APATA Podcast

Meet Sally Andrew.

Director of Radiance Academy Toowoomba, our 2020 APATA Performing Arts Private Studio of the Year award winner. Sally, a mother of 3, has raised a family and built a thriving business and community of fun and learning through her passion for dance.

From an early age there was only one thing Sally wanted to be...a professional ballerina. Throwing herself into ballet from the age of 4, Sally soon became an avid consumer of everything dance. Whatever class was running, she was there.

When the ballet career she had dreamt of didn't come to fruition Sally left dance and entered the business world, but the call to dance was always there. She couldn't leave ballet. It was in her blood. "I just went a different path...when I was a little girl I wanted to 'be' the ballerina. I didn't realise how much fun it would be helping to create little ballerinas...it's pretty amazing."

Running an inclusive and family-focused studio based on excellence Sally believes in finding balance and value among the different syllabus on offer for Australian dancers. With dancers ranging in age from 18 months to 80+, Sally and the Radiance Team champion their ethos that dance is for everyone.

"I think I tumbled...into teaching and tumbled into where I am now. It wasn't in my big picture, but I'm absolutely loving it. I've tumbled into my destiny."

www.radianceacademytoowoomba.com

Meet Jason Raft!

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Wonderful opportunity to sit down and chat technical and design with Jason Raft, Owner, JLX Productions and Iceworks Design.

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As owner and Director JLX Productions, a technical solutions business, and Iceworks Design which designs, builds and delivers sets across multiple platforms, Jason has had a long relationship with the performing arts.

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Deciding early on that back stage was where he belonged, Jason has carved a career for himself in the performing arts as a lighting designer and technical director and has managed to create two businesses around his ethos that "If you work in the entertainment industry it should be just as entertaining for you, as it is for the audience you work for!"

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Like APATA, Jason has a passion for seeing that the next generation is better prepared to enter the arts industry and for him that means the world of production and production design. "When we're looking for technicians, we are looking for the person, not the skill." The right attitude can get you far.

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Iceworks Design implemented the annual Emerging Designers program when the university graduates approaching them for work experience had little to no understanding of production design. Seeing a need for real, in-house experience from pre-concept to build, the program asks those applying for 'out of the box' thinking by first sending in "Who am I ?' resumes. "it was amazing, the way they portrayed themselves when we gave them the freedom to talk ..without criteria."

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What industry and the next generation need from each other. "Given the right direction, given the right opportunity, this industry will thrive. We've got to put aside what we thought was the right way to do things and start to engage in a different way."

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JLX Productions is a technical solutions company for the arts and event industries. At its core JLX is a solutions business providing their clients with a unique skill set to navigate through the myriad of production environments to design, manage and deliver successful projects. The team works collaboratively across all production disciplines and with a strong network of suppliers to ensure the team is fully equipped to take on any challenge.

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JLX provides a full suite of pre-production services from technical direction to administration, build operational systems for venues to run efficiently, provide design, drafting and pre-visualisation services for event concepts to assist in their practical delivery, and manage and operate onsite across stage and site management, lighting, sound and vision.

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Check out JLX Productions at www.jlx.com.au

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The Iceworks Design team design, build and deliver sets for television, theatre and the broader event industry. From a thought bubble to construction drawings the design team can provide creative design services for every stage of a project. Whether plugging into an existing project or delivering from scratch the team can provide concept work ups, 2D drafting, 3D rendering, graphic handling and designer liaison during construction to ensure the design is carried through to completion. The team have provided design services across a vast array of disciplines including; production design, branding, experiential, theatrical and exhibition.

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Check out Iceworks Design at www.iceworksdesign.com

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Enjoy!

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Website: www.apata.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Instagram & Facebook: @apatamedia

Meet Angela Loh!

Angela is the Managing Producer of Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra. The Camerata aims to empower artists, inspire audiences and enrich communities through music and it just so happens that Angela and Camerata's Education Manager and Principal Second Violinist, Jonny Ng, were doing just that this past week. Meeting with the communities ahead of Camerata's regional tour in June, fingers crossed. [recorded 20th March 2020, travel and mass gatherings shut down due to COVID-19 - 24th March 2020 all entertainment venues now closed]

So where did this passion for the arts come from, where did it all begin? Well besides two creative parents, Angela had an exceptional music teacher who understood that the way to her musical heart was not through the AMEB but through the Beatles. Learning to read and play music in an environment that was fun and interesting and tailored to her needs Angela kept learning until the end of high school.

From an industry-led education at QUT [Queensland University of Technology] in stage management and technical production, Angela was more that able to step into roles in the corporate sector, musical theatre and the opera learning valuable life lessons along the way.

We learn the various roles Angela has had in her career in the performing arts and the mentors that played a big part in forming who she could and would be. With such a diverse background, no matter the role Angela has been able to step up to whatever challenge came along and now at the Camerata she finds herself in a passionate, community-minded, collaborative arts company that she truly loves.

As we step into unprecedented times for the arts and entertainment industry, we discuss the future and resilience of the Arts industry and our hopes for the future.

Website: www.apata.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Instagram & Facebook: @apatamedia

Hello and welcome to the APATA Podcast [The Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association].

It's an absolute pleasure to introduce our podcast to the community as we create conversations with industry leaders and thought provoking guests as they share their stories, journeys and lessons teaching and working in the performing arts.

Our conversations are raw, there is error and a few giggles, and we thought initially to re-record and edit but decided to go with 'hang it' and load as is raw and human.

Secondly with bloopers we felt that if we undertook a 'take-two' approach the conversation would alter and on playback thoroughly enjoyed the discussions we've recorded.

Therefore we've gone for the warts and all recording on one take. Enjoy!

Website: www.apata.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Instagram & Facebook: @apatamedia