Geelong Arts Centre's Creative Engine announces inspiring professional development program
9 Mar 2022MEDIA RELEASE • 9 MARCH 2022
Dedicated to assisting artists on their journey to building sustainable, thriving creative careers, Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine is thrilled to announce an inspiring professional development program.
Between March and June, Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine will provide artists with the opportunity to be mentored by leading, like-minded professionals through both online and in-person formats.
Creative Engine’s free online professional development series, Artists Accelerate, offers creatives looking for efficient, effective and engaging ways to further develop their skills with the opportunity to be guided by respected and experienced industry leaders in bite-sized 45-minute sessions.
Between March and May, creatives are invited to hear from Critical Stages CEO, Chris Bendall, on the best ways to pitch their work to the industry, Blak Dance Co-CEO and Executive Producer, Merindah Donnelly, on decolonising their arts practice, and Director and Lighting Designer, Creative Engine alumni, Kit Brookman and Richard Vabre (of Mountain) on lighting design ahead of their show’s World Premiere in June as part of Geelong Arts Centre’s ‘Our Season’ 2022.
All sessions in the Artists Accelerate speaker series are free, but registration is essential at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development.
For those more inclined to getting up close and personal, Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine will also offer three in-person professional development workshops delivered from the state-of-the-art Geelong Arts Centre Studios between April and June.
Creatives will have the opportunity to join writer of poetry, plays and prose, Emilie Collyer, and learn how best to write about themselves and their practice, enter ‘The Locker Room’ with Lab Kelpie’s Lyall Brooks to explore the structure, style, casting and character dynamics of Geelong Arts Centre’s ‘Our Season’ 2022 show, ‘Become The One’ (recipient of the Midsumma Festival Playtime Award for New Queer Writing), or discover the art of adapting creative practice for an educational setting with award-winning theatre maker, teaching artist and Geelong Arts Centre Senior Producer, Kelly Clifford, and leading Australian musical theatre artist and producer, Natalie O’Donnell.
To book your place in an upcoming Creative Engine Professional Development workshop, visit geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development.
We have a limited number of supported places to enable artists to attend these workshops free of charge where the fee would otherwise prevent you from attending - please contact creativeengine@geelongartscentre.org.au to find out more.
Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine is proudly supported by Major Artistic Partner, Deakin University, and Innovation Partner, Costa Asset Management.
Launched in October 2019, Creative Engine supports Geelong Arts Centre’s strategic vision to build sustainable arts practices within regional Victoria and become ‘The Creative Heart of Geelong: an artery between creative industries and community to global thinking and extraordinary experiences.’
In addition to professional development initiatives, Creative Engine provides access to grants and support for artists, industry forums, networking events and affordable co-working space for the creative community of Geelong.
To learn more about the Creative Engine program and current opportunities, visit geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine.
Geelong Arts Centre scrupulously adheres to COVID Safe principles. Please make sure to check our website for the most up-to-date information regarding current COVID Safety measures and conditions of entry prior to each in-person event.
Information on what to expect on site, including helpful FAQs, can be found on our website at geelongartscentre.org.au
Full event details can be found over page.
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE
“Local creatives are the heartbeat of Geelong Arts Centre, and we are proud to provide diverse opportunities to artists wanting to be inspired by each other and connect withexceptional industry leaders through these Creative Engine professional development initiatives.”
Quote attributable to Geelong Arts Centre CEO & Creative Director, Joel McGuinness
“Creative Engine is all about generating a community of practice for artists with a strong connection to the Geelong region, and this professional development series contributes to that by offering local creatives engaging ways to further develop their skills with the insight and guidance of respected industry leaders across a range of artforms.”
Quote attributable to Geelong Arts Centre Senior Producer, Penny McCabe
DETAILED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION INFORMATION
ARTISTS ACCELERATE (ONLINE)
THE PITCH
PRESENTED BY CHRIS BENDALL
4:30 – 5:15PM THU MAR 17 | ONLINE
COST: FREE
Hear from one of Australia’s top touring executives and CEO of Critical Stages, Chris Bendall, on the best ways to pitch your work to the industry. How to get cut through, what makes a new work stand out and where to start.
Register at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/artist-accelerate-the-pitch
DECOLONISING YOUR PRACTICE
PRESENTED BY MERINDAH DONNELLY
4:30 – 5:15PM THU APR 21 | ONLINE
COST: FREE
Get inspired by the passion and expertise of Merindah Donnelly, proud Wiradjuri woman and Co-CEO/Executive Producer at Blak Dance as she shares her thoughts on how all artists can support, celebrate and uplift Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Register at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/decolonising-your-practice
WORKING WITH LIGHTING
PRESENTED BY KIT BROOKMAN & RICHARD VABRE
4:30 – 5:15PM THU MAY 19 | ONLINE
COST: FREE
Hear from artist, writer and director Kit Brookman, on how he has learned to work with lighting to enhance his work, and his perspectives on the best way to communicate your design requirements and how to embed technical awareness into your development. Joined by award-winning lighting designer Richard Vabre, learn from two industry leaders about the world of theatrical lighting.
Register at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/artist-accelerate-working-with-lighting
IN-PERSON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
WRITING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PRACTICE
PRESENTED BY EMILIE COLLYER
9:30AM – 12:30PM SAT APR 23
STUDIO 3, GEELONG ARTS CENTRE
COST: $35
In this interactive workshop, writer Emilie Collyer will provide guidelines and tips for writing about your work within different contexts, providing time to write and the opportunity to receive feedback and/or to generate writing around some common industry grant questions and parameters.
Book at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/writing-about-yourself-your-practice
THE LOCKER ROOM
PRESENTED BY LYALL BROOKS & LAB KELPIE
2:30 – 4:00PM FRI MAY 6
STUDIO 2, GEELONG ARTS CENTRE
COST: $25
Explore the structure, style, casting and character dynamics of Our Season 2022 show, BECOME THE ONE. Designed to educate, entertain and enhance the experience of the show, learn how to touch on serious subject matter in a real and accessible way using practical exercises and group work.
Book now at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/the-locker-room
CREATIVE FACILITATION IN THE CLASSROOM
PRESENTED BY KELLY CLIFFORD & NAT O’DONNELL
7:00 – 8:30PM MON JUN 6
STUDIO 3, GEELONG ARTS CENTRE
COST: $30
Discover the art of adapting your creative practice for an educational setting with award-winning theatre maker, teaching artist and Geelong Arts Centre Producer, Kelly Clifford, and leading Australian musical theatre artist and producer, Nat O’Donnell.
Book now at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/creative-facilitation-in-the-classroom
Image Credit: Devil’s Grip script read. Photo by Cameron Grant.