Leonie's project

Leonie Kelsall made a trip to Castlemaine today to meet up with Susan, a coffin maker. She was holding her last class on coffin making so we had the chance to see some being made. Susan allowed us to photograph the coffins and even get inside them. It was interesting seeing people's reactions to the experience and has given us a taste of how people might react to Leonie's project. We took some upright photos and then lay the coffins down to do some more 'ghost' images. Here are a few of today's results. We will be doing another photo shoot at a cemetery soon. - Christine Sayer.

Artist: Leonie Kelsall

Photographs: Christine Sayer

Location: Castlemaine

Monday's Next On Now workshop

Last Monday’s Next On Now workshop took a look at media and publicity and how we can utilize it to its full potential for Next On Now.

Megan Spencer (Freelance Arts Writer and Curator of El Gordo Cafe and Art Space) spoke about her experiences with newspapers, film and radio, what journalists look for in a story, radio interviews and the topic of Regional Press v Metro Press v Magazines.

Also speaking was Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns; who will be doing the publicity and promotions for the Next On Now event. She touched on writing a media realize and using the what, why, when, where, how and who method as well as tying the artist with the artwork and context in promotional blurbs.

Each person is able to take what they learnt and use it for future events, performances or exhibitions.

From left to right, clockwise: Megan Spencer, Amy Turton, Leonie Kelsall, Kelly Robson, Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns, Isobelle Sirianni, Krista Horbatiuk and Jude Anderson.

Photograph: Christine Sayer.

Location: Old Fire Station, View Street.

In discussion: Leonie Kelsall, Isobelle Sirianni, Krista Horbatiuk, Jude Anderson and Amy Turton.

Photograph: Christine Sayer.

Location: Old Fire Station, View Street.

Sound Migration

Tune in to WMA FM Castlemaine tonight (Wednesday 7th December) at 9pm (AEST) for SOUND MIGRATION hosted by Punctum's Krista Horbatiuk.

To celebrate nearing the end of the year and holidays to come, in this week's show she will be playing the finger pick of the last eight shows.

Locally 94.9 FM or live streaming here.

Artist and Mentor: Amy Turton, Brett Ludeman

Photograph: Christine Sayer

Location: Old Fire Station, View Street

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In my creative and professional development so far, I have been mentored by many incredible, established female theatre makers. My image of a mentor is a woman who is at least a few decades older than I am. If I'm honest, I have to admit that I was a bit confronted by the idea of being mentored by a young man who graduated from the same High School that I did (BSSC) four years after I had. But of course, in developing new work I constantly seek feedback and guidance from my creative peers many of whom are younger than me...and male. I'm positive that a mentoring relationship with Brett will be productive. We have a lot of complimentary skills. As a director and dramaturg I am often in the position of providing dramaturgical feedback whereas as a filmmaker Brett has realised a lot of ideas of his own conception. I'm used to facilitating the development of other artists' work, particularly new play scripts, but I'm nervous about presenting a work of my own devising. I think Brett and I will enjoy swapping roles for this one. 

 

- Amy Turton, Leading Artist

Seeking Participants

INTERVIEW SUBJECTS

If you are a young person in the Bendigo area or if you were one once (like me) I would love to ask you about your sex education (formal and informal) and how it relates to your sexual experience. 

The interviews will be transcribed and used to create the performance text. The text will probably be recorded by young performers from the area and delivered through headphones in what will probably be a walking tour through Rosalind Park. (Probably. Subject to change at any time, especially throughout the next two weeks.)

You will have control over how much (if any) of what you say becomes part of the piece and whether you want to be acknowledged for your contribution or remain anonymous. 

I'll be available for face-to-face interviews at the Old Fire Station almost anytime until Friday 18th November. I anticipate interviews will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour. 

If you would like to participate but cannot meet me in person, I will send you a few questions and points for consideration via email.

FEMALE PERFORMERS AGED 16-20

I'll be casting a small ensemble (max 12) of performers from the Bendigo area. Most importantly, performers should display an interest in the themes the project explores and a willingness to contribute to the work. Ideally, performers would also be interviewed about their sex education and experience (as above). 

The production schedule is flexible but I would propose recording the text over a weekend in December, possibly 17th and 18th. Rehearsals would take place in January and February, mainly on the weekends. Performances are 24th - 26th February in the evenings. Some extra rehearsals will be required in the two weeks leading up to the performance, mainly in the evenings. 

I will be available for auditions at the Old Fire Station almost anytime until Friday 18th November. I understand that school and university commitments are heavy at this time of year so I am happy to schedule auditions around your availability. Please prepare a monologue of approximately 2-pages. Something of your own devising would be excellent (for example, a section of your VCE drama solo). I may also ask you to sing so please have a song in mind that you can sing WITHOUT piano accompaniment (contemporary or classical as you please but PLEASE no music theatre).

Contact: Amy Turton via amy.turton@gmail.com or via 0401 237 953

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Today's workshop/meeting was really good, I met both my mentors for the first time and realised they were both awesome as and we seem to think along the same lines too. First things first, we got to know each other and then had to introduce each other to the group, basically today was really good, experience wise, getting us as individuals to work within the group for a few tasks and then we had a bit of time to talk to our mentors. Today was interesting in that the tasks they set us had us each contributing and then making it into a group effort.

I specifically liked the 3 sentences with a verb task; we had to come up with a name and then 3 sentences that included a verb, how we worked this out was really interesting as we first each said a random word that came to us (Mine was Rainbow!) and then looked at words that connected or meant the same thing and we ended up with Liquid Spectrum as our name for the task. Then we set about coming up with our 3 sentences with a verb and the first one was mine; An Animal could make a noise. The for the task we had to hide our 3 sentences for the other groups to find and then find 3 others to which we would then come up with an idea to make a performance, dance, song or whatever we wanted. My group of 5 got Cumulative Mortality's We Traversed Parallel Spaces, Red Lion's Who Perseveres, Steals from the Dead and The Tanaka Jackson Accident's Indigo (Not Thinking).

We decided to use the chairs in the room as a performance and each of us were to first sit on the chairs, then move our own chairs 20 times and sit down again. Most other groups did performances too and one group ripped up and resorted the words to make a poem. In a whole it was a pretty good day and I had lots of creative conversations and learned lots of things about the others in the group.

- Nicole Franklin, Leading Artist

Artists and Mentor: Jessica Walters, Leonie Kelsall, Tara Gilbee

Photograph: Christine Sayer

Location: Old Fire Station, View Street

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Mentors, leading  artists, and participating artist met to network, discuss and share developing ideas and concepts for Punctum’s Next On Now. We participated in creative thought activities which gave us the opportunity to get to know each other. As a leading artist I found it particularly beneficial to discuss and planning the development of my ideas with my two mentors Katie Sfetkidis and Kate Stones. I am very excited to be working with such a creative group of people and can’t wait to begin planning.

- Isobelle Sirianni, Leading Artist

Welcome!

I thought I would do a little quick blog post to introduce myself, I am Kelly Robson who you will find blogging on here for Next on Now with the help of all the Artists and Mentors that are apart of this program. I shall be following their development and production of their ideas and projects.

In some aspects I am also being mentored through this blog, so stay tuned for more!

Next on Now Artists at the planning workshop.

Artists and Mentors

Photograph: Christine Sayer

Location: Old Fire Station, View Street