In 2018 our annual program focused on sector advocacy, professional development for dance artists and celebrating excellence in Australian dance.
Thank you to our members, partners and supporters across Australia who contributed to the success of our 2018 program.
Here are the highlights.
21st Australian Dance Awards
We presented the 21st Australian Dance Awards, with partners Harlequin Floors, on 8 September at the Brisbane Powerhouse. Ausdance National is grateful for the outstanding work of producer Sandi Woo.
The Australian Dance Awards is one of the country’s most prestigious performing arts awards. Across 12 categories, the Awards acknowledge people working in the professional dance sector who have made innovative and exceptional work of national significance, or have made an outstanding and enduring contribution to the dance industry.
With a national focus, the awards are promoting the art form, raising the profile of Australian artists and providing a focal point for the celebration of excellence.
The ADA nominees and award winners
Sponsors
Thanks to the 2018 sponsors: Harlequin Floors, MEAA, Aon, Designfront, Dance Australia, QUT, Foxtel Arts and Australia Council for the Arts.
Performances
Audiences experienced award presentations and live performances from a diverse selection of Queensland dance companies and performance groups. We thank the companies, performers and artists who contributed:
- Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts
- Elements Collective
- Expressions Dance Company
- Phluxus2 Dance Collective
- Sprung!! Integrated Dance Theatre
- Queensland Ballet.
The selection panel and advisors
The ADAs rely on the generosity and expertise of the dance community; and the shortlisting and selection of winners would not be possible without the volunteer selection panel and advisors Lee Christofis, Jeff Meiners and Julie Dyson AM. Ausdance National is particularly grateful for Julie Dyson’s work as 2018 nominations coordinator.
A new dance awards website
Brisbane-based visual communication consultancy Designfront designed and built the new Australian Dance Awards website, the event program and visual branding for the 2018 Awards. Ausdance National is grateful for Designfront’s considerable contribution to Ausdance and the Australian dance sector.
Ausdance Keith Bain Choreographic Travel Fellowship
The biennial Keith Bain Choreographic Travel Fellowship supports international travel and experiences by emerging choreographers (under 40 years) across any dance genre.
This year the assessment panel awarded the Fellowship to Lewis Major. Lewis has designed a program of mentorship and career development activities designed to build professional networks and further develop his skills in dramaturgy, choreography and independent producing in an international context.
Thanks to the assessment panel—Marilyn Miller, Paul Selwyn Norton, Anca Frankenhaeuser, Julia Cotton and Annalouise Paul—who read and assessed a large number of high-quality applications.
Advocacy
We continued our advocacy activities and partnerships to support sustainable dance careers and a thriving dance sector. And we represented the sector at industry meetings and consultations, and submitted responses to the Major Performing Arts Framework and the Arts and Disability Strategy.
2018 advocacy snapshot
Growing positive mental health and wellbeing behaviours for a sustainable Australian dance industry
We supported AAWE’s Entertainment Industry Wellbeing Survey, part of a research project to find out about the mental health needs of our industry.
Access to education and training resources to prevent discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying
We represented the sector at the industry roundtable held by Live Performance Australia in Melbourne on ‘Education and Training Resources to prevent workplace discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying’. Together we identified priorities and committed to ensuring that policies and procedures are implemented and embedded.
Read the Code of Practice to Prevent Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Bullying.
Sustainable access to international expertise to transfer skills to Australian organisations and creatives
We represented dance at the Skilled Migration roundtable to plan our next response to the Government’s review of the skilled migration occupation lists. To ensure international expertise remains accessible to all dance organisations—both small to medium and major performing arts companies—we prepared an evidence-based case to the Government with our peer organisations AMPAG and Symphony Services International.
Professional dance courses reinstated on the VET student loans eligible course list
We advocated to reinstate professional dance courses on the VET Student Loans eligible course list. And in February 2018 the Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance) and Advanced Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance) were returned to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Student Loans eligible course list.
National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE)
Through our partnership with the National Advocates for Arts Education, we supported NAAE’s lobbying and advocacy for dance/arts within the National Curriculum to secure a future where all Australian children have the opportunity to develop their mental and physical skills with scientifically proven life-long benefits.
Dance is represented by National Advocates for Arts Education Chair Julie Dyson, AM, and Ausdance representatives Jeff Meiners and Sue Fox. Read about the NAAE’s 2018 activities.
Networking
World Dance Alliance—Asia Pacific (WDA-AP)
We continued our relationship with WDA-AP by participating in Panpapanpalya 2018 as a project partner. In 2019, we will publish the conference papers on the Ausdance National website.
Publications
The final edition of Brolga—an Australian journal about dance
The various ways artists value, create, understand and act upon their connections to the world are explored in issue 41 of Brolga—an Australian journal about dance.
Thank you to editors Olivia Millard and Shaun McLeod, and to authors Vahri McKenzie, Gretel Taylor, Indigo Perry, Olivia Millard, Shaun McLeod, Dianne Reid and Melinda Smith.
Behind the scenes
New Ausdance visual brand
The Ausdance network worked with Designfront to develop a new visual brand to represent a strong and ambitious future for Ausdance. A future built on a legacy of national advocacy and the delivery of exceptional dance projects throughout Australia.
Australia Council Arts Project funding supported sector priorities
We received $64,860 from the Australia Council’s Arts Projects program to support the position of a new executive director and advance prioritised national agendas across education, research, health, employment, and sector development.
We started work on a new dance plan—an update of Dance Plan 2012, with the aim to develop a strategy document that advocates for the value of dance and its potential across a range of contexts.
The organisation changed its operating model to ensure it can continue delivering services to the dance sector in Australia beyond 2018. Part of this process included the Canberra office closing in January 2018.
Staff and board appointments
Kerry Comerford appointed Executive Director Ausdance National (April–October 2018)
With an early passion for dance and previous experience working with the both the art form and many artists within the sector, Kerry used her leadership, producing, directing and board experience to work closely with the dance sector and our other arts sector colleagues to represent and advocate for dance in Australia.
Kathy Baykitch appointed Executive Director Ausdance National (October 2018)
Starting on 8 October, Kathy was appointed for her broad understanding of the Australian dance ecology. She has extensive experience in dance as a producer, educator, practitioner and community artist in Australia and the UK.
Helene George joins the Ausdance National Board
Helen is a recognised specialist in sustainable development and the strategic development of cultural and creative industries.
Board President Professor Gene Moyle said, ‘Her leadership in the creative economy and specialist skill set in assisting organisations to reshape and transform to achieve sustainability is a great and timely addition to the Board’.
Libby Walsh appointed as Ausdance National Treasurer
A development manager for a Sydney property developer, Libby said she joined the Ausdance National Council as a way to participate in and ‘give back’ to a sector that she admires and values but has never formally been a part of other than as an audience member.