Amy Tinning shares just how Branches Performing Arts literally branches out across the outback by bringing dance education to students in regional, rural and remote communities.

Along with her fellow teacher Tammy Gordon the pair cover a combined total of 2,000km every fortnight.

That is 300 students across seven towns. Hughenden, Richmond, Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Winton, Longreach and Barcaldine.

Basically they teach a whopping 84 scheduled classes, and 80 private coaching sessions, to students in the Northern Territory, Outback Queensland and Northern New South Wales.

Significantly Amy first began delivering Distance Dance, Branches' online classes, well before Covid forced us all to transition to remote learning.

Subsequently Branches' Distance Dance and has been a leader in the way they have supported students and families unable to attend in-person dance classes due to pure logistics.

But distance and dance has always gone hand-in-hand for Amy.

As a rural kid who begged her parents to let her attend dance classes Amy inevitably sees no geographical barriers when it comes to learning dance.

Branches Performing Arts is deeply rooted in connecting dance with kids and their communities, and we are in absolute awe of their dedication to helping outback dancers' dreams come true.

Indeed that is part of the reason behind Amy branching out with her Co Stars Dance Company based in Mt Isa.

In this way Amy and Tammy are able to provide developing young artists with professional level performance experience and exposure to high quality dance training and artistic processes.

The team attend comps, perform at various events and are able to experience the magic of performance, Amy's first love.

Please enjoy this conversation with Branches Performing Arts Founder, Amy Tinning.

Visit www.apata.com.au for more.

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If you want to know where writing, and a love of writing and the performing arts can take you then check out our convo with Dan Nixon. Dan, Alyssa Smedley and Bryony McLachlan head Pirate Size Productions, a children's television production company creating innovative narratives for television bringing imagined worlds and characters to life. Writing for the screen is committed collaborative journey. Which is something that Dan thrives on. Building relationships and telling stories that are bold, adventurous and that audiences fall in love with fuel the tight knit team at Pirate Size Productions working with such production companies as the Australian Children's Television Foundation, Sesame Studios, ABC Education/ABC Me, Starburns Industries, Pūkeko Pictures, Universal Kids, Screen Australia and R U OK? Day. In an effort to provide innovative, and fun filled creative writing courses and workshops for children and adults Dan also created the Melbourne Young Writers Studio. Their programs are aimed at equipping and inspiring young writers with the skills they need to get writing and to develop their storytelling. While for adults it is a place for emerging writers to hone their craft. There are some great tips in this conversation such as the four main ingredients of a good story and the all important Pitch Bible, which would make a great assignment or project idea for students. Enjoy Dan Nixon and our host Yolande Smith exploring the potential of writing and the arts! 

Mentions 

Transcript pdf 

Mentions

Pirate Size Productions

Melbourne Young Writers Studio

Other

This episode is hosted by APATA Ambassador Angela Loh, Managing Producer for Camerata, Queensland's Chamber Orchestra in conversation with Eva Spata from Sydney Catholic Schools. Eva works with a dynamic team in strategic direction and implementation for creative and performing arts across the 150 schools in the Sydney Catholic Schools network. Overcoming the challenge of 2020 and 2021 Sydney Catholic Schools was able to introduce a number of "firsts" last year. 

2022 will welcome the massive School of Rock Arena Spectacular with 4000 student participants from across their network of primary and secondary schools, the continuation of the Eisteddfod and Amadeus programming, growing the fulltime performing arts stream and of course creating performance opportunities for their students across Sydney.

But wait, there's more!

Along with these incredible educational innovations Eva is a versatile performer across many genres and has vast experience as a director, a producer, and a musical director.

We learn Eva's own journey in the performing arts from her early years to high school, inspiring her to earn a BA in Music, a BA in Education and a Master’s in Educational Leadership.

From Eva’s mentors and experiences to her hopes for the future of performing arts education in Australia please enjoy this chat between Angela Loh and Eva Spata celebrating performing arts education.

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Transcript pdf HERE

www.apata.com.au

Angela Loh - www.camerata.net.au

Sydney Catholic Schools

Fusion Vocal Group

Creative Play Puppets has sourced and supplied puppets to Australian puppeteers, schools, teachers, libraries, organisations, specialists and families for over a decade. Travelling near and far (in those heady Covid-free days) to find puppets for all wants and needs Creative Play Puppet's inventory begins with the smallest of finger puppets and nursery rhyme families, glove puppets, marionettes, storybook themes and animals galore, to three-headed dragons, magic trees, and of course their fabulous range of Silly Puppets, whose soft mouth operation can be infused all kinds of emotions making them a hit with educators and therapists alike. We hope this chat with Noel inspires you in your exploration of puppet play. 

Creative Play Puppets: www.creativeplaypuppets.com.au 

Facebook: @creativeplaypuppets 

Contact: [email protected]

Transcript PDF HERE

MENTIONS

German toy fair - The Nuremberg International Toy Fair (German: Spielwarenmesse) 

Jeff’s Shed – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 

Silly Puppets 

Social Emotional Wellbeing 

Benefits of puppet play 

Sesame Street 50 years

Darci Lynne 

Welcome to 2022 and we are back on the mic with Jackson Hughesman, winner of the 2021 APATA Performing Arts Student of the Year Award. Jackson is heading into year twelve at St Patricks College, QLD and we thought it would be a great opportunity to catch up to talk about what winning the APATA award meant to him, and what he hopes to achieve this year. While 2022 has hardly begun Jackson has already played the role of Tevye in Brisbane Junior Theatre's January production of Fiddler on the Roof, with lots more to come. Balancing schoolwork, training, rehearsals, and school captaincy we wanted to share Jackson's perspective as a performing arts student looking at the road ahead. His hopes and dreams, and the realities of studying for a career in the arts during Covid. A fun chat with a bright young man who represents the future of performing arts in this country. 

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St Patrick's College, Shorncliffe, QLD

Brisbane Junior Theatre

Brisbane Musical Theatre

Lee Lewis: Artistic Director, Queensland Theatre

2021 APATA Performing Arts Student of the Year - Jackson Hughesman: Read more HERE

Jackson Hughesman 2021 Award presentation: Watch HERE

Transcript PDF HERE