27 February 2006

Australian Arts on top of international buyers' shopping list

The more than 165 international delegates from 22 countries attending the 7th Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM), which opens in Adelaide today, could give Australian artists entrée to overseas touring networks and create myriad opportunities for cultural exchange.

This year’s APAM will feature the largest line-up of new Australian productions ever seen by international and national arts presenters and producers at the one time. Coinciding with the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts and Adelaide Fringe, the biennial event offers this influential group of arts presenters and festival directors a critical mass of Australian performing arts in the one place.

Thirty-seven leading Australian and New Zealand companies, representing theatre, music, dance and circus arts, will aim to get their work on top of the international buyers’ shopping lists this week. All are hoping to emulate the success of performing arts companies such as Chambermade from previous years.

Victorian-based Chambermade’s participation in APAM 2004 was crucial in its re-entering the international touring market after an absence of more than eight years, says General Manager, Robina Burton. ‘Chambermade’s performance at APAM was very much part of our plan to develop long-term international touring opportunities. APAM provided direct contact with international presenters that we would never have access to in Australia.’ After showcasing Phobia, Chambermade locked in tours nationally and across Europe in 2005, with more to come in 2006. The company also secured US agent, Itzik Becher, head of Aviv Productions.

Australia Council for the Arts CEO Jennifer Bott says: ‘APAM provides the most cost-effective way for international and national presenters to shop for export-ready Australian work. It would take many companies years to procure the contacts and international touring opportunities they can negotiate in just one week at APAM.’

Greg Mackie Executive Director Arts SA says Arts SA is proud to be a key partner in presenting the 7th Australian Performing Arts Market. ‘This is the fifth time Adelaide has hosted the Market (APAM). What always makes APAM in Adelaide exciting is that we host this international event alongside two arts festivals which are amazing in their own right – the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts and the Adelaide Fringe’.

The 2006 program includes world premieres and new work by some of Australia’s leading companies and artists such as Lucy Guerin (Vic) with Aether, Australian Dance Theatre (SA) with Devolution, Company B with Page 8 (NSW), para//elo (SA) with Lontano Blu and Honk if You Are Jesus by the State Theatre Company of SA.

21 November 2005
More new art goes to market at APAM 2006

The Australia Council’s 7th Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) will feature the largest line-up of new Australian productions seen by international and national arts presenters and producers at one time. The Australia Council today announced the 36 companies that will take the stage at APAM 2006 in Adelaide in front of an elite audience of more than 400 arts programming decision-makers from 25 countries.
APAM is a crucial platform for Australian artists and companies wanting to take their shows around the world.
Australia Council CEO, Jennifer Bott said ‘International touring opportunities are growing rapidly, particularly for small to medium performing arts companies. The key is to ensure international presenters experience a diversity of work firsthand, and develop strong relationships with artists and companies - APAM provides the perfect environment for this to happen’.

The program includes world premieres and new work by some of Australia’s leading companies and artists such as Lucy Guerin (Vic) with Aether, Australian Dance Theatre (SA) with Devolution, Shaun Parker with Blue Love (NSW), para//elo (SA) with Lontano Blu and Honk if You Are Jesus by the State Theatre Company of SA.

The program will also include some of Australia’s most critically acclaimed work over the last year, including Company B’s Page 8 featuring David Page (NSW), Force Majeure’s Already Elsewhere (NSW), The Last Days of Mankind by Circus Elysium (Tas) and Melbourne Theatre Company’s The Sapphires (Vic). For the complete program visit www.performingartsmarket.com.au

Fresh from their recent Melbourne International Arts Festival success, Chunky Move’s (Vic) I Want to Dance Better at Parties and Back to Back Theatre’s (Vic) small metal objects will feature at the Market. After its sell out season, staged in the main thoroughfare of Melbourne’s Flinders Station, Back to Back will take its production to Adelaide Railway Station.

Back to Back’s general manager, Alice Nash said the company was delighted to re-stage the work in Adelaide to a broad array of international presenters. ‘APAM will help us build on the interest generated by the Melbourne Festival, by introducing small metal objects to a wider international audience that we would otherwise never reach,’ she said.

Robina Burton, general manager of ChamberMade (Vic) experienced the benefits of APAM’s international reach in 2004. After showcasing Phobia, invitations to tour nationally and across Europe were locked in for 2005, with more to come in 2006. The company also secured a US agent.

‘After our Phobia Spotlight appearance, I rushed back to the exhibition booth and found people already waiting to know more about the production and book the show. I spent three days in back-to-back meetings, fielding an enormous range of interest from presenters all over the world,’ said Ms Burton.

‘What’s exciting about APAM in Adelaide is that we host this international event during our biennial festival of arts, one of the world’s leading arts and cultural festivals and the Adelaide Fringe, the largest Fringe event in the country,’ says Greg Mackie, executive director, Arts SA.

‘It’s an amazing time for participants not only to see the best performing arts represented at the Market, but to attend festival events and experience the best on offer from around the world, including performances, exhibitions, new films and our world renowned Writers’ Week. It’s a time when the entire city is buzzing with energy. We are proud to be hosting APAM for the fifth time,’ he added.

In addition, two New Zealand productions that reflect New Zealand's distinctive talent, Indian Ink's Krishnan's Dairy and Makerita Urale's Frangipani Perfume, will feature at the APAM with Creative New Zealand support.

APAM attracts some of the world's leading festival programmers. International delegates at the 2004 APAM included Julia Carruthers from London's Royal Festival Hall, Linda Shelton from New York’s Joyce Theater, Itzik Becher – head of Aviv Productions (one of the leading North American agencies), Helen Cole from the UK’s Arnolfini and Stella Hall from Newcastle Festival in the UK.

The Australia Council for the Arts established the biennial event in 1994 to increase international and national touring opportunities for Australian performing arts. Since then more than 60 Australian companies have undertaken around 150 tours to 1200 venues, generating around $30 million in revenue, as a direct result of APAM.

APAM will be held at the Adelaide Festival Centre from 27 February – 3 March 2006. APAM is an initiative of the Australia Council for the Arts and is presented in partnership with the South Australian Government (through Arts SA), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and in association with the Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Bank 2006 Festival of Arts and Adelaide Fringe.

For media enquiries please contact: Dianne Lavender, Public Relations Officer, Audience and Market Development, tel:02 9215 9071, email:d.lavender@ozco.gov.au

02/08/05
Arts market wants Australian performers in the spotlight

The search has begun for up to 40 leading Australian performing arts companies to take to the stage at the 7 th Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) in Adelaide from 27 February – 3 March 2006. They will be hoping to woo more than 400 leading national and international performing arts presenters, producers and arts decision-makers looking to take Australian shows on the road.

APAM is a biennial event established by the Australia Council in 1994 to increase national and international touring opportunities for Australian performing arts. Since then, APAM has directly resulted in over 60 Australian companies undertaking around 150 tours to 1200 venues, generating around $30 million in revenue.

One success story from APAM 2004 is ChamberMade. After showcasing Phobia at APAM, invitations to tour nationally and across Europe were locked in for 2005, with more to come in 2006. The company also secured a US agent.

“After our Phobia Spotlight appearance, I rushed back to the exhibition booth and found people already waiting to know more about the production and book the show. I spent three days in back-to-back meetings, fielding an enormous range of interest from presenters all over the world,’ said Robina Burton, General Manager of ChamberMade.

“APAM has been absolutely crucial in relaunching ChamberMade into the international touring market. APAM provided direct contact with international presenters that would not be available to us otherwise,’ she added.

More success came for Black Hole Theatre and Lucy Guerin in 2004. Both were booked by Stella Hall from Belfast Festival at Queens Northern Ireland, a first-time APAM delegate. Black Hole Theatre performed Caravan at the 2004 Festival, and Lucy Guerin’s Love Me will feature this year as part of a wider UK tour.

APAM attracts some of the world's leading festival programmers. International delegates at the 2004 APAM included Julia Carruthers from the Royal Festival Hall in London, and Linda Shelton from the Joyce Theater in New York . Previous APAMs have hosted Maria Magdalena Schwaegermann, now Zurich Festival's artistic director, who was instrumental in setting up artsaustralia berlin 02, a six-month program profiling and promoting Australian arts in Berlin.

Australian performing arts companies wishing to submit a Spotlight application for APAM 2006, are advised to contact the event managers, Arts Projects Australia, or visit www.performingartsmarket.com.au. Applications close 19 August 2005.

The 7 th Australian Performing Arts Market is an initiative of the Australia Council for the Arts and is presented with the support of the South Australian Government (through Arts SA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

APAM will be held at the Adelaide Festival Centre, in conjunction with the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts and Adelaide Fringe.

For media enquiries please contact: Dianne Lavender, Public Relations Officer, Audience and Market Development, tel:02 9215 9071, email:d.lavender@ozco.gov.au