A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members,
The glue that holds us together
“The glue” is what binds together our families, our friendships, and our relationships. It’s the energetic connection that holds people together in companies, organisations, societies, and countries. I have found myself in countless situations this year where I have become ‘the glue’. I anticipate that I am not alone here. Many people and leaders are stepping down or stepping aside to take on new challenges and this ultimately creates change for everyone involved. Change is indeed uncomfortable and at times overwhelming, but I have always lived by the motto: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable”. We often view discomfort through a lens of fear and anxiety. When we are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears. We can choose to see discomfort as a sign of progress. It is a message for us to embrace the unknown which ultimately creates openings for new growth, learning and innovation.
As another year draws near to a close, we would like to extend our gratitude to you, our Ausdance SA members and the community. It has been yet another year of ‘getting comfortable being uncomfortable’ navigating both change and uncertainty and yet feeling immense gratitude for the incredible dance community that we get to be a part of. The festive season offers us the opportunity to further express our gratitude and reflect on the year, acknowledging the successes and achievements we have attained in 2023. Here are just a few highlights:
We celebrated one of our Ausdance SA members Amanda Phillips for Outstanding contribution to the Arts and Education which was awarded at the Educators SA Awards Ceremony held on World Teacher’s Day in October. This industry honour recognises Amanda’s crucial contribution to culture and creativity.
One of the many and most recent achievements included the National Dance Gathering to address major issues facing the dance sector at a national level. The meeting was coordinated and produced by Ausdance QLD. It was supported by Queensland Ballet, Creative Australia and Ausdance National.
Participants included major companies, government stakeholders, small and medium-sized companies, private businesses, community groups and independent dancers/producers.
The meeting resulted in the formulation of a report of recommendations for improvement including:
- Career pathways
- Developing our cultural capability
- Investing in initiatives for educational, youth, early career and
- First Nations cultural dance
- Funding strategies
- Availability and affordability of venues
- Fair pay
- Safety and Compliance
A coordinated national voice for advocacy for the dance sector.
This document will provide us with future opportunities to advocate for these recommendations at all levels of government in collaboration with the dance sector, which we look forward to sharing with you soon.
Ausdance National were invited to represent at the Enquiry into the National Cultural Policy in July. Cathy Adamek (Director ACT) was able to attend with Michelle Silby (Former Director Vic) and delivered a 2-minute response drawn from the original AN submission, recent consultation initiated by Julie Englefield (Director QLD) and a review of the government’s Revive policy document with Jacob Williams (Chair AN). A highly collaborative effort!
In alignment with the shared recommendations, we continue to strive to provide much-needed professional learning opportunities for Ausdance SA members that address the needs and priorities of the dance sector. This will include delivering a workshop with OSASA in February 2024 and further planning towards the delivery of another collaborative Arts-focused event and workshop in May of 2024. So stay tuned!
Ausdance SA continues to foster partnerships with Arts organisations and the dance industry across SA and at a national level. We would not exist without these highly valued connections and will continue to work collaboratively together across the wider Arts sector. Again, we thank you for your continued support as we navigate the pathways of change and transition for the dance sector.
Ausdance SA would not exist without you, our members, and our wonderful volunteer members who are essentially the ‘glue that holds us together’.
It’s heartwarming to see how the dance community, with its shared experiences and challenges, continues to come together as a resilient and supportive force. Being the glue that binds everyone is a testament to your dedication, perseverance and the collective strength of Ausdance SA.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and an inspiring 2024 filled with growth and collaboration. Keep dancing through the changes!
Rebecca Williams
Ausdance SA President
Ausdance SA Board
- Rebecca Williams – President/Acting Secretary
- Robyn Callan – Vice President/Eduacation
- Officer/Treasurer
- Lana Adamuszek – Social Media and Communications
- Valeria Alonso – Members Relations Officer
- Susan Howard – Ordinary Member
- Sabrina Turtur – Ordinary Member
- Judy Swan – Ordinary Member
MEAA Equity is currently negotiating with Live Producers Australia, seeking to modernise the Performers Collective Agreement which covers your live performance work. The key claims for MEAA Equity and its members are primarily about safety and real pay rises. Producers are resisting these claims and don’t want to hear about real world performers’ experiences. I am asking that you sign the open letter and share with your colleagues to do the same, so that performers can stand together to push for a better outcome in the negotiations. We need to make sure all performers are engaged so LPA sees clearly that performers are watching and want to be valued. Sign the letter here and check out the PCA web site to see all the claims https://
We are thrilled to announce that Amanda Phillips is the recipient of the 2023 Ausdance SA Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and Education’ which was awarded recently at the Educator’s SA Awards Ceremony held on World Teacher’s Day. This industry honour recognises Amanda’s crucial contribution to culture and creativity. She has positively impacted the landscape in terms of her significant body of artistic work; dedication to educate and mentor the next generation; and developing vital industry infrastructure to sustain and grow a thriving community. Amanda is the Creative producer of the production house ‘Felicity Arts’ and the Artistic Director of ‘Dance Hub SA’ – Adelaide’s home of Independent Dance. Ausdance SA President, Rebecca Wilson states, “This award recognises the vast work that Amanda delivers across industry as a creator, collaborator, facilitator and as a mentor.” Long serving Ausdance SA Board Member Robyn Callan says, “Amanda’s watershed work within the industry and her perseverance and artistic vision, fundamentally enhances the Australian arts scene at the same time as creating development opportunities for others. Especially with the current Contemporary Dance Sector Consultation in South Australia, it’s important to celebrate those who have had the courage to create opportunities that have both sustained an industry and seen the Dance sector thriving.” On accepting this accolade, Amanda Phillips says, “I am so incredibly honoured: thank you Ausdance SA for this generous acknowledgement. It means so much to receive this award from Ausdance SA – an organisation that has been there throughout my career, and that I greatly admire for its vision and promotion of Dance across Australia. Receiving this award provides timely introspection and the inspiration to continue sharing from a space that truly values the arts – the lifeforce and pulse of society.” Many of her works are recognised as Australian firsts including the award-winning ‘3xperimentia: Live Cut’ in 3D, and the fulldome dance film ‘Future Memory’ that premiered in the 2009 Adelaide Film Festival. This year Amanda facilitated and was a choreographer for Dance Hub SA’s ‘X’ for the Adelaide Fringe which received a weekly award for ‘Best Dance’. In 2022 she created ‘Loom’ for The Mill’s Dance Launchpad and ‘Spectral’ – a collaboration with Media artist and composer Alexander Waite Mitchell that unites dance and live visuals.
Working in partnership with Alexander Waite Mitchell, the duo’s artistic pursuits continue to both utilise and develop real-time and immersive technologies for stage, screen and installation. They created the ‘Digital Moves’ filmmaking workshops in 2010 and deliver this annually for students and teachers in South Australia. In 2021 ‘Digital Moves’ was delivered as part of the ‘Youth Dance Festival’ at Canberra Theatre – through workshops in Schools and through a dedicated workshop for ACT independent artists. Amanda says, “My passion for experimenting across artform practice aligns with the evolution of the digital age. To me it’s not about the intention of innovating, but rather I see it as my responsibility as a contemporary practitioner to question, agitate and discover new scope. In this terrain ideas are born that reframe and reinvent Dance and performance- making. It’s been such an immense privilege to realise this work in partnership with Alexander Waite Mitchell, over the last two decades. We began working together as choreographer and composer, and soon turned our attention to making and presenting outside of this convention because we were drawn to the unknown.” Amanda continues, “Artistic risk creates new understanding and knowledge – and knowledge is one of the greatest gifts that any of us hold. Our human resource provides the opportunity to share, collaborate and learn with the next generation: to inspire process, dialogue and new perspectives.”
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Biography – Amanda Phillips:
Amanda Phillips is an artist, cultural leader and ambassador working at the interface of art- technology through the realisation of new models of performance that both invent and evolve artistic practice. Utilising 21 st Century research tools, she is the brainchild of multi-award- winning experimental works across installation, immersive screen technologies, interactive experience and real-time engagement. Amanda is the recipient of the Educator’s SA Association Award 2023 from Ausdance SA for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and Education’. Championing the value of the arts and culture, Amanda is the Creative producer of the production house ‘Felicity Arts’ and Artistic Director of ‘Dance Hub SA’ – Adelaide’s home of Independent Dance. A pioneer, her ground-breaking transdisciplinary work spans both the performing and visual arts arenas – reimagining and delivering new frameworks of performance through the underpinning of art-technology that engages the ‘audience as performer’. Amanda holds a Masters of Dance (Laban Centre, London) and has worked prolifically in the UK, Europe and Asia. She is a Churchill Fellow and Centennial Medallist and has received numerous accolades including a Ruby Award for Innovation and an Adelaide Critic’s Circle Award. Hailed as a “mastermind” her multifaceted work is described as “the new deal arts- wise at its mesmerising best”.
Noted for front wave art-technology projects – her creations and collaborations since 2008 traverse virtual reality, 3D-stereo, immersive cinema, real-time systems and emergent technologies including the works: ‘MASS – Moving Audience Street Sculpture’ – an interactive public art screen work; ‘Future Memory’ – Australia’s first fulldome dance film; ‘Mid-life love letters’ – a one-on-one 9-channel interactive installation; ‘3xperimentia: Live Cut’ in 3D; ‘Otanical’ – a mixed reality fairy-tale; ‘Like yesterday’ – a mixed reality monologic work; Conceiving and facilitating ‘X’ for Dance Hub SA with 60 artists across four unique livestream Dance and Music collaborations – redefining performance conventions. Since 2013, Amanda’s artwork also chronicles living with de novo metastatic (Stage-4)
Passionate about Pilates?
Would you love to become an Instructor? Interested in Bridging over to Balanced Body? Our next round of Instructor Training starts in March and we’d love you to join us!
‘Becoming a Pilates Instructor takes a lot of dedication, commitment, hard work and a passion for helping others.
For me, teaching Pilates is very fulfilling work. It’s not only about teaching people how to move better and optimise their physical and mental health, it’s also about helping restore confidence and strength in people so they can feel good on the inside & out and do the things they love to do (and often do the things they thought they couldn’t do!).
When I am training new instructors, I love working with people who share the same ideals and values mentioned above.
I love to work with people who are committed to their own Pilates practice and understand that Pilates is a personal journey that takes time. They understand that the intensity of the work changes with the ebbs and flows of your body and how you are feeling on the day. They understand that if you practice consistently and stick with it long enough you will see and feel the enormous benefits this wonderful system of exercise has to offer.
I am very excited to be delivering our next round of Pilates Instructor Training and I would love you to join me.
If you are interested in taking this step towards a new career or bridging over to a Balanced Body certification, click here to express your interest or head to our website for more information.‘
Rachel Kennedy – Balanced Body Master Pilates Trainer@ Stomping Ground Studios
SPECIAL NEWS
daCI 2024 Slovenia Scholarships for full-time students!
Thanks to Cooper-Newell Foundation support, daCi is now offering 2024 Slovenia Conference Scholarships to daCi full-time student members who are undertaking college or tertiary courses.
Please follow this link to the daCi website for further information and how to apply to the scholarship fund to help you participate in Ljubljana at the daCi 2024 conference!.
Apply Now!
Dates of Conference: July 7-12, 2024
Application deadline for ALL scholarships: December 10, 2023
Notification by January 8, 2024
Please DO NOT make registration payment for the conference until you have received notification about your scholarship application.
Questions? Contact Anna Mansbridge, Secretary secretary@daci.international
The Schools Challenge is Australia’s newest performing arts event for primary, secondary & independent arts schools. The Schools Challenge is designed to support busy teachers throughout the journey as well as empower students through our four core values – positive mental health, positive body image, growth mindset & having a voice. Contact us today to register your school & take the challenge!
Email info@schoolschallenge.com.au or call 0488 772 933.
www.schoolschallenge.com.au
Seacliff Uniting Church, located at 5 Wheatland Street, Seacliff, has a large and small hall, with adjoining kitchen and toilets available for hire at various times.
– Rate for Large Hall/Kitchen/Toilets $31.50/hour
– Rate for Small Hall/Kitchen/Toilets $21/hour
– Available hours and ‘Conditions of Use’ by enquiry to:
– 8296 1517
– office@seacliffuc.org
Dancers in Schools
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR TEACHERS
Ausdance SA has re-launched its Dancers in Schools program in partnership with Educators SA. The program provides qualified dance teachers to primary and secondary schools for short-term dance teaching employment. Our dance teachers must be Ausdance SA members and have all the necessary qualifications, training and clearances to provide a safe and fun learning experience students will love. We are looking for teachers who are available during the day Monday- Friday to teach a wide range of dance styles and genres to all ages. If you are interested in being considered for upcoming teaching posts please email your resume detailing your dance and teaching experience to;
sa@ausdance.org.au
ATTENTION: DANCERS IN SCHOOLS-TEACHERS
We look forward to hearing from you!
UPCOMING EVENTS
AFRICAN DANCE FOR EVERYONE
TUESDAYS 10 30AM – 12 NOON
@ WALKERVILLE RSL & COMMUNITY CENTRE, 98 WALKERVILLE TCE
Simple dance exercises & steps with lively music from jazz & African sources
Teacher Ibina Cundell was a founding member of ADT – classes $10
MEMBERSHIPS
YOUR membership ensures Ausdance SA can be relevant, accessible, supportive, approachable and a vital source of information and connection to and within the dance community. As a membership organisation, we are stronger in numbers.
Your membership matters
Your membership makes us grow
Sign up today here
We want to hear from you
Ausdance SA members can share relevant news, offers and promotions in this quarterly e-newsletter. Simply email us before the deadlines below.
(All e-newsletters will be distributed on the 28th day of the month below.)
25 February 2024
25 May 2024
25 August 2024