MEDIA RELEASE • 15 SEPTEMBER 2021
Following the success of their free, online professional development series Artists Accelerate in 2020, Geelong Arts Centre are thrilled to offer creatives the opportunity to engage in a new 3-part series in 2021 featuring all new speakers.
With an aim to support artists in building a pathway to professional artistic practice, creatives from the Greater Geelong region and beyond are invited to hear from a range of experienced artists and get a glimpse into how they make things work.
Beginning on Thursday 30 September, these free, inspirational professional development sessions have been specifically created for artists looking for efficient, effective and engaging ways to further develop their skills as guided by like-minded industry leaders.
Delivered in an online forum, the three 45 minute Thursday afternoon sessions feature some of the industry’s most talented and respected creatives sharing the insights, tips and tools that underpin their practices.
The sessions will focus on:
- How Access Can Unlock New Aesthetics
- Writing About Yourself and Your Practice
- Participation and Co-Creation in Live Performance
Guest speakers include actor, writer and director Kate Hood, multi-form writer Emilie Collyer, and Wiradjuri artist and choreographer Joel Bray.
Each 45 minute session will take place at 4:30pm on a Thursday afternoon via Zoom. An opportunity for Q&A will be available at the end of each session.
All events in the Geelong Arts Centre Creative Engine Artists Accelerate professional development series are free, but registration is essential. Visit geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/ to register.
Individual session details can be found below.
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.’
To learn more about the Creative Engine program and current opportunities, visit geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/
THE SESSIONS
HOW ACCESS CAN UNLOCK NEW AESTHETICS
4:30PM, THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
Join actor, writer and director, Kate Hood, as she shares her experience as leader of disability-led theatre company Raspberry Ripple, and tips for authentic casting and achieving radical access in your practice.
Registration essential at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/how-access-can-unlock-new-aesthetics/
WRITING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PRACTICE
4:30PM, THURSDAY 28 OCTOBER
Designed to assist artists who hit a wall when asked to write about themselves, join writer of plays, poetry and prose, Emilie Collyer, as she uncovers tips and tricks for writing about yourself, and framing your practice within the big picture.
Registration essential at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/writing-about-yourself-and-your-practice/
PARTICIPATION AND CO-CREATION IN LIVE PERFORMANCE
4:30PM, THURSDAY 2 DECEMBER
Proud Wiradjuri artist and choreographer Joel Bray is known for creating intimate works engaging with Australian race relations and Queer issues in which audience-members are invited in as co-storytellers. Join Joel to learn more about his unique approach, and the artistic possibilities of audience participation.
Registration essential at geelongartscentre.org.au/creative-engine/professional-development/participation-and-co-creation-in-live-performance/
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE
“We are delighted to be able to again facilitate the sharing of knowledge between artists irrespective of their location, and to give creatives the opportunity to connect meaningfully with mentors and like-minded peers.
At a time when coming together physically is simply not possible, it feels particularly poignant to be able to offer creatives an online space in which to be guided so that they may continue to develop their own artistic practice.”
Quote attributable to Geelong Arts Centre CEO & Creative Director, Joel McGuinness
“Following the success of last year’s Artists Accelerate program, we are proud to provide our arts community with an opportunity to learn from such a diverse range of professional artists. We’re confident that each session offers insights that will be transferrable across a broad range of art forms.”
Quote attributable to Geelong Arts Centre Senior Producer, Penny McCabe