Oct 03 News

Artmedia - Physical Theatre News - October 2003
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Sponsor:
Noosa Street Performers Festival, Queensland, Australia

Networking:
Circus Monoxide's RichMix 03, Wollongong, Australia
Axis Theatre (Canada), Clown workshop, Wollongong
Queerfeast!2004, International Arts Festival, Canada
East Coast Funny Women Festival, New York, USA
Mooseburger Clown Camp, Dallas, Texas, USA
13th International Palestinian Puppet Festival, Jerusalem
Arab and Jewish Circus School Project, Tivon, Israel
Experimenta 6, Meeting of Theatre Groups, Argentina

Noticeboard:
School for Mime Theatre, Ohio, seeks tour of OZ and NZ
Horla Theatre is Casting for a New Show, Surrey, England

Artmedia:
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Newsletter Advertising and Artmedia site promotion

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Artmedia News
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Welcome to the October edition of the Artmedia physical theatre
newsletter, a publication with an Australasian focus and a global
perspective.

This month the newsletter is coming to you out of Ottawa, Canada,
where I have been presenting an experimental clown piece at the
Ottawa Writers Festival... And in the Playspace section I promote a
clown masterclass that I am teaching in Vancouver in a week or so
( on which I still have some places available ), and also my clown
Summer School in Australia, to be held in early February next year.

We also welcome the 'Noosa Street Performers Festival' as

sponsor of this issue, and promote their call to participate in the

event, which will take place from November 24th to the 30th,

in Queensland, Australia. (Remember it is Aus$200 to sponsor

this publication, and get seven paragraphs of PR at the top.)

And in the Features, CircoArts, the first tertiary Institute in

Australasia to offer formal training in circus arts, seeks a circus

skills trainer in Cristchurch, New Zealand. ( Just Aus$50 to get

a Feature in this newsletter. )

It's all happening in Wollongong, Australia, in this issue, with info

on this month's new performance season of the Women Clowns

group in the Artmedia Site news, while in the Networking we

have information on Circus Monoxide's 'RichMix 03 training

project', and on Axis Theatre from Canada, who are teaching a

clown workshop in association with the Australian group 'Legs

on The Wall'.

We also do our bit, and get a little political in the Networking,

with information on the 13th International Palestinian Puppet

Festival in Jerusalem, and an Arab and Jewish Circus School

project in Israel, and we also get political on a different level,

with a call to participate in Queerfeast!2004, 'Canada's new

International Arts Festival'.

In USA, Hilary Chaplain has info in the Networking on the East

Coast Funny Women Festival to be held in New York this month,

and Carl E Jones has info on the Mooseburger Clown Camp in

Texas, in March. While in the noticeboard, the School for Mime

Theatre in Ohio, USA, seeks a tour of Australia and NZ, and

Horla Theatre is casting for a new show in Surrey, England.

In our ongoing campaign to increase the amount of clown training

within the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne, Australia,

we carry input from two rising young clown stars who are based in

Melbourne, and we increase the pressure by opening another front

on the organisation, because they are still procrastinating about the

promised clown forum.

We aim to provide an avenue of communication for the growing

physical theatre community, so please send us info for inclusion in

this newsletter. Please also forward this to somebody else who

may be interested.

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Artmedia Site News

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In Artmedia Site News, coming up this month, the new show by

the Women Clowns www.artmedia.com.au/womenclowns.htm

Impromptu Theatrix run impro classes in Sydney, specialising

in Commedia. www.artmedia.com.au/improvisation.htm

Hemlock Mejarne is an acrobat, stilt-walker, who has a

large range of skills. www.artmedia.com.au/acronym.htm

Got it Flaunt it! are a performance duo who specialise in event

invigoration. www.artmedia.com.au/gotitflauntit.htm

Circus Unique offers children's workshops and tailored

entertainment packages. www.artmedia.com.au/circusunique.htm

The Physical TV site has info on Richard James Allen and Karen

Pearlman's Dance Films. www.artmedia.com.au/physical_tv.htm

Sydney Aerial Theatre Association have information on classes

and performance projects at www.artmedia.com.au/aerial.htm

On the Artmedia site you can find a list of links to performers,

companies, resources and festivals all over the world, and you

can subscribe to this newsletter, and find a copy of the latest issue.

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Sponsor: Noosa Street Performers Festival, Queensland

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The Noosa International Street Performers Festival is taking it

to the Streets of Noosa this November!

From November 24th to the 30th November....Noosa will be

transformed and the streets (and parks, river and hinterland) will

come alive thanks to the inaugural Noosa International Street

Performers Festival.

Show us your stuff / Come busk with us! You are invited to join

us for Noosa's Inaugural International Street Performers Festival.

New and up-and-coming artists, as well as international

entertainers, are welcome. Buskers permits required. Please

apply to: Email: info@noosastreetfest.com.au and check out

the website: www.noosastreetfest.com.au

Come and Enjoy...

Ų Riverside, beachside and hinterland performance venues

Ų Central and affordable camping sites close to the river and

beaches including on-site workshops

Ų Special hotel rates

Ų Workshop venues 10 minutes to the beach

The festival which is a first of its kind in Australia will showcase

the best of local, national and international street performers,

through both performance and workshop offerings.

Performers will strut their stuff throughout the community and will

be seen at various locations in Noosa such as the Noosa River,

Noosa's Laguna Bay Beach on Hastings Street, the Noosa

Hinterland at the Cooroy Butter Factor, Noosa Harbour Marine

Village and en route via the Noosa Ferry and local bus routes!

Other highlights during the festival include JuggleFest Australia

who will be participating in the Festival and will be juggling and

unicyling throughout Noosa. Local Artists and people of all ages

will also have the opportunity of attending workshops to enhance

their skills and have some fun.

A comprehensive program of activities throughout the festival is

available from Noosa Council, info@noosastreetfest.com.au

Noosa International Street Performers Festival, Noosa Council

PO Box 141, Tewantin 4565, Phone: 5449 5100 / 5449 5103

Fax 54471062. Visit the website www.noosastreetfest.com.au

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Feature - CircoArts, Circus Trainer Required, Cristchurch, NZ

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Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), one

of the largest in New Zealand, was the first tertiary Institute in

Australasia to offer formal training in circus arts and we have

now been contributing for over 8 years to the developing

contemporary circus industry in New Zealand. While English is

the language of instruction our students come from all over the

world.

We are looking for an experienced trainer to take up a 0.8

position in a small team teaching the 2-year Diploma in Circus

Arts. This job provides you with the opportunity to combine

teaching with performing and we offer support to further your

development as an educator. Experience teaching a range of

circus skills is required, especially aerials, and also acrobatics,

equilibristics and body training.

Christchurch, the South Island's most beautiful city, also offers

considerable lifestyle and recreational opportunities. Applications

close 3 November 2003. For more information and application

details contact us on: www.cpit.ac.nz email: hr@cpit.ac.nz

phone: 64 3 940 8623, fax: 64 3 940 8616.

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Playspace - Clown Masterclasses, Vancouver and Sydney

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Building on 20 years of clown teaching, Alan Clay has this year

presented this Masterclass program in New Zealand, Australia,

Canada and USA. The following workshops are coming up in

this ongoing program:

Vancouver Clown Masterclass, Canada - October 20 to 22

(3 days) 10am to 4pm, Can$370. Scotia Dance Centre, 677

Davie Street - a lovely top fl studio in downtown Vancouver,

close to comfortable Youth Hostels and the Aquatic Centre.

email vancouver@artmedia.com.au

Sydney 4-day Clown Summer School, Australia - February

2 to 5, 2004. Mon to Thurs, 10am to 4pm. Cost: Aus$420

(earlybird, before December 15) Aus$540 (full). Enrolments

and information sydney_summer@artmedia.com.au

These workshops provide a physical approach to the clown art

form, exploring playfulness, irreverence, and the freedom of not

knowing. Each day starts with a yoga warm up, followed by

exercises to develop physical and emotional expression, and

improvisational exercises to develop comic timing and rapport.

More information at www.artmedia.com.au/Clown.htm

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Networking

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"Dear Alan, Circus Monoxide are running a circus project in

Wollongong NSW, called RichMix 03, from November 3 to 6.

This is a unique circus project which includes a variety of

workshops, evening performance labs and panels with directors

and performers from Circus Oz, Rock n' Roll Circus, Circus

Monoxide and lots more. RichMix kicks off on Monday 3rd

November at 6:00pm, at IPAC, with a fabulous free public

event: 'On the Floor: Process, Politics, Philosophy.' Leading

circus and physical theatre practitioners talk about what drives

their work, in an energetic and informal panel discussion.

Panelists include:

· Mike Finch, Artistic Director of Circus Oz

· Gail Kelly, Artistic Director of landmark shows by Club

Swing, Circus Oz and the National Institute of Circus Arts

· Hall Murray, Artistic Director of Circus Monoxide

· Kate Champion, Dancer & Choreographer; Artistic Director

with Force Majore; she has also choreographed for leading

companies such as Legs on the Wall.

· Anni Davey, Circus Oz core performer

· Tony Rooke, Australian National Circus Festival Director

· Yaron Lifschitz, Artistic Director, Rock n Roll Circus

The Panel is followed by a meet and mingle at the IPAC Bar!

Tuesday 4th, Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th November

presents a jam packed 3-day training program of circus

workshops, performance labs and discussion groups in Circus

Monoxide's training facility in Bellambi, Wollongong. Circus

workshops include acro-balance, tightwire, tumbling and aerial."

Many thanks Alan! Alicia Battestini, RichMix 03 Project

Director, Circus Monoxide. Find a link to Circus Monoxide

under Circus at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"Legs on the Wall and Axis Theatre Company from Canada

present two Character and Clown Workshops at Circus

Monoxide, Wollongong, Australia. Tues 11 - Fri 14 Nov.

(week after RichMix) Aus$125.00 for all 4 days ( You can

pay per session if you can only make one or a few of the 4

sessions ) Trainers are 'Legs on the Wall' guest artists from

Canada, Shannan Calcutt and Joey Lesperance, two of

Canada's most critically acclaimed performers. There will be

an introductory and a bit more advanced class. Times to be

confirmed." Alicia Battestini al@circusmonoxide.com.au

"Queerfeast!2004 Canada's International Arts Festival, May 04

Call for artists and performing companies. We invite you to

participate in the first-ever Queerfeast! in Vancouver, Canada.

Dance... Music... Stand-up... Performance art... Readings...

Theatre... you name it! Queerfeast! celebrates the breadth and

diversity of the queer community by producing, presenting and

showcasing local, National and International artists and

companies. We are calling for artists and companies that produce

such work to submit their interest today for consideration to be a

part of the upcoming festival. Large casts and highly technical

production needs will be harder to program; Music submissions

should be solos or of theatrical music shows with easy set-ups.

You can always email us and ask before sending your package:

Deadline for Promo-package submissions: Nov 30th, 2003

To express interest either send us an email stating your

participation interest for the festival along with a link to a

comprehensive website about your show/work. If the producers

are interested in your work, a request for additional information

will be made, or, 2) Complete the introductory artist application

available on our website and mail it along with your promotional

package." Find a link to the Queerfeast!2004 site and application

form under Festivals at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"East Coast Funny Women Fest is coming! October 23-26, in

New York City. I will be teaching Physical Comedy, Clown,

and Movement Theatre. These classes are open to any gender.

I will also be performing my solo show, "A Life In Her Day"

which recently received an "Excellence Award" at the NY

International Fringe Festival on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 8pm.

Check out the website for information on all of the classes and

performances being held as part of this year's festival. There

are all kinds of terrific workshops and shows. I will be teaching

classes along side Cheryl King, MaryBeth Coudal, Hector

Coris, Amy Roeder, Shaun Landry, Carole Bugge, and Laura

Klein Danilov. All of my classes are open to men, and are for

people at any level. On Friday, Oct 24, from 10am-1pm, I

will teach Physical Comedy: 'Human behavior deserves to be

laughed at, and audiences will forever enjoy seeing their foibles

revealed. In this workshop we will explore physical play from a

comic point of view in both character work and group work.'

And on Friday, Oct. 24, from 2pm-5pm, Clowning for Actors.

'Find the delight of a child, the vulnerability of the actor, and the

failure of a clown who is striving with all his or her might to

maintain her dignity in the midst of catastrophe. Solo and partner

work exploring relationships to the audience, to your partner,

status, pleasure, and enjoying failure.' " Hilary Chaplain. Find a

link to the Funny Women Festival under Festivals at

www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"I'm bringing a very special edition of the Mooseburger Camp

to the Dallas area, March 18-21, 2004. I am bringing in the best

of the best instructors, classes, merchandise and activities for this

event! The camp will be held in Arlington, Texas, near Six Flags.

The fun and games will start on Thursday and don't stop until

Sunday afternoon about 4pm! How much more fun can you

have, than 150 clowns in one room!? We'll do a show on

Sunday afternoon for a local Children's Charity and each night

we'll descend on a local restaurant as a group, to entertain

ourselves and them! Bring your balloons! Bring your gags! Bring

your walk-around magic tricks! You will have an opportunity to

meet and learn from some of the best of the best!! We'll have a

"Talent Show" one night for you to strut your stuff for mates! If

you have never been a clown, this is the place to start! If you

have been a clown for 40 yrs, this is the place to recharge your

batteries and put on a fresh new look! The age range is 13-113."

Best Wishes, Carl E Jones, Topper the Magic Clown. Texas,

USA. Find a link to the Mooseburger Camp under Training at

www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"Dear friends, We in the Palestinian National Theatre are very

glad to inform for you our 13th International Puppets Festival,

that will take place at the theatre in Jerusalem, the festival will be

between October 10 and 25th , with many puppet shows, street

performances, workshops, children activities and many other fun

activities. Be with us." For further information contact us at:

pnt@alqudsnet.com.com

"Hello Alan, Thank you for sending us a copy of your newsletter.

The Israel Circus School is a recently established organization

with sponsorship from the World Clown Association. We are

now renovating our Circus Center, the first of its kind in Israel.

The Israel Circus School is now running a one year project

funded by the European Union. The "Children's Circus" is a joint

Arab and Jewish Project involving 10 Arab and 10 Jewish youth

from the northern area of Israel. It is a high profile project with

media attention focused on the bridging of cultural differences

using Circus Skills. The 20 youth under go training with our

professional staff in Acrobatics, Clowning and Juggling and with

their acquired skills are putting on performances and giving

workshops to other children. The end of this project will see the

group traveling to Cyprus in April 2004 for a week of shows and

workshops with Cypriot children. I also hail from Australia and

have been here since '89 establishing my work in physical theater

for youth as a way of channeling the fiery energy of this place." All

the best, David Berry (Artistic Director of I.C.S), Clown Name:

Dharma Lawrence. Find a link to the Israel Circus School under

Training at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"Dear Friends, From Dec 7 to 13 the "Experimenta 6 Teatro"

International Meeting of Theatre Groups, is going to be held at

the "Teatro del Rayo" Theatre Hall, Rosario, Argentina. This

Festival is organized by the Laboratory Theatre Group "El

Rayo Misterioso" and it calls actors, directors and theatre

students from all countries to take part as Seminar Participants.

It includes 7 days of theoretical and practical work, and

psychophysical training. There will be Workshops, Seminars

and Conferences about acting, training, production and other

disciplines, coordinated by Directors of participants Theatre

Groups and important masters from different countries. On our

website you will find more about program, characteristics,

previous editions and you may download the Registration Form.

Participation in all the activities plus Board (breakfast, lunch and

supper for 7 days) costs 350 Euros or 350 Dollars. Participation

in all activities plus Board and Lodging (lodging, breakfast, lunch

and supper for 7 days and 7 nights) costs 450 Euros or 450

Dollars. Registration Deadline: Friday, November 28th. You

may download the Form and get more info on our web site."

kind regards, Natalia Miguel, Programming. Find a link to

Experimenta 6 under Events at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

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Campaign: The Role of Clown in an Aussie Circus Degree

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In our ongoing campaign to increase the amount of clown training

within the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne, Australia,

we carry input from two of the rising young clown stars based in

Melbourne. First Abi Collins engages with Sue Broadway's effort

last month at a definition of clown ( If you didn't catch last month's

issue, you can still find it at www.artmedia.com.au/physical.htm )

and then Asher Treleaven, a clown graduate of NICA, opens up

a new front on the organisation.

We've been sitting on more stories about problems within the

organisation for the past few months, to give NICA the benefit

of the doubt as they promised to organise a forum to discuss the

level of clown training within the organisation, and since there has

been no movement on this, we will increase the pressure. Only

in Australia would we appoint a director of a circus school who

has absolutely no background in circus, and this seems to be

where the problem is! Some NICA Board Members are on this

list I know, and I encourage them to bring this up at Board level.

"Great newsletter, really nice commentary and great leads re

training, gigs, etc. Certainly looking forward to Alan's new book

- the literary equivalent of a clown with a semtex cream pie?

I hope so! I love the way the Great Clown Debate is shaping

up. Sue Broadway's definitions of clown are wonderfully astute,

and I found the following supposition particularly thought-

provoking; "1. Laughter. The clown makes the audience laugh.

More then 50% of the time. The laughter generated is the deep

stomached, open throated, shout of joy" Is anyone familiar with

Trevor Griffiths play 'The Comedians'? If you're interested in

comedy read this play. Gethin Price, a politically frustrated

character, creates a performance that is pure clown, but very

violent, and decreasingly funny as the performance progresses,

arguably falling way below the 50% laughter ratio. And what

of Shakespeare's clown Feste, from '12th Night'? His humour

is directly borne out of revealing the vanity of those around him,

but in himself he is not exactly a rib-tickling character. In fact his

clown song "hey, ho the wind and the rain" is rather morbid. So

I wonder if we are looking at an entirely different breed of clown

(the great crested psycho maniac or lesser spotted manic

depressive perhaps?) or a differing/additional definition. Perhaps

add 'Truth' in place of, or adjunct to, 'Laughter', and we find the

essence of the clown; his or her ability to not only make us see

things as they can be or should be, but the skill of drawing harsh

reality into sharp focus, and revealing the way things really are.

Thanks again for providing a good read at regular intervals!"

Abi Collins. To find a link to Abi's site, click on 'Sid and Lena'

under Clowns at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"Hello there, My name is Asher Treleaven, I am a graduate of

NICA, and I think you should pursue the possibility of a forum

on performance studies in NICA. I work as a clown and have

the experience of being both part of the institution and outside it.

This letter is about a different issue though, as NICA has been

undercutting and seriously damaging the freelance circus

performers corporate market in Melbourne. They are doing this

by using their position in the media and sweatshop labour,

providing students for shows. They work for free and this work

is compulsory as it is now part of their educational curriculum.

The performances are not graded and seem to have no benefit

for the students other than performance experience however

these gigs have major benefit for NICA who are using them to

generate more funding for the school. This practice has been

going on since the school opened and has now escalated to the

point where it is damaging the workplace and putting freelance

performers out of work. I need to bring this to the attention of

as many as possible if this is to stop. NICA are violating the

rights of students, workers and the industry it claims to support."

Asher Treleaven, ashercirk@yahoo.com

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Noticeboard

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"Dear Alan, I love what you are doing with the e-newsletter.

Want to thank you and affirm the effort. I have been involved

with the School for Mime Theatre in Gambier, Ohio, USA for

the past 22 years, and we are moving into celebrating our 25th

Anniversary next year. We run classes out of Kenyon College

in the summers of the ole' northern hemisphere. I am the artistic

director of the school at this time, sharing those responsibilities

with C. Nicholas Johnson, one of the founders of the school.

We draw out students from an international base, and on

several occasions have had the great pleasure of working with

some very talented Aussies. As well, I am also wanting to bring

our ensemble of theatrical mime performers to Australia and

New Zealand. I wonder if anyone could help direct me to

resources to help with the creation of a tour. Please check out

my web site at Theatrical Mime Theatre. Thanks for creating a

great venue for all of us to gain info and interact." My best to

you, Rick Wamer, Creative Director, Theatrical Mime Theatre

Tucson, USA. Find a link to the Theatrical Mime Theatre site

under Training at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

"Horla Theatre Company is casting for its next show Grimms,

a Feast Of Fairy And Folk Tales From Around The World,

adapted and directed by Alistair Green, to be performed at

The Greenwich Playhouse in SE London for a four-week run

(November 25th until December 21st, Tuesdays - Sundays).

We are looking for performers with experience in physical

theatre, dance, storytelling and puppetry, as well as performers

/ musicians, as the production with contain live music.

Rehearsals will be part time, evenings and weekends from 18th

October until the performance. Auditions will be held in mid-

October. Please send Covering letter, CV and photo to: Alistair

Green, Grimms, email alistair@horla.co.uk (nothing larger than

100kb please) To find out more about Horla, visit our website."

Hampton Wick, Surrey, England. Find a link to Horla under

Physical Theatre at www.artmedia.com.au/links.htm

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