Performance Illawarra

Performance Illawarra Incorporated

Chairperson’s Report

2006/2007

 

As Chairperson of Performance Illawarra I would like firstly to extend my thanks to the Performance Illawarra Committee and in particular Kate Clarkson, Simone Creswell, Gerard O’Neil and Mara Vukasinovic. This year we have also had Steen as an ex-officio member of the PI Committee.

Over the past twelve months Performance Illawarra has been involved in a number of vital initiatives on behalf of the performing arts community in the Illawarra.

1. At long last, the Bridge Theatre in Coniston has been given a new life as The Phoenix Theatre, with Steen as the manager of this enterprise. The Phoenix Theatre is now an incorporated association. Performance Illawarra has for the past three years campaigned for the reopening and the saving of this venue. Steen, Manager of Vox FM has been handed the deeds of the theatre with an understanding that a redevelopment of the theatre will be undertaken before any license for public entertainment is sought. Performance Illawarra has been given a home in the Phoenix Theatre, where the PI monthly meetings now take place. Steen’s intentions to open the Phoenix eventually for hire by community performance groups melds well with PIs stated aims. The new cabaret venue at The Phoenix is hoped to be operating by October 2007. The larger theatre venue will be open at a later stage in 2008. The community hall on the property is already functioning as a workshop and studio for performance groups. This is the beginning of a new and already fruitful relationship between PI and a permanent performance space. Our thanks go to Steen and the Wollongong City Council for making this possible.

 

1. The other major initiative that has occupied Performance Illawarra over the last twelve months has been a successful campaign to save the Viva La Gong Festival. By late 2006 it was clear, despite earlier reassurances, that the Wollongong City Council’s Cultural Services was looking at a range of options to irrevocably change the Wollongong arts festival. Prompted by Judy Bourke from ICAN (Illawarra Craft and Arts Network), a number of interested community members representing community arts practitioners in the area joined to campaign for the continuance of the Viva La Gong Festival. Janys Hayes and Kate Clarkson from PI, joined with Judy Bourke and Louise McBryde of Film Illawarra to run an e-mail campaign asking the members of their respective community arts groups to send e-mails to Wollongong City Councillors questioning them about the absence of the 2006 Viva La Gong Festival and querying the whereabouts of the monies set aside for this festival. Councillors reported that they were flooded by e-mails. Members of the PI Committee attended the WCC’s Cultural Advisory Committee when the issue of the continuance of Viva La Gong was being discussed. PI also spoke with the media and kept pressure on the Councillors through meeting Councillors interested in retaining the festival. PI expressed the view that the Viva La Gong Festival was highly valued by the performing arts community. Early this year the Councillors voted to retain Viva La Gong, with this name and to develop and extend this festival over the next five years. Many thanks to all of you, who helped, by sending e-mails about this issue.

1. Planning for the Viva La Gong Festival 2007, Oct 5-7, is well under way, with this year’s festival having a Street Arts theme. Circus WOW will play a major role in the festival this year, Monoxide will have their big top and show operating concurrently at Stewart Park and Steen will be contributing a street masked performance. I look forward to the participation of many other Illawarra independent performers and hope that you will let PI know of your involvement. The WCC new Cultural Co-ordinator, Lisa Nolan has sent out Expressions of Interest forms for participation in the festival.

 

1. The PI public liability insurance coverage continues. We now cover 5 circo-arts ensembles, 2 performance duos and 5 individual performers presenting a range of diverse skills. Eight of these insurers also conduct workshops under the public liability coverage. This year Aradlay, the PI broker has newly formed into Altiora Retail. Our insurer this year is Lloyds.

1. From Dec 1-3 2006 Fabulous Risk, the national circus conference uniting academics and circo-arts practitioners was held at Stewart Park, under the Circus Monoxide big top and at the Novotel Hotel. Performers associated with PI were there in abundance, performing, speaking and listening. Penny Lowther spoke eloquently of the worth of community circus and the uphill battle for recognition. Half High, Circus WOW and POG were amongst the performers.

 

2006/2007 has been a year of consolidation for Performance Illawarra where a number of our long-term aims have been put into action; to assist in the expansion of theatre spaces available to small to medium sized performance companies in Wollongong and to support ventures where independent performance artists can present their work.

Many Thanks
Janys Hayes   Chairperson

 

 

Rehersal images are from
"The Door" by Mark Haslam.