2020 RESIDENCY

Attending this years Dancenorth A.R.T. program as 2020 Indigenous Cross-Artform artist in residence, has made a significant immediate impact on my art practice and development.

The residency presented me with a unique opportunity to once again experience Dancenorth, a dynamic powerhouse dance organisation, and to immerse myself among inspirational personnel and a high level of professionalism. This immersion has helped me gain confidence as an artist, and significant new insight as to how I can approach my practice with renewed self belief, determination and a clearer set of aims to grow within the arts industry.

The A.R.T. program residency opportunity firstly came about through my connection with Dancenorth Artistic Director Kyle Page, who was my mentor in the Australia Council for the Arts – Signature Works Innovation Lab Program which started back in 2016. Since then my relationship with Kyle has developed and grown stronger, along with his colleagues from Dancenorth. I believe both Kyle and I have grown to admire each others performance styles, perspectives and achievements, and the paths we continue to create. I also appreciate Kyle the person, an accommodating individual and family man.

My experience at Dancenorth has taught me so much as a practitioner, but more importantly, as a person. It’s important to not only strive to be the best in
what we do but also in who we are, in relating to others as creative beings.

And again, I would like to acknowledge and thank the Ian Potter Foundation, for their support in enabling me to attend 2020 Dancenorth A.R.T. program.

2020 RESIDENCY SHOWING – MIRROR

I created a Sketch Performance…a 15 minute improvised collaboration titled Mirror.

My short 15 minutes improvised sketch performance, not a complete work, was developed in the second week of my two week residency at Dancenorth in
Townsville North Queensland.

Mirror is about potential windows and walls of opportunity. It’s about encouraging the individual within us all, to be conscious and open to the benefits and possibility of knowing and experiencing Spirit.

I had the fortunate opportunity to once again work alongside the inspirational Dancenorth dancers, and fellow Dancenorth artist in-residence Australian dancer, sound designer and choreographer Alisdair Macindoe.

Hosting a workshop with the dancers and collaborators earlier in the week allowed for great cohesion in our very limited rehearsal time and a successful production of Mirror.

REFLECTIONS

I’m home safe and still processing my time in Townsville.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to Dancenorth’s exceptional staff and ensemble, for hosting me through the Artist Residency in the Tropics program.

The residency gave me time to reflect on life, practice and family, and provided valuable interactions with Kyle, Amber, staff and your talented dance ensemble. It was particularly good for me to have opportunity to sit in on the rehearsals of your new work, it was genuinely both fun and informative.

And getting to meet and connect with the other artists in residence and invited guests was an unexpected bonus, particularly Cameron Deyell (please thank him for the beautiful sound track he put together for my performance) and the talented Alisdair Macindoe (who briefly returned to dancing for my showing of Mirror).

Such valuable time at Dancenorth also helped shift and deepen the conversation with my long term work/project Spirit, and my current work CURE.

I also believe that the meetings and discussions I had with the Traditional Owners Brenton Creed, Linda Saltner and Virginia Wyles were instrumental in allowing my conversation to shift further as well, I sincerely appreciated their precious time and input.

I look forward to another time to meet and a future opportunity to work alongside each other again, and until then, take care and thank you to everyone for their sincere help and support while I was in Townsville.