It might be his first year as executive producer of Southern Stars, but Ian Millard is no newcomer to the Southern Stars family.
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Mr Millard, who has a day job as principal of Nowra Public School, worked as stage manager at the very first production of Southern Stars in 2001.
After a 13-year hiatus he returned last year as part of the management and creative team. When a search began for a new executive producer for this year’s show, Mr Millard took on the daunting responsibility for what has become one of the largest arena stage shows in southern NSW.
Mr Millard said it was an honour to take on the role, and that a lot had changed since 2001.
‘‘In that first year we were making things up as we went along,’’ he said. ‘‘There was no plot book or plan for how to do it, so we did what we do best and got creative.
‘‘We also had a lot of expertise and help from head office in Sydney to provide some direction as to how to go about putting on a show of this size.
‘‘It was a great first show but it was a very steep learning curve for all of us.
‘‘Fifteen shows later and it’s a very professional operation now. We have some very dedicated and experienced staff working on the show.
‘‘We have a dedicated core team and we are attracting some very experienced people – like this year’s creative director, Peter Hayward, who also works on Schools Spectacular – and a number of other highly regarded choreographers and musical directors.’’
Mr Millard said shows like Southern Stars has contributed greatly to the growing arts culture in Australia.
‘‘Fifteen years ago there was not as much of a focus on performing arts as there is now,’’ he said. ‘‘Children with a talent for dance and music were not as well catered for as those with talents in sport for instance.
‘‘Shows like The Voice, X-Factor, and So You Think You Can Dance didn’t exist back then. The arts have really come a long way in that time and I like to think Southern Stars too has contributed greatly to the culture of performance in our area.
‘‘Our students are being recognised for their skills and talents in drama, music, and dance, and it’s really inspiring to watch their confidence grow and see many of them move on to careers in the performing arts.’’
Mr Millard said another significant change over 15 years was the opening up of the show to schools all over the state.
‘‘We have schools from Bourke and Young this year and lots of new schools from various parts of Sydney, as well as from the Hunter region,’’ Mr Millard said.
There was, however, one thing Mr Millard said had not changed in over 15 Southern Stars shows.
‘‘It’s still all about the kids,’’ he said.
‘‘There is nothing quite like the joy you see on the faces of the students involved in the show. I love seeing their self-assurance blossom and the sheer enjoyment they get from being a part of this show.
‘‘It’s what keeps us coming back every year!’’
You can flip through the liftout that appeared in Friday's Illawarra Mercury here.