ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS

ASSOCIATE ORGANISATIONS

Ausdance NSW has established and continues to develop and support relationships with three dance organisations based in New South Wales:

• Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub & Flipside Project, Director Cadi McCarthy

• Dance Integrated Australia, Director Philip Channells

• Murmuration, Artistic Director Sarah-Vyne Vassallo

The scope of this support incorporates mentoring and coaching, marketing of programs, administritive and auspicing services and strategic advice based on the companies needs.

CATAPULT DANCE & FLIPSIDE PROJECT

NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES

Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub, Newcastle is a professional choreographic, multi-disciplinary and contemporary dance hub. Our programs are multi- pronged, highlighting Newcastle’s artistic identity, as an incubator and producer of the highest quality professional arts practice; advocating choreographic development, collaboration across disciplines, and building new communities for contemporary dance practice. Their vision is to boost Catapult’s and Newcastle’s artistic profile locally, nationally and internationally, increasing cultural value, organisation capacity, and audience engagement

CATAPULT DANCE AIMS:

To Provide creative and performance opportunities to professional artists and emerging artists through choreographic residencies, performances, and youth engagement in Newcastle, NSW.
To Build a contemporary dance sector in Newcastle, and create a hub for emerging artists, young people and professional practitioners to create and develop as artists in Newcastle.
To Foster an appreciative audience for dance theatre work and build audience capacity in the Hunter region through performances, community development and creative opportunities for the general public.
To Expose young people to the power of contemporary dance practice, through creative processes, choreographic developments and public performances.
To Engage Australian dance and arts professionals to inspire, mentor and work with young dancers (14-25) to develop performance skills, increase confidence and engage the creativity of young people and audiences alike through contemporary dance theatre.

DANCE INTEGRATED AUSTRALIA

Byron Hinterland of the NSW Northern Rivers Region

Philip Channells is the founder, creative director, and producer of Dance Integrated Australia, an Associate Organisation of Ausdance NSW (2016 – 2018). Dance Integrated Australia works across high caliber collaborative environments and is founded on principles of inclusivity and respect, challenging mindsets and perceptions and unique and extraordinary audience experiences. It lays a foundation from which emerging artists launch their careers and creates a community of dancers, choreographers and cross art form collaborators.

The mission is to develop the dance sector with disability-inclusive processes of engagement through dance education and community cultural development.
The vision is to generate high-quality artistic outcomes and develop exciting opportunities for artists to excel in dance.

2019 KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

The D.N.A. Intensive Project

On the back of his 2018 DAIR project at the Bankstown Arts Centre, Philip Channells was invited to collaborate with the centre on the The D.N.A. Intensive Project with dance theatre practitioner and musician, Tania Rose (co-founder of Restless Dance Company) and filmmaker Fadle ‘Fred’ El-Harris (Filmotion). Participants were introduced to movement and dance-theatre practices that exist outside of ‘typical’ dance classes and learnt creative techniques that give rise to self-devised choreography and direction, born from their own ideas and lived experiences. The week-long project culminated in generating a series of short dance films.

MOVE IT!

As an initiative of Dance Integrated Australia, MOVE IT! was established in Byron Bay to encourage people of all ages to get dancing. In its first year, it’s gained momentum from one class a week to additional classes in community halls in Byron Bay, Newrybar, Clunes, Repentance Creek and Lismore with a new partnership with the Lismore Quadrangle. There are now more than 70 regular participants attending from across the NSW Northern Rivers region.

The classes are designed to improve participant’s stamina, co-ordination, strength and flexibility in a fun, social environment. Think disco and ballet, aerobics and Pilates and stretches to songs from artists such as Chaka Khan, ABBA, Serge Gainsbourg, Sia, Aretha Franklin, Dianna Ross, and James Brown.

MURMURATION

WESTERN SYDNEY & COOTAMUNDRA, NEW SOUTH WALES

Murmuration is Australia’s pioneering integrated performance company based in Western Sydney that began as an emerging company in 2015 by Artistic Director, Sarah-Vyne Vassallo and Associate Director, Dan Daw. Murmuration works with a collective of interdisciplinary professional artists with and without disability. The company collaborates with the unique perspectives, physicality and lived experiences of its artists, to create engaging and thought-provoking arts and entertainment.

They take a three-stream approach to our work. All streams provide intersections between creation, participation, observation, and conversation.

Making – supports professional arts practice, through the research, development, and presentation of contemporary arts, performance, and film.
Performing – the presentation and touring of original works made by our company in partnership with independent artists, venues or programmers.
Learning – our creative learning program is open to all people to participate in the performing arts through inclusive creative workshops, outreach, and public events.

Murmuration is committed to diversity and aims to create an environment that values and utilises the contribution of its people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

2019 KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

Ripple Effect

The ‘Ripple Effect’ inclusive arts program was a three-year strategic partnership between Murmuration and The Arts Centre Cootamundra from 2017 – 2019. The program included a series of inclusive art workshops, public events, a professional development forum, a performance showcase, the production of an online documentary and the development of the ‘Bowerbirds’ film script and treatment. The program engaged with arts professionals, and wider community members and included; dance, theatre, music, design, and visual arts workshops; disability awareness training, mentorships, curated conversations, reflection and a full cohort of positive feedback.

Return to The River

A direct outcome of Ripple Effect was the engagement and support of a regional artist over an 18-month residency. The residency included creative development support from Murmuration, weekly studio space from TACC, 4 intensive development periods, the presentation of a new solo work, public events and community workshops. Angela French was the first local professional Artist in Residence at TACC and was supported by Kay Armstong and Creative Producer Sarah-Vyne Vassallo. ‘Return to The River’ was the culmination of four years of research and development of Ange’s solo art practice. The work explores the effect of artificial environments on the human psyche. It’s a story of contrasts, a river, a return and a longing for home.

SUPPORTERS

Murmuration is supported by the NSW Government through Arts NSW; devolved funding by Accessible Arts on behalf of the Lifetime Care and Support Authority; Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, ClubGRANTS Scheme and Marrickville Council. Murmuration is an Associate Organisation of Ausdance NSW.

AUSDANCE NSW

Ausdance NSW is the key support & advocacy body, for the creation, presentation and practice of dance in NSW.

Ausdance NSW is part of the Ausdance National Network.

Ausdance acknowledges and respects the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which we work and dance and pays respect to elders past, present and emerging.