OPERA QUEENSLAND’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE
Sandra Willis, Executive Director of Opera Queensland, is leaving the state opera company in November in order to relocate to Melbourne, where she will take up the role of General Manager of a membership organisation for professional women in business, law, education, community service and the arts.
Willis is one of Australia’s leading arts sector executives with extensive experience across strategic leadership, producing, fundraising, production management and community engagement.
Since June 2017 she has led Opera Queensland alongside Artistic Director and CEO Patrick Nolan. During this time, Opera Queensland presented several critically acclaimed productions, premiered a new Australian opera, secured a three-year funding uplift, and increased private sector contributions by 44%.
‘Sandra has given an enormous amount to Opera Queensland in the years she has been here,’ said Patrick Nolan.
‘Our excellent financial position, the increase in our audience reach and the significantly improved network of patrons and corporate partners is a great expression of her commitment, tireless work and ingenuity.
‘We will miss her infectious laugh and keen understanding of the art form, which she has such a deep affection for. We wish her nothing but the very best in her new role,’ he said,
Opera Queensland Chair, Emeritus Professor David Siddle, echoed Nolan’s thanks.
‘Opera Queensland has benefitted greatly from Sandra’s astuteness and dedication,’ Siddle said. ‘Along with Patrick, Sandra has worked extremely hard and effectively to develop and implement strategies that will see the company enter its 40th Anniversary year stronger than ever. I wish her every success for this next step in an exciting career.’
Willis is looking forward to reuniting with family and friends in Melbourne but said she would remember her time at Opera Queensland with great affection.
‘I am honoured to have been part of Opera Queensland’s executive team during a period of remarkable transformation for the company,’ Willis said.
‘I am incredibly proud of Opera Queensland’s achievements over the past three years and extend my gratitude to my wonderful colleagues, our supporters and audience, whose belief in the transformational power of opera is unwavering.
‘As Opera Queensland prepares for its 40th Anniversary in 2021, I have no doubt the company will continue to bring great joy to audiences while challenging the sector to reimagine the possibilities and potential of the art form,’ she concluded.
Jane Tonkin moving on from Corrugated Iron Youth Arts
The Executive Producer of Darwin’s Corrugated Iron Youth Arts, Jane Tonkin, is moving on from the company.
‘Jane Tonkin has been the engaging and imaginative leader of Corrugated Iron for over 15 years,’ said Corrugated Iron’s Chair, Megan Lawton.
‘During that time Jane has not only seen Corrugated Iron grow and flourish but has also been instrumental in the evolution of the sector.
‘Long before I joined the board Jane was an ever-present beacon of light on the arts scene – she had a welcoming enthusiasm that hinted at great adventure. For me, her longevity in the role spoke of a special magic and nowhere was this more evident in the many long-lasting connections she has built in the community.
‘During our board meetings Jane’s face would always light up as she relayed the latest creative journey of participants or alumni and the opportunities of a new collaboration. You could not help but share the spark of joy from a new idea, her pride in Corro’s achievements and her passion for continuing creativity.
‘It is just like Jane to ensure Corro is well provisioned for the journey ahead with extra lashings of her home-made biscuits, just as she unties the ropes and leaps ashore. She will surely be missed. I imagine her legend will be celebrated around the campfires at art camps for years to come, growing ever wilder with each re-telling as she continues to weave her special magic somewhere new. We thank her – for her biscuits and so much more,’ Lawton told ArtsHub.
Fiona Carter, Corrugated Iron’s General Manager, also paid tribute to her colleague.
‘Jane Tonkin’s contribution to the arts in the Northern Territory is woven into the very fabric of our creative community. Under Jane’s stewardship, Corrugated Iron has nurtured young Territorians, not only seeing them reach their potential as artists, but also as valuable members of the broader society in which they live. Jane’s legacy will continue to ripple through many generations. She will be greatly missed as she ventures back down south,’ said Carter.
Tonkin’s last day at Corrugated Iron will be Tuesday 22 December.
MUSIC FOR CANBERRA APPOINTS ARTISTIC CO-CONVENORS
Music for Canberra, the not-for-profit community music school based at Ainslie Arts Centre, has announced the appointment of Dr Nicole Hammil and Rachel Gould as Artistic Co-Convenors.
Their roles will focus on Music for Canberra’s classical and contemporary programming as the company prepares for music-making and high-quality music tuition in a post-COVID world.
‘We are looking forward to embracing every opportunity to increase the quality and outreach of Music for Canberra programs. We have exciting new artistic ideas to engage the community at all ages, levels of experience and ability to cultivate a sense of belonging through our shared love of music,’ Hammil and Gould said in a joint statement.
4A ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD AND CURATORIAL APPOINTMENTS
4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art has welcomed Chun Yin Rainbow Chan and Michael Rolfe to its board.
Chun Yin Rainbow Chan is a vocalist, music producer and interdisciplinary artist who has performed at Sydney Opera House, Vivid, MONA FOMA, Gallery of Modern Art, Iceland Airwaves, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and Tai Kwun.
Michael Rolfe is currently the CEO of Museums and Galleries of NSW and has over 30 years involvement working in the visual arts, with an in-depth overview of funding, governance and policy.
4A Director Mikala Tai said, ‘We’re excited to welcome Michael and Rainbow to the Board. We are looking forward to welcoming them both to the 4A family and being guided by their expertise as we enter our exciting next chapter.’
They join 4A’s existing board members Adrian Williams, Susan Acret, Caroline Choy, John Choi, Maree Di Pasquale, Julie Ewington, and Hannah Skrzynski.
4A also announced the recent departure of two board members, Lisa Corsi and John Young Zerunge. Over many years, both Corsi and Young were key in developing 4A’s strategy in supporting artists, creatives, and audiences, and were crucial players in helping the organisation grow into the institution that it is today.
‘We’d like to thank Lisa and John for their incredible contribution through the 4A board, for their amazing leadership and guidance of 4A, and for their friendship to our team,’ said Mikala Tai.
4A has also announced the appointment of two Curatorial Assistants as part of a hands-on curatorial training program that enables emerging curators to be mentored by a member of the 4A Curatorial Team. Each Curatorial Assistant works with the wider 4A team from the inception of the development of an exhibition to its delivery.
4A will be working with Marco Rinaldi on the Digital Curatorship program, and Annette An-Jen Liu through the Drawn by stones Curatorial Assistant program.
The 4A Curatorial Assistant Program is supported by the Sally Breen Family Foundation. In 2020-21, the Drawn by stones Curatorial Assistant Program opportunity is supported by the Cultural Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney.
CHLOE DALLIMORE STANDS DOWN AS MEAA EQUITY PRESIDENT
Australian performer and activist Chloe Dallimore has stood down as president of MEAA Equity after six years in the role.
Dallimore said it was a difficult decision but felt she needed to step aside because of personal reasons. Her resignation was formally accepted last week at a meeting of the MEAA Board, which also approved the appointment of actor, director and producer Jason Klarwein as Equity federal president, effective immediately, for the remainder of the current term which ends in mid-2021.
Dallimore said she was proud to have steered the union through #MeToo with the development of the Sexual Harassment and Bullying Code, her work on resolving a stalemate over imported artists with Live Performance Australia, and the recognition of gender diversity in the union. She said Equity’s relationships with LPA, Screen Producers Australia, agents and major producers have healed, developed and thrived, even through challenging negotiations and issues.
‘The recently agreed Cultural Leave clause in the Michael Cassel Group agreement gives me such hope for the continued “heart discussions” that our union needs to have in every corner of our workplaces,’ Dallimore said.
‘The Diversity Committee was in its infancy when I started, and since then the Wellness Committee, Acting Parents, Indigenous Committee MEAA and Musical Theatre Committees have all been created and are now an important resource for our staff and members. I leave you all in incredible hands and I look forward to the next phase of our union.’
Equity Director Andrew Crowley praised Dallimore’s natural leadership skills and immense contribution to the union over the last six years.
‘The industry and our members have always looked to Chloe for guidance and leadership, and she has always delivered, particularly during the pandemic, one of the most challenging periods in Equity’s 80-year history. We are forever grateful for her tireless dedication to improving the lives of Australian performers,’ he said.
The new Equity federal president, Jason Klarwein, has served as Queensland representative on the MEAA Board since 2015 and been a member of the National Performers Committee since 2013. Klarwein is the first Equity president based outside NSW.
‘It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Chloe Dallimore as president of Equity,’ Klarwein said. ‘Chloe has worked tirelessly in a volunteer capacity for the last six years building not only union membership but fostering in some of the biggest industrial and cultural changes our industry has seen for many decades.
‘I look forward to representing our members and industry colleagues who are in the midst of what only can be described as the biggest challenge since World War Two. However, I am buoyed by the fact that I stand on the shoulders of incredible artists who have built the amazing cultural reputation we have worldwide and have dedicated their free time to the betterment of working conditions and pay.
‘We are the storytellers of our nation and the custodians of our future. It is only through culture that a country such as ours can truly see and experience itself and hopefully give birth to a strong, vibrant and inclusive future,’ said Klarwein.
Klarwein has worked nationally and internationally with Australia’s leading theatre companies and has been the artistic director of Grin and Tonic since 2011. The Queensland-based theatre company delivers critically acclaimed mainstage productions, as well as workshops to over 60,000 school students per year. Klarwein has been a member of MEAA for nearly 20 years serving on the Queensland Branch, National Performers Committee and the MEAA Board. He is currently in Sydney directing Cursed! for Belvoir Theatre.
WOMEN’S CIRCUS WELCOMES NEW STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS
Footscray-based company Women’s Circus has appointed Devika Bilimoria to the role of Digital Artist.
Bilimoria contributes to shifting dialogues of bodies and cultures through dance, performance, image making and interactive installation. Trained in Bharata Natyam and Odissi, film and fine art photography (RMIT), their practice explores live and digital explorations of time, memory, place, and presence. They teach at Photography Studies College and freelance as a photographer.
Bilimoria connected with the Women’s Circus community in July when they hosted the Online Masterclass Emit and Emulate: Tactility and Mimicry in the Digital Space, and will be in residence with the company for at least the next three months.
Women’s Circus has also recently welcomed a number of new board members.
Kristen Bell (new Chair) is an urban and transport planner working in academia and private practice who has been an active Women’s Circus member for over a decade. She joined the board three years ago before stepping into her new role this year. Bell is a regular ensemble performer in the company’s large scale productions and also volunteers on community programs.
Felicity Cull (new Deputy Chair) is the Head of Legal Project Management at Norton Rose Fulbright Australia. She brings a wealth of knowledge from her 25 years’ experience in project management and commercial litigation. Cull has a strong interest in the performing arts and regularly performs in tap dancing productions.
Teddy Darling (new Secretary) is a proudly trans and non-binary young queer lawyer and artist working to build connections in local communities. He is an independent arts producer, community radio presenter, and multi-disciplinary visual artist and designer, and runs Campfire Stories.
Dr Melinda Smith (new Board Member) has over 30 years’ experience in disability and education and is a lecturer in Inclusive Arts at Deakin University. Smith lives with cerebral palsy and is an advocate of disability inclusion. She is a regular Artist in Residence at Women’s Circus and often uses aerials in her dance practice.
Chantal Wynter (new Board Member) is a creative producer who curates interdisciplinary work in collaboration with artists, arts organisations, galleries, festivals, educational institutions, local government, community and businesses. She first collaborated with Women’s Circus in 2017 on Fluidity for Women of the World Festival.
Eleanor Boydell (El) (new Board Member) stepped into this position from Board Secretary. She is an arts manager and creative producer with a passion for interdisciplinary live and performance art. Five years ago she ran away to the West to join Women’s Circus and has never looked back.
More recent appointmentsread more
On the Move: Latest sector appointments and departures – ArtsHub
