Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association::November 2007 Newsletter

After an intensive period of interviewing ACAPTA is pleased to announce the appointment of Freya Waterson as the Conference Convener for the 2008 ACAPTA National Circus and Physical Theatre Conference in Adelaide.

Freya comes to us with an impressive range of skills and experience as well as a solid knowledge of the Australian circus and physical theatre industry. Combined with her familiarity of the host city Freya looks set to make this next conference a landmark event.

Since receiving qualifications in Cultural Studies and Arts Administration in Adelaide, Freya has undertaken key roles in a number of Arts Organisations and Festivals.
These include:
• Australian Festival for Young People - Sponsorship Management, Project Management and Coordination
• Melbourne Fringe Festival - Admin, project management,
• John Paxinos & Assoc (Auspicious Arts) - Producer and marketing strategist
• Adelaide Fringe Festival - Venue Producer of Jah'z Lounge

Over the past 5 years Freya has also worked for:
Edinburgh Fringe
Melbourne Fashion Festival
Womadelaide
Cirque du Soleil

Keep an eye on the 'Conference' section of this site for updates on the conference.

Circus Monoxide warmly invite you to another RichMix Artist Talk
!WOMEN & COMEDY:

Ruminations on Ridiculous Behavior, Absurd Bodies and Girls who Laugh too Loudly.
With artists: Kate Smith, Lenny Ann Low & Cheryle Moore
DATE: Monday 12th November at 6pm
VENUE: Performance Space, Building 25, Creative Arts Faculty, University of Wollongong (parking out front)
Delicious eats and drinks provided!
...and fabulous performances:
'Sugar Candy' by Heidi Hillier! &
'Tennis Training' by Tash Vasos!
COST: $8 / $5 students

About the artists...
Kate Smith has been writing and performing in plays as well as comedy sketches for theatre, radio and television for many years. Initially trained at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Kate graduated with an Honours degree in Theatre/Media in 1995, founding Red Roar Theatre, a company specialising in fast-paced, character driven comedies that toured both nationally and internationally for 5 years.

As Co-Director of Red Roar, Kate wrote and toured her one-woman show “Wanderlust” to sell out audiences at Sydney Fringe in 1997, Adelaide Fringe in 1998, Edinburgh Fringe in 1998 – packing the house at the prestigious Assembly Rooms for four solid weeks - and back to the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 1999.

Absurd comic trio The Dulcie Twins created, written and directed by Kate were cult figures on the Sydney cabaret scene for many years. In 2001 Kate moved to television where she wrote and acted on the comedy talk/sketch show "Kate and Julia" for Foxtel’s Arena, an 8 part-series, critically well received. Throughout the next few years Kate appeared in many TVC’s, short films and various independent theatre shows, in between training as a yoga instructor and teaching acting.

In 2003 Kate teamed with long-time friend, Drew Fairley to create the first of a series of shows the two would create together. “Bangers and Mash” was a smash-hit at Darlinghurst Theatre where it opened to sell-out houses in 2003 – touring to Philadelphia Live Arts, the Hong Kong Fringe, Big Laugh, Edinburgh and the Adelaide Fringe, BITE@Seymour and around regional NSW, produced by Critical Stages in 2007. Kate and Drew's second play “The No Chance In Hell Hotel” opened to packed houses and rave reviews at Darlinghurst Theatre’s In The Raw Season in 2005, 2006 and 2007, returning to Hong Kong for the BITE Season @ Seymour in 2007. Kate and Drew have been commissioned by Merrigong Theatre Company and the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre to write their third work in 2008.

In 2005-06 she worked as a tutor in Communications at CSU in Bathurst, where she will return in 2008 to embark upon a Doctor of Philosophy (Arts). Kate is currently freelancing in film casting and teaching yoga.

Cheryle Moore has been Artistic Director of Frumpus for the past 11 years. She has directed, sound designed and produced all their works to date and juggled company management to boot. In that time the lovely ladies in red have created hundreds of short works, four full-length productions and several short films.

Frumpus is an all woman contemporary performance company who use physical and visual theatre, mime, object theatre, comedy and satire. The work created is self-devised, playfully vicious and deconstructing dealing primarily with female representation. They have graced the stages of pubs, clubs, festival bars, out door festivals, dance halls, art galleries, strip clubs and town halls.

Before Frumpus Cheryle was a performer with notorious Sydney performance group the ‘Post Arrivalists’, an anarchic, absurdist performance Company presenting large-scale performance events at venues like Les Girls in Kings Cross and The Horden Pavilion. Other companies and productions include Sweet F.A, a three woman acrobatic group, Hit and Run Theatre and Lou Lou Jumps.

Cheryle has trained in many areas of physical theatre including Suzuki actor training, butoh, trapeze and acrobatics, clown and mime. She has a B.A in Performance Studies and half a Masters of Performance Studies and a Dip Ed. because she is a masochist.

Cheryle continues as Artistic director of Frumpus and suspects they will probably be around for another 50 years. Cheryle is currently compiling and writing the Frumpus retrospective.

Lenny Ann Low graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Arts in 1991 from the University of Wollongong. Since then she has co-created and performed theatre and comedy shows for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the Melbourne Fringe Festival and the Sydney Festival. She has worked with Throttle Theatre and Frumpus, with whom she received funding from the Arts Ministry of NSW and The Australia Council For the Arts.

In 2005 Lenny created her own company, Hart & Low, with co-comedy conspirator, Stephanie Hart. She is a full-time features writer and theatre reviewer for the Sydney Morning Herald, a judge for the Patrick White Playwrights Award with the Sydney Theatre Company and co-hosts a weekly radio slot on FBi Radio in Sydney.

Snuff Clubb, with Graeme Leek, launches on November 15

Melbourne’s East Brunswick Club will be transformed to host Snuff Puppets’ anarchic world premiere of Snuff Clubb. Building on a tradition of presenting unorthodox theatre, Snuff Clubb is where the unconscious becomes conscious, dreams, nightmares, reality and the surreal freely intermix and the line between audience and performer is destroyed. Not just a night in the theatre, but a cabaret club gone wild, with never before seen giant puppets, live music and special guest acts.

Snuff Puppets have been entertaining audiences with enormous puppets since 1992 and have toured to over 15 countries. The company has just returned from performing at the Thames River Festival in London. This not to be missed opportunity will be the last chance to see the company performing their work in Melbourne for some time.

The never before seen character The Butcher’s Wife will take to the stage with her famous and horny husband The Butcher (last seen in The Dancing Cow Show at The Big Day Out) as they are joined by cows, chickens and a mincing machine. Artistic Director, Andy Freer, is proud to present the new The Inside Out Man puppet: ‘you will see The Inside Out Man’s head getting sucked into his own body until the inside of his head starts to emerge out his bottom’.

Snuff Puppets return to the rambunctious surrounds of cabaret with the live music of James Wilkinson from the Snuff Puppet Band. Providing support with his insane act is special guest Graeme Leek from the Ennio Morricone Experience.

As the night unfolds, the inner machinations of the characters’ twisted psyches are revealed as the Clubb itself begins to unravel. The Clubb’s setting and performers will lead the audience through a grotesquely surreal physical transformation. Once in the Clubb it will feel like everything and anything can happen.

For more information on Snuff Puppets please visit www.snuffpuppets.com
When: 8.30pm Thursday 15th and Friday 16th November 2007
Where: East Brunswick Club, 280 Lygon Street, East Brunswick 3057
Catch Tram number 1 or 8 run every 10 mins from Swanston St
How Much: $15 pre sold
$20 On the door (if available)
$15 On the door (concession)
Bookings: East Brunswick Club Box Office - 03 9388 9794
www.eastbrunswickclub.com

Kim Walker - Flying Fruit Fly Circus Artistic Director to be Executive Director of NAISDA

Kim Walker, Artistic Director of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus for the past 10 years, is leaving to take up the position of Executive Director at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA), the pre-eminent national indigenous dance training institute based in Gosford, NSW.

Kim first came to The FFFC in 1997 as Director of Outburst which premiered in Woollongong and had seasons in Albury and Singapore. In 1998 he was employed as the company’s Artistic Director. Over the past ten years Kim has created over twenty new works across a wide range of styles and forms and instilled in the company standards of excellence that have seen it invited to perform throughout the world.

When pressed to nominate his accomplishments, Kim described the cultural development of the young Fruit Fly artists which today sees them engaged across all art forms as a singular source of pride. Similarly the company’s
community outreach program, Circus Dust, in Far North Queensland and with the Brewarrina Youth Circus has been a huge achievement. His era has also been defined with collaborations with companies from not only around the country but throughout the world: Brewarrina in far western New South Wales, Zip Zap Circus based in Cape Town, South Africa, Shanghai Circus School and the Montreal Circus School.

Kim Walker: “My love of the circus is based on what it gives young people and through Circus Dust we’ve been able to take all these benefits to remote communities to help them enhance their self belief and esteem”.

A prodigiously gifted dancer and choreographer, Kim began his career with prominent dance teacher, Margaret Walker, his mother. Kim then joined the Aboriginal Dance Theatre and was one of the first graduates in 1979. From
1980 to 1990 Kim was a principal dancer with the Sydney Dance Company working closely with company founders Grahame Murphy and Janet Vernon. Kim was awarded the Performing Arts Award by the Sydney Myer Foundation at the Adelaide Festival in 1992 and nominated in the same year for a Mo Award for Dance Performance of the Year.

Grant Glinski, Chair of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, reflected on this remarkable decade: “It is an enormous compliment to Kim to be sought for this position. We, of course, can bask in reflected glory and wish him and his family all the best in the future”.

Kim leaves the company on December 7th but will return to prepare his existing Fruit Fly production, Beach Party, for an international tour in 2008.

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• The following books are available for purchase online. Both are highly recommended and the currently favourable exchange rate of the Australian dollar make this an ideal time to buy.

Book Release: 'Philippe Gaulier - The Tormentor'

Thoughts on the theatre presented with humour, nonchalance, and gusto
An outline of about a hundred exercises that students enjoy practising.
The perfect book for those who love and practise the theatre.

Preface - by Sacha Baron Cohen

What do the characters of Ali G and Borat have in common? They are both idiots. Imagine my excitement when I heard through a friend that, instead of attending one of the ‘great’ British drama schools, where fencing, practising iambic pentameter and practising ‘memory recollection’ of painful childhood experiences would be the staples of the course, there was a legendary teacher of theater who was giving courses on how to be a professional ‘idiot’. It consisted of playing games and trying to make the class laugh. Philippe Gaulier is the greatest living teacher of clown and modern theater. He is also the funniest man I have ever met. Students travel from all around the world to spend as little as a month with him. I was always interested in comedy, but it was Gaulier who helped me understand how to be funny, how to be open in the moment, how to keep the performance light and playful and how to act with the pleasure of a 4 year old pretending to be a cowboy. Whenever Philippe gave me a compliment during the course, I wrote it down in my notebook. I would read it in years to come whenever I thought of giving up. Unfortunately I lost the book. Gaulier has the uncanny ability to see the true actor on the stage and to help him/her find their ridiculous self. In the following brilliant book, Gaulier reveals, for the first time, his technique and the exercises he teaches. I owe my career and the discovery of my own inner idiot to Philippe Gaulier. He has and always will be the inspiration for my work.

The Tormentor is available from - www.filmichiko.com/

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Book Release: 'The Hula Hoop' - Author Judith Lanigan
Available Worldwide

The Hula Hoop is the first Compendium, or comprehensive study of the subject.

Including: the True History, its use in Circus, illustrated How to Hula Hoop from beginner to advanced, World Records, Fitness, Bodyfat and the hula hoop, Exceptional Artists and Amazing Stunts and other Miscellanea in 156 pages, over 40 pictures and 20 Illustrations.

Hula Hoop virtuosa, Judith Lanigan, set out to prove that the hula hoop was being used in Australia prior to the 'invention' in America and found some very interesting information along the way about the history of circus in China and Russia, Rhythmic Gymnastics and the Sacred Hoop Dance of the native American Indians (which they use to heal the world and themselves).

The book also includes a discussion on intellectual property with some interesting comments from Trent Baumann and Mike Finch and international hoop artists.
The book is available through a global distribution publishing network and can be ordered and delivered anywhere in the world.

Order the book direct from the publisher - www.lulu.com/JudithLanigan
To learn more about the author, Judith Lanigan, go to - www.thehulahoop.com.au

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Skadada present 'Fresh'

Image: Katie Lavers
Photo: Bohdan Warchomij

FRESH celebrates Skadada's invitation to perform their recent production AUREO at the 2008 Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music and the 2008 China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

FRESH is a dazzling, spectacular gala event presented by Skadada, Australia's premier aerial circus company.

Featuring Skadada's breath taking aerial work in the 18 metre high atrium of The Art Gallery of Western Australia, there will also be guest artists, wine by Madfish and Wirring Road, boutique beers from Matilda Bay Brewing Company and gourmet food by Brush Fork and Pencil plus the opportunity to win a designer $2000 diamond and pearl necklace specially created by David Murphy Jewellers.

Skadada is Australia's unique and innovative multi-artform circus company. Based in Perth, the company has toured nationally and internationally and has represented Australia for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in both China and India. Skadada also runs SYRC (Skadada Youth Runway Circus), the company's elite aerial training program.

Date: Friday, 16 November
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Art Gallery of Western Australia
Bookings: BOCS Ticketing 9484 1133, BOCS outlets or online www.bocsticketing.com.au
For more info on SKADADA - www.skadada.com/

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Melbourne Fringe Awards

The Melbourne Airport "I'm off to Edinburgh" Award for Outstanding Fringe Newcomer 2007 - DANIEL RABIN, PRODUCER OF "THE DIVINE CARNIVAL"
This is the first time that this award has been awarded to a producer rather than to a show. The following link is to an article that appeared in The Age - "Juggling Circus Jobs Puts Artist on the Road to Edinburgh" - Daniel also coordinated the ACAPTA Panel Discussions at this year's Tasmanian Circus Festival.

The Age 2007 Melbourne Fringe Festival Circus Award -SHUTTLECOCK

The Age 2007 Melbourne Fringe Festival Dance/Movement Award -
ONE MORE THAN ONE - This is a stunning physical theatre production that has recently been reworked to include text. Try to catch it!

The Age 2007 Melbourne Fringe Festival Cabaret Award -YANA ALANA AND THE PARANAS IN "BITE ME" - directed by Anni Davey

Circus Oz and ACAPTA Physical Theatre / Circus Award - SHUTTLECOCK

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From Arts Hub

Aerial Performer Required

3-4 months work for a female aerialist with own act and apparatus for work in Taiwan. Please send bio, act description and pic's to info@artbabes.com.au

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From Arts Hub

ArtsLab08 is an intensive arts laboratory and one year hot housing residency at Shopfront. It invites seven artists (aged 18-25) from across Australia to take advantage of the full resources, networks and entree into the industry as well as the opportunity to create new work - preparing you for a lifetime as an artist.

Whatever type of artist you are – from performer to poet, designer to multi-media creator, painter to director, writer to composer, filmmaker to dancer – ArtsLab gives you tools and freedom to express what’s going on for you. It’s a place where you can turn your passion, energy, and initiative into realities.

ArtsLab is the only full year young artist’s residency program in Australia. It is the ultimate bridge to the industry, endorsed by the industry.

“My life started [at Shopfront]. There was nothing like that before.” Paul Capsis

“If you’ve got the fire, we’ll give you the fuel you need to light things up. It’s not just about making amazing things happen – it’s about building a future in a complex and volatile industry.” TJ Eckleberg, Artistic Director Shopfront

Shopfront is a multi-arts facility in south eastern metropolitan Sydney, and on-line in the virtual world, Shopfront reaches and responds to young people at their point of need and interest. It’s a one stop creative haven where young artists make engaging new work and meaningful connections.

Be inside a living, thriving company – a creative home you can work with and rely on even after ArtsLab 08 finishes.

Applications are due before Friday 30 November. Invitations for auditions and interviews will be extended based upon applications. APPLY NOW. Full information and application packs can be downloaded at www.shopfront.org.au

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The Central Victorian live arts incubator is coordinated by live arts organisation, Punctum Inc. in association with The Capital - Bendigo's Performing Arts Centre, business incubator Workspace Australia, the City of Greater Bendigo, the Shire of Mt. Alexander, and Arts Victoria.

It provides artists, producers, and audiences with access to regionally based arts professionals, resources, presentation spaces, and opportunities for the investigation, development, and presentation of contemporary live arts.
Through the seedpod sponsorship program it provides assistance in the funding, research and development, promotion and exposure of live arts practitioners’ work.
Each of the 6 Seedpod grants includes:
$1000 for the artist/organisation,
$1000 towards administration/marketing/technical /box office/grant writing/accomodation assistance,
$3000 for the use of one of the incubator's two construction and presentation sites - either the Intensive Culture Unit in Castlemaine or the Old Fire Station in Bendigo.

Applications close January 28th 2008. Results given mid February in time for other grant applications. All successful artists/organisations will be expected to give a public presentaion of their research.
A full program of capabilities includes:
* Professionally equipped spaces for the research, development, and presentation of artistically ambitious works,
(rehearsal, presentation, meeting room, green room, and office spaces)
* Access to technical, administration, financing, marketing, suppliers, and creative crew consultancy and on line advisory resources,
* Marketing, ticketing, and box office,
* Exposure opportunities at the incubator spaces linked to our network,
* Peer review,
* Mentoring.
We are committed to providing emerging and confirmed artists across live arts disciplines with the opportunity and resources to:
* experiment, develop, and present new work in an accessible, vibrant, professional environment,
* enable artists to engage meaningfully with the environment, communities, culture, and audiences in which our incubator spaces are situated,
* further dialogue about the role of art in local through to global contexts by developing opportunities for innovative exchange with a broad cultural cross section of arts practitioners, audience members and communities.
The live arts incubator program is designed to expand and deepen the potential for artists and the community to participate regionally in the evolution of a substantial long term engagement with live arts practice. Incubator resources are also available at exceptionally low rates to live arts practitioners seeking to develop work outside the seedpod program.
For further information contact Punctum:
Jude Anderson - Artistic Director
hq@punctum.com.auhq@punctum.com.au
or visit our web site www.punctum.com.au

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Flying Trapeze Intensives with Flying Trapeze Australia

As of the 8th October we will be running classes at Aqualink Box Hill. Classes are scheduled over a 10 week term.
Available Class times are:
Wednesday 10:00am - 11:30am
Saturday 10:00am - 11:30am and 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Sunday 12:00pm - 1:30pm and 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Classes will have no more than 7 people

Cost: $350 for 10 classes
If you see a time that suits you please call Holly 0402 139 661 or email me ASAP.

We are also running classes for beginners on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 4:00 - 5:30.

It is your responsibility to attend the class once you are signed up. There will be no refunds for classes missed.
If Flying Trapeze Australia cancels due to bad weather, we will reschedule the class, if you're unable to attend the rescheduled class then you can jump into one of our other classes.
If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to call or email us.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Holly and Steen
Flying Trapeze Australia

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The Burlesque Ball 2007

Tickets now on sale!
Brisbane-Saturday 24 November 2007-The Tivoli Theatre

Melbourne -TBA

FIRST RELEASE – Almost Sold OUT
General Entry: $79.00 + Booking Fees
VIP: $120.00 + Booking Fees

SECOND RELEASE
General Entry: $99.00 + Booking Fees
VIP: $140 + Booking Fees

The Burlesque Ball is back with a bang this year. With the best of Australia’s Burlesque and Vaudeville Artists, performing in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane.

Confirmed acts so far include MC The Birdmann, Rachel St James and Gypsy Wood, with a huge list of support acts about to be confirmed soon.

MC The Birdmann (SYD/BNE)
Rachel St James (SYD/BNE)
Gypsy Wood (SYD/BNE)
Suzie Q (SYD)
Lorelei & Sarina (SYD)
Adam Mada (SYD)
Lauren LaRouge (SYD)
Lena Marlene (BNE)
Devotchkin (BNE)
Tigerlil (BNE)

Click for more info

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The National Circus Festival presents the first:
Lone Star Materclass Program - January 2008

This first master class series is designed to bring highly trained professionals together, to work on skill development with a limited number of motivated participants. In putting together this performance training programme we have focused on the environment in which we will be working to maximise training possibilities.
Lone Star, where the Tasmanian Circus Festival is held, is truly a special place. Set amidst a vast forest, this natural environment is home to native birds, wallabies, echidnas, wombats and platypus. The ambience will be conducive to working on developing skills and at the same time provide a unique live in environment.

Aerials : 16th - 21st January 2008

Swinging Trapeze with Ruby Rowat
Ruby's integrity to the art & virtuosity of circus distinguishes every performance & is true in her approach to coaching. She has been privileged to train initially with Andre Simard & more intensively with Victor Fomin, whose coaching method uses specific progressive drills for acquiring swinging trapeze tempo & technique into your body. Ruby has coached professional & aspiring performers in swinging
technique & in act creation in Montreal, Vancouver, Brazil, Tasmania & now in Brisbane. Since her initial intensive training with Victor she continues to train with him between contracts. As Victor says, "There's no such thing as a poor student, just a poor coach."

Swinging Trapeze with Felica O’Brien
Felicia O'Brien is a circus performer who started her career in acrobatics as a gymnast before she was introduced to circus. Between 1997
and 2000 she took part in the Circus of Dreams training project, then trained various disciplines under Rita Van Opzeeland and toured as
part of flying troupe, Redirected Baggage.

Performance Technique : 23d - 28th January 2008

Viewpoints with Laura Sheedy
Viewpoints is a technique of theatre training and improvisation that articulates the two dominant elements performers and directors deal with on stage - time and space. Viewpoints allows performers and directors to function together spontaneously and intuitively, equipping theatremakers with skills to generate dynamic work, quickly. Performer and director Laura Sheedy (A Scam and a Strongman, Undercover, Adventures of Captain Frodo) began training and working with SITI in 1998. Since then, she has been utilising Viewpoints to create theatre works and run masterclasses in Australia and the US. This training intensive will immerse participants in the Viewpoints technique and
provide an invaluable resource for performers and directors of all styles and experience.

Clown with Clare Bartholomew
Explore and discover the playful, childlike and ridiculous world of the clown. The emphasis of this masterclass will be the playfulness of the clown, complicit between each performer on stage and cultivating pleasure at being ‘seen’ by the audience. Through both individual and group work, each performer will find their own relationships to the task and discover what might work for them, be it in solo, duo or group performance. Clare Bartholomew is an actor, deviser, director and clown doctor. She has developed a number of award winning solo and ensemble clown and theatre works (One Mans Business, The Business, Die Roten Punkte) and is an accomplished teacher of clown and physical performance. Prepare to be silly, take a risk and have fun!

For more information go to: www.circusfest.com/training
Click here for brochure

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Access All Comedy

Access All Comedy specialises in the age-old European craft known as Commedia dell’Arte. Corinna Di Niro and Alessandro Gavello studied in Italy at “The International School of Comic Acting and Commedia dell’Arte” under the direction of the Maestro Antonio Fava in 2004. Since then, the pair have refined and enhanced their abilities through performance, direction and teaching. Branching out, the dynamic duo also incorporate circus, physical theatre, dance and magic into their shows.
After performing and teaching in Italy, Corinna and Alessandro headed to Australia where their bi-lingual delivery, physicality, comic timing have given audience members an opportunity to finally discover what Commedia dell’Arte is.
Access All Comedy run a variety of workshops for students, teachers (primary, secondary & tertiary) and professional actors. Workshops are tailored to suit the needs of the participants and can include training in specific characters, movement & gesture, posture, mask, stage-fighting and basic acrobatics. The duo also direct & write commedia shows for any groups interested.
Access All Comedy regularly hold workshops, so feel free to email your interest via our website - www.accessallcomedy.com

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If you would like anything added to the December Newsletter please email details to ACAPTA. We will make every effort to include it but to be certain that there is sufficient notice contact us 6 to 8 weeks prior to your event.

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