eNews - Arts Victoria - April 2008

1. Local History Grants Announced

Minister for the Arts Lynne Kosky has announced the latest round of grants through the Victorian Government's Local History Grants Program. Seventy-nine community groups across Victoria share in $350,000 funding to help preserve and share their local stories. The recipients represent a wide range of community groups reflecting a rich array of local stories from diverse Victorian communities.

Ms Kosky also announced ten new certified Victorian Places of Deposit, facilities judged suitable for looking after public records.

The Local History Grants Program is managed by the Public Record Office Victoria and funded by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund.

For the full list of State-wide Local History Grants recipients and Victorian Places of Deposit, visit www.prov.vic.gov.au

2. Arts Development Funding Recipients Shine At The Green Room Awards

Congratulations to all Victorian winners of the 2007 Green Room Awards, held on Sunday 20 April 2008. Arts Victoria Arts Development-funded programs were among the winners, picking up eleven awards across various categories.

Ranters Theatre's production of Holiday scored five awards for set design, male performer, direction, production and best new Australian writing; BalletLab's Brindabella won awards for lighting as well as music composition and performance for dance; and Chapters from the Pandemic picked up awards for set and spatial conceptualisation and lighting design.

Other winners included Lucy Guerin Inc's Aether for best dance ensemble and Bronwyn Pringle for lighting design for Letters from Animals, a Here Theatre/The Store Room Theatre production.

For the full list of Green Room Award winners visit: www.greenroom.org.au

3. MTC Theatre Announcement

Melbourne's newest theatre and home to the Melbourne Theatre Company has been named after company founder and theatre director John Sumner AO, CBE.

The construction of the MTC Theatre in Southbank has ended a 20-year search by the MTC for a permanent home, and filled an important gap in Melbourne's cultural infrastructure. Designed by Ashton Raggatt McDougall, the $47 million, 500-seat theatre will include a full fly tower, excellent backstage accommodation and movable seating that can be tailored for individual shows. The building will also include a 150-seat warm up studio and cafes.

The interior of the Sumner Theatre will be decorated with more than 60 quotes from plays illuminated by variable colour LED lighting. Included amongst the quotes are the wit and wisdom of more than 50 iconic playwrights from Aristophanes to David Williamson, from Moličre to Joanna Murray-Smith.

The MTC Theatre is being built as part of a combined project between The University of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government and is expected to be completed in late 2008 in readiness for opening in the first half of 2009.

4. Patrick White Playwrights’ Award

The Patrick White Playwrights' Award offers $20,000 in Australia's richest playwriting award to a full-length unproduced play.

The 2007 Award has received 148 entries representing each state and territory. Five of the short-listed eight plays being considered by the judges are by Victorian playwrights:

The winner will be announced Friday 23 May during the 2008 Sydney Writers' Festival, followed by a rehearsed reading of the play by Sydney Theatre Company artists.

Good luck to all participating artists.

For more information visit: Sydney Theatre

5. Next Wave Festival Launched

Next Wave is Victoria's major biennial festival for young, emerging artists. This year's festival invites you to get a little closer to a whole lot of new ideas. There are 61 projects and nearly 400 artists curated into this year's multi-artform program which spans hybrid and new media, performance, special projects and visual arts, drawn from across Victoria, Australia and overseas. Next Wave is presented across Melbourne in public, private and independent spaces from 15-31 May 2008.

For the full Festival program visit www.nextwave.org.au

6. Richard Frankland Honoured For Lifetime Achievement

Gunditijmara man, Richard Frankland, has been recognised with the $50,000 Australia Council for the Arts' 2007 Ros Bower award for his innovative leadership and significant artistic contributions, which have focused on reconciliation and social justice.

Throughout his prolific artistic career, Richard has provided a thought provoking Indigenous perspective through his stories, songs, documentaries and films to educate the wider Australian population on Indigenous issues in Australia.

Richard has written, directed and produced a wide range of video, documentary, film projects and stage productions, including his acclaimed short films Harry's War and the Cannes selected and AFI Award winning No Way To Forget - among numerous projects that have been screened at national and international film festivals.

For more information visit: Australia Council

7. Melbourne Prize For Urban Sculpture 2008 - Entries Now Open

Entries into the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2008 are now open. Valued at over $60,000, the prize recognises and rewards excellence and talent in urban sculpture and is open to Victorian residents.

Entries close on Friday 9 May 2008.

The annual Melbourne Prize and Melbourne Prize Trust is an initiative of the Committee for Melbourne.

For an entry form visit www.melbourneprizetrust.org or call the Melbourne Prize Trust on tel: 03 9650 8800.

8. Communities, Accessibility And The Arts - One-day Conference

One-day conference in two Victoria regions, May 2008:

How can we enrich our communities by increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to be involved in arts and culture?

These conferences seek to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to be involved in creative arts activities by inspiring and challenging participants. The program features case studies of local, national and international initiatives in different settings, with different populations and artforms as well as hands-on workshops and discussions addressing local challenges and opportunities.

Speakers include: Ross Barber, Executive Director, Access Arts, Queensland Cathy Horsley, Access Arts Development Officer, City of Port Phillip, Melbourne Kate Sulan, Artistic Director, and Jacque Robinson. Rawcus Theatre Company, Melbourne

Program details: www.culturaldevelopment.net.au

Enquiries: Kim Dunphy, e: kim.dunphy@culturaldevelopment.net.au or tel: 03 9658 9976

9. Connecting Schools And Communities:

Exploring The Use Of Schools And Community Facilities For Creative Community Outcomes

One-day conference in three Victoria regions, June 2008:

How are schools and community facilities contributing to creative and connected local communities, lifelong learning and successful local partnerships?

This series of one-day conferences seeks to explore the use of schools and community facilities for creative community outcomes, by informing and inspiring all about possibilities for their own context.

The program features case studies of local, national and international initiatives that have resulted in better engaged communities, more effective partnerships, increased creative community activity and improved local cultural development. The program also includes discussion and problem-solving addressing local concerns, barriers and opportunities.

Keynote speaker: Lisa Fitzhugh, Executive Director, Artscorps, Seattle, USA

Program details: www.culturaldevelopment.net.au

Enquiries: Kim Dunphy, e: kim.dunphy@culturaldevelopment.net.au or tel: 03 9658 9976

10. Applications Now Open - Victorian Premier’s Design Awards 2008

The Victorian Premier's Design Awards are now open for submissions.

The Premier's Design Awards are a biennial awards program developed by the Victorian Government to recognise excellence in the realm of design practice in Victoria, and to communicate the value of good design to a broad public and business audience both locally and internationally.

The 2008 Awards offers a number of categories under which entries can be made including: industrial/product design, architecture, interior design, graphic design, multimedia design, landscape design, exhibition design, set design, textile design, fashion design and hand-made objects. The Awards represent the best work generated by Victorian design practices in the 2007-2008 period.

Entries close 5pm Wednesday 7 May 2008.
Winners will be announced at the opening of the State of Design Festival on 16 July 2008.

For more information and to download an application form visit: http://www.stateofdesign.com.au/premiersdesignawards

11. Art At The Heart - Regional Arts Australia National Conference

3-5 October 2008, Alice Springs

Registrations are now open for Art at the Heart, Regional Arts Australia's national conference.

Art at the Heart will provide an opportunity for artistic and cultural exchange, cross-cultural collaboration and best practice approaches to working in the arts. Artists, actors, academics, arts workers, curators, filmmakers, musicians, performers, producers, students, volunteers, writers, all levels of government and the wider community will gather in Alice Springs to discuss, celebrate and experience the arts and cultural achievements of regional Australia.

Earlybird rates are available until 15 July 2008. All registrations close on 15 September 2008.

For more information visit: www.artattheheart.com.au

12. Melbourne Fringe Festival - Expressions Of Interest

The Age Melbourne Fringe Festival, 24 September - 12 October 2008

Fringe Hub

Expressions of interest are now open for the Fringe Hub, based at North Melbourne Town Hall. The Hub will consist of ten spaces dedicated to diverse, dynamic, cutting-edge work.

Fringe Hub Expressions of Interest close Friday 9 May.

Venues Forum

Looking for a venue for your Fringe show this year? Looking for artists to fill your venue for Fringe this year? For the first time, Fringe is holding a Venues Forum for artists, venue managers and programmers to meet and swap ideas.

Speakers will include representatives from venues as well as artists experienced in converting non-performance spaces into active venues. Melbourne Fringe invites all venues and artists interested in being a part of the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival to attend.

Venues Forum: 6pm Wednesday 30 April, Old Council Chambers, Trades Hall, Carlton.

For more information visit: www.melbournefringe.com.au

For details/interview call the Editor on (03) 5798 1858

Other Stories

Did you know...

that Violet Town a number of gold mining ventures operated in the Violet Town area in the mid to late 1800s.

Latest News

Violet Town news