The Dismissal Musical Gets Funded.

The Dismissal Musical Gets Funded.

The Coalition Government in New South Wales has coughed up $70,000 to help get a musical which lauds former Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to the stage.

Independent Musical Theatre Company Squabbologic is one of the big winners from the latest round of grants announced today by Arts Minister Don Harwin.

The Dismissal staged  in a workshop production  this year at the Seymour Centre, explores Australia's 1975 constitutional crisis.  The musical received a strong reception at the try-out. The grant is to prepare the musical for audiences across Australia.

The Hayes Theatre in Darlinghurst has also received funding for the first time. The company has received an annual grant of $90,000 to fund its development of new Australian musicals.

The Arts Minister said the state's annual organisation funding of $4,804,935 is up 20 percent on 2018/2019.

A summary of Opera, Musical, Theatre and Chorus recipients is below.

Annual Organisations (6): $566,360

1. Hayes Theatre Co Ltd 2020 Annual Funding ($90,000)

Hayes Theatre Co will present a year-long season of events, including two new Australian musicals, a revival of a classic musical as well as a state-wide tour. Through Hayes CreativeDevelopment, Hayes Theatre Co will continue to invest in new musicals and vocational opportunities for artists.

2. Pacific Opera Company Limited 2020 Annual Program Funding for Young Artist Program ($94,000)

Pacific Opera Company’s 2020 Young Artist Program will comprise of seven two week modules of training where participants attend professional development and capacity building classes including acting workshops and seminars on artist management. Each module also comprises a program of intensive rehearsals and staging with guest directors and conductors culminating in public performance.

3. Pinchgut Opera Ltd 2020 Annual Organisation Funding ($175,000)

Pinchgut Opera’s 2020 Season will feature new productions of two Baroque operatic masterpieces, one an Australian premiere, and two curated vocal orchestral concert series. After a strong period of growth and artistic excellence, funding will support administrative and musical capacity to deliver this program and plan strategically for increased reach beyond 2020.

4. River City Voices Ltd 2020 Operational Impact and Sustainability Funding ($28,000)

River City Voices will continue its role as a relevant, vibrant and professional Western Sydney arts organisation through growing partnerships, audience engagement and philanthropic support. Leveraging that support, this program seeks to build operational capacity by sustaining the General Manager role and engaging a development officer for 2020.

5. Sydney Chamber Opera Inc. 2020 Artistic Program ($94,360)

 Sydney Chamber Opera will produce a 2020 program of contemporary work at the cutting edge of cross-artform performance practice. There will be two mainstage productions, which include six new operas by NSW artists, two new-work developments and masterclasses and education delivered through SCO’s residency at Carriageworks.

6. The House That Dan Built Inc. 2020 Annual Program - The House That Dan Built ($85,000)

The House That Dan Built will present an annual program across NSW of workshops, productions, development and collaborations.

 

Projects (3): $109,545

1. Mr Nicholas Clow Caldera Classical & Jazz Music Festival 2020 ($10,000)

Funding will be used to stage a community boutique classical and jazz music festival.

2. Squabbalogic Independent Music Theatre Inc. The Dismissal: A New Australian Musical Full Production Development and Creation ($70,000)

The Dismissal, an original musical exploring Australia’s 1975 constitutional crisis, aims to further develop and create a tour-ready production that will strengthen the standing of Australian musical writing, and prepare it for presentation to audiences in metropolitan and Western Sydney, regional NSW, and Australia more broadly.

3. Sydney Chamber Choir Inc. 2020 Season ($29,545)

In 2020, Sydney Chamber Choir will present a season of the finest choral music to audiences across Sydney and NSW. The season will include the world premiere of two major commissioned works, by Paul Stanhope and Joseph Twist, continuing the choir’s commitment to new Australian composition.

 

Theatre recipients (11): $692,769

Annual Organisations (5): $450,657

1. Contemporary Asian Australian Performance Inc. Contemporary Asian Australian Performance 2020 Program ($123,407)

Contemporary Asian Australian Performance will present an exciting new work for the festivals circuit titled Double Delicious. The company will showcase Asian Australian creativity in a new performance program in Western Sydney and continue skills and sector development for Asian Australian artists.

2. Monkey Baa Theatre Company 2020 Annual Program ($86,250)

Monkey Baa will produce new theatre work, undertake national tours to 48 presenters (15 in NSW), tour internationally, collaborate with young people and peers, commission a new play by award-winning playwright, Mary-Ann Butler, and present a season of works by some of Australia’s best companies at its home theatre in Sydney.

3. Performing Lines Ltd 2020 Annual Program ($151,000)

Performing Lines will produce provocative performances by Australia’s most audacious independent artists. Performing Lines will champion risk and ensure the breadth and plurality of NSW creativity is represented, celebrated and enjoyed.

 

4. Theatre Kantanka Inc. 2020 Annual Program Funding ($40,000)

 Kantanka’s 2020 program will confirm its reputation for innovation, diversity and excellence in arts practice. Theatre Kantanka will review its operation, tour an existing performance work and develop three new performance projects while focusing on communities and artists in regional NSW and Western Sydney.

5. Theatre Network NSW Inc. TPN2020 – Theatre & Performance NSW’s 2020 Annual Program ($50,000)

 Theatre & Performance NSW (formerly Theatre Network NSW) will produce an annual program that delivers outcomes for the theatre community. This program is responsive to the needs of the sector and is driven by demand from Theatre & Performance NSW members. Theatre & Performance NSW’s program is defined by three key pillars – Connect, Empower and Advocate.

 

Projects (6): $242,112

1. Australian Theatre for Young People Ali in Zombieland (working title) ($39,680)

Ali in Zombieland is a new large-scale production that melds live performance and animated projection. The story follows 16 year old Ali, a young woman wrestling with clinical anxiety, as she navigates the intimidating worlds of school, love and family.

2. Co-Curious Ltd NextGen (working title) ($50,000)

Through NextGen, Co-Curious will identify and nurture a group of writers from under-represented backgrounds to develop and present their first mainstage works. Co-curious aims to co-produce a number of mainstage productions with Belvoir, developed through NextGen, where all key creatives are of diverse background.

 

3. Crimson Rosella Dead Horse Gap (formerly Candelo Project) 3rd stage Creative Development ($25,000)

 Dead Horse Gap is an original work for an eclectic ensemble of actor/musicians. This final third-phase creative development will integrate multiple complex production elements developed in the first two phases. It will combine original text, live music, design, movement, projection and photographic images from the NSW Library into a unified, production-ready whole.

4. Mr Justin Shoulder Turbo Engkanto by Justin Shoulder ($44,000)

Justin Shoulder and associated artists will create a new performance called Turbo Engkanto to premiere as part of the Liveworks Festival at Carriageworks in October 2020.

5. Ms Tahni Froudist Neighbour ($13,432)

 Alyson Evans and Tahni Froudist will work with members of Albury Wodonga’s culturally diverse community in a creative development and performance of Neighbour; a new immersive theatre performance that celebrates the vibrant multicultural communities in regional Australia and shares the stories of those who call the border their home.

6. PACT Centre for Emerging Artists Inc. 2020 Artist Residency Program ($70,000)

The PACT 2020 Artist Residency program is a revisioned approach to artist residencies, putting artists at the centre of the organisation and programming. Offering employment for five mid-career artists, three solo emerging artists and one emerging collective, this program will develop a vital audience for artistic process within the sector.