Sunday Arts Magazine

Pip Wallis talks about the NGV Triennial 2020 and some of the amazing works on display.

Glenda talks to David about her  work and  also  the  Triennial  2020  at  the  NCV.

Contemporary Artist Scotty So talks to David about his life and his works in the Triennial at the NGV.

Simon talks to David about the amazing Triennial 2020

Celebrated Australian arts company Phunktional Arts has gathered leading creatives from across the country to work with the diverse communities of rural Victorian township Robinvale, for an exciting and extraordinary film project called Stories Beneath the Vale.

The project is the realisation of the participation of Elders and youth in the Phunktional Arts programs over a four-year period.

Led by Phunktional’s Artistic Director Gerard Veltre; local area coordinators and a mix of local and nationally recognised artists facilitated workshops with the young people of the Murray River township.  It is their vision that has driven the development of the storyline, script, scenes and choreography of the work.

Currently being shot under strict Covid restrictions, the storyline spotlights the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and First Nations Pacific Island youth.  Aged between 12 – 21 years, they have been supplied with equipment and are filming their own scenes with support of director, Oriel Guthrie and other creatives from Melbourne via live video chat.

Uncle Kutcha Edwards, proud Mutti Mutti man has recorded the film’s opening track, with Denise Scott, Stephen Curry, Nazeem Hussain and Steph Tisdell, also involved in the project.

Stories Beneath the Vale is the story of a young Aboriginal dancer and choreographer Annette, played by Emily Egan, finding power within her art and her relationships and speaking up when it matters.

“Community organisations, leaders and Elders in Robinvale had identified their young people as being at increased risk of social isolation, education and work disengagement and bullying both online and offline”, said Veltre.

The eSafety Commissioner has shown that some forms of online bullying increased up to 235% during COVID lockdown conditions.

“As we were about to embark on pilot filming, COVID-19 hit.  During this time of uncertainty, disruption and social restrictions, it was impossible to continue the project as originally planned, but the need for young people in rural Victoria to connect to culture and to experience creative health and wellbeing activities were more important than ever”.

Together with the project participants, narratives and scripts have been adapted to reflect the current challenging circumstances as well as the creative process with the Director, Choreographers, Sound Designer and other artists, connecting and collaborating online.

Gerard Veltre, an accomplished artist, dancer and an equal opportunities and Human Rights advocate for the most underprivileged and marginalised members of society, has gathered like-minded, critically celebrated creatives together to bring the work to screen.

Directing the work is award-winning documentary director, Oriel Guthrie, whose first feature film Skip Hop premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and later screened at Adelaide Arts Festival, New York International Hip Hop Festival and ACMI.

Jon Bell, series creator and writer of ABC TV Australian television drama series Gods of Wheat Street has supported developing the story as a Script Consultant for the project whilst Robinvale local Phil Egan, who has recently returned from touring the UK with sold-out dance production Beats on Pointe and is the choreographer for multi-cultural Australian dance crew, Brothers in Arms is choreographing the work.

Laid out over 5 episodes, the miniseries is funny and fresh, with a booming soundtrack that features original, local music. The COVID-era production will focus on regional stories, told through innovative filming techniques, authentic dialogue and deadly dance scenes.

Stories Beneath the Vale pilot episode will premiere online in late September and it is hoped a fu...

Melbourne Composer Peter Miller talks to David Hunt about what he has been doing over recent months

Joy Presenter Andy Mack talks to David about “Sybilla Dankworth and her Unusual Uncles”

From 30 November –  January 2021, the public can relive cherished memories and meander through poignant historical moments in You Are Cordially Invited – an exhibition celebrating Melbourne Town Hall’s 150 years at the centre of civic life, governance, politics and culture.

 

Housed within the newly refurbished City Gallery, the exhibition curated by Melbourne-born writer Andrew Stephens, explores the history of the Town Hall site and examines the relationship between the majestic building and the public through new works, archival film, photographs and ephemera from the City of Melbourne’s vast collection.

 

“Since 1870, the Town Hall has been a vital civic hub, hosting an extraordinary array of celebrities and events – from ABBA and The Beatles to the Queen, Dame Nellie Melba and Nelson Mandela, from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Lionel Rose to Elizabeth Taylor.

 

Not only have there been the expected council events and mayoral balls but there’s also been everything from musclemen displays and hairdressing competitions to spiritualist evenings, radical art shows and even a circus.   All manner of protests, parades and demonstrations by passionate Melburnians have been held in the streets on its doorstep.  This exhibition is a fresh look at how so much important local history implicates the Town Hall,” said Stephens.

 

At the centre of the exhibition are specially commissioned new works by Melbourne artist Patrick Pound, surveying the Town Hall as being the epicentre of Melbourne’s collective psyche.

 

Using found images sourced through auction houses, Pound has created a work based around tourism postcards of the Melbourne Town Hall – many of these returned from the overseas destinations to which they had been posted by tourists over the past century and a half.  Pound looks further afield with his other two works for the exhibition –exploring town halls of Australia and another, amassing hundreds of town hall postcards from around the world. Whilst some town halls are modest and others are grand designs, wherever they may be, they speak to the infinity of personal and civic moments that a town hall accumulates.

 

Many of the other artworks and objects in the exhibition are drawn from the City of Melbourne’s vast art and heritage collection including archival footage of the Queen, ABBA, Elizabeth Taylor and boxer Lionel Rose during their visits to the Town Hall, extraordinarily progressive health promotion posters from the 1920’s depicting the scourge of venereal disease as well as contemporary art works by Destiny Deacon, Fiona Foley and Nusra Latif Qureshi. 

 

Rarely seen images of the devastation wrought by the 1925 blaze that destroyed the Town Hall’s main auditorium can be viewed as well as A “Protest Book” used by Melbourne City Councillors to air grievances and treasures from the Council Chambers including the Lord Mayoral chair and mallet.

Ali McGregor talks to David about what she has been up to over recent months.

Stephen is back talking to David about films.