuzzy Events, youth performance specialists Shopfront and the Gadigal Information Service. The young participants are also treated to a dazzling roster of guest artists including Diplo, Amanda Blank and A-Trak. Heaps Decent works hard to follow through with its participants after their release from institutions, and maintains a close relationship with Key College. Erin said that the upgraded 20102011 juvenile justice program would be more consistent and sustainable, with more regular and concentrated workshops better targeted to young people who move in and out of institutions. The crux of what we do is creating consistency in these young peoples lives and helping them create things over a period of time. You can actually develop them as young artists, teaching them the skills they need to do it on their own. The programs are able to connect with troubled young people because the style of music taught and created is new music, its whats happening on the ground, in the clubs, its pushing those boundaries, said Erin. I believe if you engage these young people anything can happen. There are many options in the music industry. You dont have to be a musician to be a DJ, you just need a feel for music. And there are other avenues such as sound operating that young people can aspire to.
> www.heapsdecent.com

Daniel performs at the Metro Theatre 2009

Photo: Anna Warr

DJ workshops provide pathways for troubled young people into the music industry.

Young people in juvenile justice centres are making their own music through a program run by Australian and international DJs. The program, managed by the Heaps Decent network, uses creativity to inspire underprivileged, often Indigenous, young people both inside and outside the juvenile justice system. Already dozens of young people in NSW have learned to use sound and music equipment and write and perform their own songs, often in rap form. Their work is available as both audio and video files at no charge on the Heaps Decent website. One success story in the making is Daniel, who performs as D Minor. In 2009, he was a student at Key College, an independent high school in central Sydney managed by Youth Off the Streets. Facing challenging times, Daniel joined a Heaps Decent program. I was getting kicked out of different hostels and my brother was in jail. Heaps Decent ran a music lesson every week at Key College. They taught me how to write proper songs and get my timing perfect. They also gave DJ and beatmaking lessons, said Daniel. Heaps Decent arranged a weekly mentoring session for Daniel with producer Adam Bozzetto, who is helping Daniel put an album together. Ive become a better writer and rapper. I rap about better stuff than I used to and I like my raps more. I can control and use my voice in different ways to suit the songs Im working on. Now I want to work on getting my music out there for people to hear, said Daniel. I want to have an album and a record contract so I can go on tour and play heaps of shows. Daniels career got off to a flying start last year when he performed at Sydneys iconic Metro Theatre in a sold-out show headlined by Diplo the internationally acclaimed US DJ who co-founded Heaps Decent with Sydney DJs Nina Agzarian and Andrew Levins.

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Excellence is many-splendoured
Graeae company since 1998. Graeae has been a leader in ensuring all performances are accessible to deaf, blind and visually impaired audiences with sign language, captions and audio description. She describes her work with Graeae as the most perfect job. When I work closely with writers in new commissions they are always challenged at how best to use dramatic form that is inclusive. This makes the work unique and exciting. She has directed all Graeae plays since she joined the company. Her recent work includes directing The Vagina Monologues with 38 deaf and disabled women and Blood Wedding at Setagaya Public Theatre in Tokyo with Japanese deaf, disabled and non-disabled actors. Excellence is a many-splendoured word and each and every one of us has the potential to be excellent. There are many measurements of excellence from day-to-day achievements to global recognition, and all of it is valid.
Jenny Sealey
Photo: Courtesy Graeae Theatre Company

In theatre and dance it is about being able to present skills and tell a story through physical and emotional integrity. In the world of disability it is about unashamedly owning difference and presenting an authentic voice that is uniquely ours, Jenny said. She praised the work of Restless Dance, an Australian arts company that features people with and without a disability as excellent because of the scale of creativity, production values and performances. Jenny has also praised the work of other Australian companies such as Rawkus, Back to Back Theatre and Deaf Can Dance, and also Australian actress Janet Diane, who suffered a brain haemorrhage when she was aged 15. I work with a lot of disabled Australian artists in the UK and at the Arts Activated conference most visiting Australian artists wanted to talk to me about how they can come to the UK as there are many more opportunities here. We have access to work that pays for all our access costs, and more companies have regular funding from the British Arts Council, she said. Overall, we have huge support from the British Arts Council and we are employed right across the creative sector, so we are part of decision-making processes. But she said much more could be done both in the UK and in Australia. We need so much more exposure in terms of employment within arts councils and disability arts organisations so that we are part of the policy and decisionmaking processes rather than people doing it for the disabled. We have to become leaders, said Jenny. We also need access to perform across all the stages and art galleries so audiences see the work and this has the power to change hearts and minds as it engages people on a creative and emotional level. Jenny says writers, artists and performers with disabilities need more opportunities to tell their stories, regardless of whether it has anything to do with disability. Disabled artists should be free to do the work they want. The stories we have to tell are universal, as love, relationships, being human and so on is all part of our lives and therefore we do exist within the mainstream world. We are part of the fabric of society and to assume otherwise is discriminatory and it is that sort of attitude that prevents the inclusion of disabled artists. Attitudinal fear and ignorance is always our biggest barrier to dismantle but I believe the arts is the most political and dynamic arena in which to break those prejudices and misconceptions, she said.
> www.graeae.org

Artists with disabilities want to tell stories, with excellence.

Jenny Sealey has been deaf since the age of seven when a friend pushed her and she banged her head on a table. I was already at ballet school before I went deaf and my dance teacher saw no reason why I should not carry on dancing even If I couldnt hear the music. She taught me ways of feeling the music. She was my first mentor, Jenny said. I have absolutely no idea what I would have done if I had not become deaf. All I knew at the age of seven is that I loved dancing and as I grew older I started to love acting too. Jenny said making quality work is a goal equallyrelevant to artists with and without disabilities. As the keynote speaker at the 2010 Arts Activated National Conference in Sydney, Jenny embraced the conference theme of 'artsaccessexcellence'. The event was organised by Accessible Arts to promote and provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in arts and cultural activities. I think it is unbelievably patronising to assume disabled artists do not aspire toward excellence. We grow up with people having low expectations of us so we have to smash through those discriminatory attitudinal barriers, Jenny said. Jenny lives in London and was awarded an MBE for Services to Disability Arts last year. She has been Artistic Director of the

Jenny Sealey is the artistic advisor for the Unlimited 2012 festival, which will celebrate disability, arts, culture and sport on an unprecedented scale, as part of the London 2012 Olympics. She describes Unlimited as her biggestchallenge yet. The commitment of London 2012 to create Unlimited is a sign of the maturing of the Games and our society, with concrete steps to support disabled artists where it is needed most, financial awards and an opportunity to showcase our work globally, she said. Unlimited is so significant because disabled artists are leading the festival of work, making artistic and policy decisions and we are given a global stage on which to profile the sheer diversity of work, theatrical execution and commitment to full and equal access. We want to leave a legacy that will shape the future for disabled artists of the next generation, said Jenny.

Unlimited 2012 festival

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Artist perspectives
Artists on disability in the arts.

Equality is fundamental
Gaelle Mellis, who has a physical disability, has worked as a set and costume designer for theatre, dance and events for more than 20 years. Among her many awards, Gaelle received a 2004 Churchill Fellowship, 2002 Adelaide Critics Circle Individual Award and a 2009 South Australian Screen Award for her production design on the film Necessary Games. Two of my most positive experiences have been designing at Restless Dance Theatre and being awarded a Churchill Fellowship, she said. At Restless, because it was seen as an advantage for a performer to have a disability, it meant I never had to deny my experience of disability. We were always looking at different ways of making the work and this in turn allowed for me to explore other ways of working. With theChurchill Fellowship, Gaelle was able to look at the inclusion of disabled people in professional theatre practice. I saw that cultural diversity was high on the agenda of the British Arts Council and that it was paying off. There was good work being made and disabled and deaf artists had their access needs met. In my career, my experience had been that I was usually the only disabled professional artist on a project, but in the UK I met deaf and disabled peers working across all areas of the performing arts and creating diverse and exciting work. Many of these artists, such as Jenny Sealey, were creating new forms by using aesthetic access, such as audio description and sign language in the core narrative of the work, she said. Gaelle is enthusiastic about new forms of storytelling. I want to hear different stories from different perspectives. It interests me to see performers that move and communicate in different ways. I want to see myself represented on stage. Disabled performers challenge societys preconceptions about ability and aesthetic, she said. Gaelle says conditions need to be improved for disabled people to thrive in the arts. Arts bodies must tell disabled people what they offer and that they want to include them. Equality is fundamental to diversity, she said.

From The Bundanon Series Daniel Kojta, Wade Marynowsky Onis Lookout 2010
Photo: Wade Marynowsky

Its all about the work

Daniel Kojta is a young visual artist who happens to be paraplegic. He graduated with an honours degree in Visual Arts from the University of Western Sydney in 2004, where he was awarded the University Medal. Daniel, who lives two hours west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains, recently undertook the 2010 Accessible Arts Bundanon Residency, which was set up to further opportunities for NSW artists with disability. While he stressed he does not promote himself as a disabled artist, when asked if having paraplegia has been a factor in his art, he said: Thelack of accessible residencies is an area which is in need of focus. I have completed many residencies and few are actually accessible. This removes a great aspect of artistic development for practice. Bundanon is a fine example of accessible residency for all the arts, but there are few, he said. There is a video work I produced at Bundanon where Ive taken footage of my torso, filmed from my lap, and Ive asked all the artists whove been part of the Bundanon residency to film their bottom half and then edited the footage to make it appear as if these legs are mine. And so, continuing with the work Ive produced in the past, Ive used technology to heal my paraplegia. Daniel said it was an incredible privilege to take part in the Bundanon residency. Its a great opportunity to take some time out and spend that time on my own practice, he said. It was an incredible opportunity to work with other artists as well. Its very communal. There is the opportunity to form a bit of a community. I formed three different collaborations with other contemporary artists. Ultimately, Daniel believes it does not matter whether an artist is disabled or non-disabled. I dont think it makes a difference. That may sound naive but I really dont think it does. If your work is powerful enough then your condition doesnt have to have a bearing on it at all. Its all about the work, he said.
> www.onaircontemporary.com

Image from Necessity by Restless Dance, with production design by Gaelle Mellor. Photo: Matt Nettheim

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inbrief

Get ready for Junction 2010

An action-packed program alongside an arts festival featuring international, local and interstate speakers and artists awaits participants of Junction 2010, the seventh Regional Arts Australia national conference to be held in Launceston, Tasmania from 26 29 August. International keynote speakers at the countrys largest regional arts event include Dr Ernesto Sirolli, Francois Matarasso and Mike White, with local speakers Jane Bennett and Marke Pesce from the New Inventors. Delegates also get to choose from 45 sessions covering topics such as the role of arts in bushfire recovery, an interactive workshop dance like a man, the top five disruptive technologies and a hands-on stream including Indigenous weaving, speed meeting and walking tours. Other highlights include a breakfast session hosted by Robyn Archer, PechaKucha twilight sessions, an open space forum and the conference dinner by celebrity chef Fiona Hoskin. The Junction Arts Festival will complement the conference program, featuring the best of local and interstate art with more than 44 events of which 38 are free, many participatory and all open to the general public. Each evening The Junc Room the festival club in the city centre will feature a music program, a selection of eclectic cabaret and short theatre works from across Australia in a boutique circus tent. Registrations are now open for the conference. Visit www.junction2010.com.au to register and see the full conference and festival program.

L-R Frank Fabris, Sharon Prero and Mark Shepherd in Oz Operas La Bohme
Photo: Jeff Busby

Aussie shorts fly high

Regular flyers may have noticed recent journeys have been a bit more stimulating. The Australia Council teamed with Qantas to create the Creative Rush short films eight inspiring and enlightening stories about Australians engagement with the arts. All films are screened on Qantas domestic morning flights, with longer versions being shown on off-peak domestic routes. The films include Outback Opera, a story about what happened when Oz Operas (Opera Australias regional touring arm) production ofMadame Buttery descended on Alice Springs. It screened throughout November. In January, travellers were treated to Ballet Boys,which was filmed in Perth during the Australian Ballets tour ofSwan Lake. Nine Lives, featuring one of Australias leading parkour exponents, Ali Kadhim, went live in March. Films coming soon include the story of Indigenous Victorian artist Reko Rennies first venture to Paris, where the graffiti-based artist undertook a three-month residency at the Cit Internationale des Arts in Paris. The film will also include some of his self-shot footage. The remaining films are currently being finalised and will be seen on Qantas flights in coming months. The airline may package all of the films together at the end of the series for its international routes. www.australiacouncil.gov.au/creativerush

Tutti perform at Regional Arts Australias 2008 national conference in Alice Springs. Photo: Joyce Van Dijk

Arts marketers on digital summit

Social media was high on the agenda of the sixth annual Australia Council Marketing Summit, held in Brisbane in June. More than 200 representatives of Australian arts companies, regional arts centres, museums and galleries attended the event, which opened with ABC Managing Director Mark Scotts speech on maintaining relevance in the digital era. The Summits theme of marketing through digital technologies was embraced by international guest speakers including strategic brand guru Russ Meyer, Denise Montgomery from San Diegos Museum of Contemporary Arts and Tates Claire Eva. Australia Council CEO Kathy Keele said that new technologies provide new opportunities for arts marketers. Savvy arts marketers now use all the tools the web, mobile, virtual world, social media and email to get the right message into the hands of the right audience at the right time, said Kathy. The Sydney Festivals Jill Colvin passed on her tips for effective Twitter use: be relevant, be authentic, dont overtweet and use common sense and good manners. Following the Summit, inspired participants started a Facebook group, Australian Arts Marketing, to continue discussions.

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