News: July 2015

ArtsPeak’s response to the draft guidelines for the National Program for Excellence in the Arts

by ArtsPeak published on

ArtsPeak's response to National Program for Excellence in the Arts draft guidelines (360KB PDF)

Dear Minister Brandis

Re: draft guidelines for the National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA)

ArtsPeak (the confederation of Australian national peak arts organisations and arts industry councils) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the recently released draft guidelines for the Federal Government’s National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA). ArtsPeak particularly welcomes the Government’s statement about the intrinsic value of the arts:

While valuing the many secondary benefits which flow from arts activities, the Program seeks to celebrate the intrinsic capacity of the arts to engage, inspire and make meaning for all Australians.

1. Sustainability

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Ausdance responds to the Draft Guidelines for the National Program for Excellence in the Arts

by published on

Draft Guidelines for the Program

Ausdance responds to the Draft Guidelines for the National Program for Excellence in the Arts (300KB PDF)

The Australian Dance Council – Ausdance National is Australia's peak body for dance: educating, inspiring and supporting the dance community in reaching its potential as a dynamic force within local, national and international communities. As part of a network of Ausdance organisations working across Australia, we design and deliver accessible services and integrated programs to support dance in Australia. Ausdance is a member of ArtsPeak and the National Advocates for Arts Education, and facilitates the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia.

We welcome the opportunity to review the guidelines in draft format, noting this new funding process exists under the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines and will need to be approved by the Finance Minister before commencing.

Ausdance supports the feedback provided by ArtsPeak relating to the Guidelines and adds these further comments.

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Child sexual abuse in the entertainment industry

by Ausdance published on

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse would like to hear from anyone who has experienced, or has information regarding, child sexual abuse in institutions in the entertainment industry.

Royal Commission CEO Philip Reed said that the Royal Commission is calling for people with information about child sexual abuse in the entertainment industry to contact the Royal Commission.

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Congratulations Australian Dance Awards 2015 shortlisted nominees

by Ausdance published on
Image courtesy Australian Dance Theatre. Photographer: Chris Herzfeld Camlight Productions. Dancers from L to R: Kimball Wong, Samantha Hines, Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, Matte Roffe & Lonii Garnons-Williams.

Congratulations to the shortlisted nominees.

Services to Dance

  • Jeff Busby
  • Philippe Charluet
  • Nicolette Fraillon
  • Jennifer Irwin

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Call for Applications: Sydney Dance Company’s Pre-Professional Year 2016

by Sydney Dance Company published on

Sydney Dance Company is pleased to invite applications from talented Australian and New Zealand dancers wishing to take part in its Pre-Professional Year program in 2016.

Key information

Applications close 13 August 2015
Course fee: $13,500
For advanced dance students aged 18 or older (or turning 18 in 2016) with a high level of training in Ballet and/or Contemporary dance.
Qualification awarded at completion: Certificate IV in Dance (CUA40113)
Course length: 1 year (Monday–Friday, 9 am – 4.30 pm)
Course location: Sydney Dance Company’s Walsh Bay studios
Application guidelines and FAQs: Apply for the 2016 Pre-Professional Year

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Australian Dance Theatre’s Secondment Week 2015

by Australian Dance Theatre published on

Australian Dance Theatre’s Secondment Week is an unparalleled opportunity for graduating tertiary dance students to receive training in:

  • tumbling, choreographic tasking and stagecraft
  • current company repertoire
  • audition technique
  • forums on related topics like company life, diet, nutrition and marketing.

Key information

  • Dates 10–14 August 2015
  • Cost $300 per student.
  • Location Australian Dance Theatre (Adelaide), 126 Belair Rd, Hawthorn SA 5062
  • Applications Email to [email protected] your CV, two full-body dance photographs (files should not exceed 1MB, file saved as your first & last name), and up to two links to video footage.

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News from the World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific

by Ausdance & World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific published on

Our friends at the World Dance Alliance Asia–Pacific bring us the first edition their newsletter for 2015—Asia–Pacific Channels. For past editions, visit Asia–Pacific Channels.

This edition includes many moving and wonderful messages honouring the memory of Maggi Phillips.

These messages speak for themselves about her extraordinary qualities and her far-reaching positive influence in so many ways and in many countries across the world.
—Cheryl Stock

Asia–Pacific ChannelsChannels also outlines many exciting projects from the Education & Training Network, the Support & Development Network, the Creation & Presentation Network, and the Research & Documentation Network. Ralph Buck reports from the World Alliance for Arts Education conference with a summary of the WAAE Strategic Planning discussion and five new education projects. And Chapters across the region have contributed updates and photographs summarising their extensive and diverse dance activities.

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Watch National Dance Forum 2015 panel discussions

by Ausdance & Australia Council for the Arts published on

National Dance Forum 2015 (19–21 March) addressed the inherent concerns and realities affecting current professional practice in Australia. It was framed by three specific lines of focus:

  • Transforming the form: changing structures and their effects
  • The subtleties and nuances of innovation.
  • Discourse: How is dance written about, spoken about and communicated?

A partnership between the Australia Council for the Arts and Ausdance National, the NDF is a biennial gathering for the Australian professional contemporary dance sector. It fosters the artistic development of dance in Australia by providing a platform for discussion between Australian choreographers, dancers, independent artists, artistic directors, educators, researchers and dance producers.

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Senate Inquiry into Arts budget confirmed—add your letter by 17 July!

by Ausdance & ArtsPeak published on

At the beginning of June, Ausdance joined ArtsPeak (the confederation of national peak arts organisations) in calling for a Senate Inquiry into the 2015 Budget funding cuts to the Australia Council and the rechanneling of those funds into a new funding program called National Programme for Excellence in the Arts.

Now a reality, the Senate Inquiry into the 2015 & 2014 budget cuts to the arts is calling for submissions from artists and arts organisations.

If you're an artist, and you can write down how the funding changes have affected you, you should write a letter and submit it to the Inquiry.

We urge you to add your submission by the 17 July closing date. Check out the 'how to make a submission to the Senate Inquiry toolkit' from ArtsPeak member National Association of Visual Arts (NAVA).

You can read examples of the submissions already made.

Submission deadline: 17 July 2015.

In case you missed it...

Here's what Ausdance has been saying about the recent changes to the Australia Council's funding and its impact on artists and the arts ecology.

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Apply now for the Ausdance Peggy van Praagh Choreographic Fellowship

by Ausdance published on

The Ausdance Peggy van Praagh Choreographic Fellowship of $10,000 will be awarded to a mid-career artist, 35 years or over with at least 10 years’ professional experience working as a choreographer.

We invite eligible choreographers who can demonstrate the value of the fellowship to their own choreographic development, practice or career to submit an expression of interest.

Key information

Applications close 3 August 2015
Fellowship amount: $10,000
For mid-career choreographers (35 years and over)
Purpose: supporting choreographic development that advances the profession
Eligibility criteria and application guidelines: Ausdance Peggy van Praagh Choreographic Fellowship.

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