A dozen artists who reside in, or have strong links to the Illawarra will share in $24,000 funding for the development of new performance projects.
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In response to the COVID-19 crisis, and its effect on employment opportunities for performing artists, Wollongong's Merrigong Theatre Company 'rebooted' its MERRIGONGX Artists' Program for 2020, with an injection of repurposed funds for new projects from independent artists.
Artists were invited to apply for small grants of $2000 to $4000 to contribute to the creation of new work.
Among the recipients is Robbie Curtis, an acrobat and dancer who has worked for more than ten years nationally and internationally, performing, teaching and choreographing.
The 32-year-old grew up in the Illawarra, attended Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts and still has family links to the region.
Currently based on the Gold Coast, he's also worked with Illawarra groups such as Circus Monoxide.
His grant project is the first stage development of new children's circus work A Bee Story. He said it would be a family-friendly show, based on an idea he'd been developing for a while.
"This grant is really great, because it gives me the impetus to come out of this (period) having worked on something," he said.
"I can't wait to do it at the IPAC and rehearse there."
Curtis said receiving such funding during the pandemic was a "lifesaver".
"This year I had all my work cancelled," he said. "I was close to signing a contact with Cirque Du Soleil for a new show in Berlin, and there were various other projects that were on the cards.
"Everything just dropped off the Earth.
"I've moved everything online, and tried to be as resourceful as I can. So I picked up a lot of teaching work online, and I've got a bit of a social media presence so I've been trying to build that.
"It's definitely not a full wage yet, but it's helpful.
"But for artists it's been very difficult, as we haven't been able to get the eligibility for the JobKeeper (payment) because we're sole traders and we generally go from gig to gig."
The successful projects span a range of performance types and genres, including dance, theatre, circus, live-streamed gigs, puppetry, orchestral experiences and more.
Leland Kean, artistic development manager for Merrigong Theatre Company said they had an unprecedented number of submissions - 44 in total.
Merrigong's artistic director/CEO Simon Hinton said Merrigong has had to cancel 372 performances to date, and are now looking at a $4 million downturn in operating revenue for 2020.
"It is without a doubt the darkest hour I've witnessed in my 15 years at Merrigong," he said.
"Despite these challenges, the welfare of artists is at the forefront of our minds, and we are working hard to ensure that we're supporting local artists in our community to continue to create and connect."
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Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
