Opera in Australia: Time for a Bold New Act

This is a wide-ranging thought-dump which I started, and can’t properly finish - I have Christmas shopping to do - (and an international opera festival to bring off on a shoestring…)

After three decades of producing, performing, and wrestling with opera funding, I've got some [more] thoughts on why our beloved art form is struggling. It's not just an Australian problem—opera is facing challenges worldwide. We have much to learn from overseas models, but the Australian answer will need to be hemisphere-specific. We’re not like other societies, and there lies our biggest opportunity.

The Great Risk Aversion

Opera's biggest enemy right now is the establishment fear of taking artistic risks. This has led to too many performances that look the same, companies losing their unique identity, and audience confusion about what opera is (and why their taxes should support it.)

The Australian Opera Dilemma

We've got a serious case of ‘checkbox programming’ in Australia. Funders, managers and administrators are increasingly calling the artistic shots. Well-meaning policies are stifling artistic expression. The funding stagnation situation primarily falls on the shoulders of government and its agencies, who, correct me if I’m wrong, are paid partly to dish out the dollars, and partly to be advocates for the companies they fund - through securing tax-payer funds. Whose failure is it, that working conditions for Australian artists have declined dramatically (pardon the pun…) over the past 20 years? (The complex issues of governance, boards and systemic legacy are substantial topics are reserved for a separate discussion.)

Opera Australia faces its own challenges in claiming a strong and unique presence. It is tasked with appeasing the establishment, holding on to its national profile - as an international player, adhering to government-set cultural policy, while also dealing with the corporatisation of their ‘rightful’ home as the national company - the Sydney Opera House. The pride when citizens of other countries speak of their opera houses and substantial seasons is not insignificant. A performing arts centre is a building, and they’re everywhere, but an ‘opera house’ says the art form is sincerely valued. The Sydney Opera House is a physical manifestation of the place that opera has traditionally (well, since 1973…) held in the Australian psyche. Touring is all well and good, but shouldn’t come at the expense of the main event.

The Collaboration Trap

The co-production model for opera seems to have backfired. Audiences struggle to differentiate between companies, which undermines their ability to cultivate strong artistic loyalties—essential for advocacy and support. This approach has also diminished the diversity of artistic offerings. While partnering with other government-funded opera companies to co-present productions seems convenient and practical, the primary focus on cost-sharing rather than prioritising audience impact or long-term vision has harmed the overall health of the opera sector.

Here’s a radical idea: perhaps collaboration works best if the contributing parties are unequal. Otherwise, the offering is the same old to the same old.

In my mind, it makes little artistic sense for Australian companies to collaborate on staging standard works like Mozart or Verdi operas, no matter how exciting or progressive the creative leadership might be. It is not that difficult to do a cost-effective staging of a 200-300 year old opera. After all, there are many prototypes. Co-producing new commissions however, deserves a pooling of resources, offering a meaningful opportunity to contribute to a lasting legacy. Such collaborations benefit the entire Australian opera scene by bringing new works of living creators to life—pieces that might not otherwise be produced—and often making them accessible in multiple locations. Partnerships/collaborations beyond the opera sector, such as with animation, cutting-edge design, cine-theatre, or art orchestras, are particularly valuable, and enrich the art form significantly.

Artistic Direction: Missing Ingredient

There's a real fear of letting artists, especially singers, have a say in decision-making. We’re people who live and breathe the art form - we don’t feel a need to apologise for opera being complex and multi-faceted. Some of us are not just pretty voices —we've got brains and ideas for connecting with Australian audiences too, but we rarely get to sit in the room where policies and programs are set.

There is a prevailing mistrust of the artistic vision, not just within the sector itself, but in the corporate/business/philanthropy world. I encounter suspicion regularly around what an artist or artistic company might ‘take’ or have to gain... I don’t think it is overstepping to say artists always give more than they take. And that an artistic vision is a just that - a dream of something that might be, with compelling ideas (but not necessarily the whole team) of what it will take to get there.

Has anyone else thought that the popularity of music theatre have something to do with the language it’s performed in…?

Or,

Perhaps Australian audiences don’t go to the theatre to read…

English National Opera (ENO) was founded with a clear mission: to make opera accessible to a wider audience by performing foreign works in English. The company's commitment to singing in English was seen as a way to enhance the emotional connection between performers and audiences, alongside accessibility for the so-called “working-class”. ENO's decision to deviate from its original language policy has contributed to a loss of identity and connection with its target audience - losing its footing with the hearts and minds of its audience, and ultimately, its funding.

The success of opera companies often hinges on their ability to balance artistic integrity with accessibility and cultural relevance, a delicate equilibrium. This challenge is faced by opera companies worldwide.

Germany - still providing Australian opera singers with their best hope of an ongoing salary:

As much as travel - and performing in another country - is a thrill, for many of the most talented Australian artists, it is their only hope of job security. Disconnection from culture, family and lifestyle is a prospect to be faced by anyone who happens to reach that distinguished level of artistic accomplishment and wants to sustain a career. In 1930s, prominent Australians bemoaned the talent drain. Almost 100 years later, it is still happening - our best artists are, mostly, on the other side of the world.

In contrast to the declining opera sector in the UK especially, Germany's opera scene has thrived (comparatively…) due to its willingness to embrace artistic risk. This success is not solely due to government subsidies or cultural connections - it is bound up in a fundamental trust in bold, artistic visions. German opera houses have consistently encouraged productions that challenge audiences and push the boundaries of the art form. Despite the criticism of ‘Regietheater* by those who are invested, personally or professionally, in ‘old opera ways’, opera’s survival doesn’t lie in what has already been written, but in what is being done now - because that’s what people come to see.

*Regietheater—directors going wild with interpretations—is a divisive topic - mostly, the criticism is from people privileged to know what composers and librettists might have originally written. Without new takes, we're running a musical museum - if you’ve seen it once, you don’t have to go back. The risk is of course that some productions might be outrageous, but at least they get people talking and spark curiosity for the next interpretation!

Rethink the Whole Funding Model

Time to Shake Things Up

1. Trust ‘outsiders’. Open up discussions and include ‘the great unfunded’.

2. Stop obsessing over ticking policy boxes. By the time its a bureaucracy states a policy, the world has moved on*.

3. Stop apologising for opera (the art form being expensive, complex, artistic)

The current (announced last week) review of Opera Australia is a start, but we need to think bigger:

1.Take a hard look at Creative Australia first / as well.

2.Question who's really making the decisions that affect not just a legacy, but a secure future for talented Australian artists.

3. Give opera its own, democratic, funding category - state and federal.

(Did you know that unless you’re an already funded state/federal company, you can’t actually apply for funding in a designated ‘opera’ category through Creative Australia? You have to choose to be peer-assessed by a music OR theatre panel…)

*recent events have shaken my confidence in contributing to the building of an increasingly progressive society. I continue to hope, and work towards, riding a wave out of this dystopian nightmare, which has people, instead of loudly blaming tax policies, governments and their agencies, withdrawing from the very thing that works to keep society informed, civilised and kind: arts and culture.

[Wo]Manifesto

From performances in iconic theatres, office-buildings, paddocks, car museums, and underground cellars, I have taken new works, renowned old works and hidden treasures, and imprinted them with our time and place. 

We are living through a time of rapid change. It is an important time to play with and push the familiar to create that operatic storytelling circle that can hold both stalwarts and newcomers. We can’t just keep repeating the past, and for many in Australia, that is what they think when they think of opera. We must grab that connection between where we’ve been and where we’re going, and be champions for a hopeful future: parameters are changing, for the better.

We’re not dealing with people who haven’t seen film or TV or YouTube or music video – everyone who comes into an opera theatre – or performance space – has seen historical drama, contemporary fantasy, verbatim drama – you name it, someone’s seen it, and presenting anything without taking that into account is, well, kind of pointless, because any time we have with an audience member is a bright spark that can be diminished in a flash by boredom or disconnection.

ACOCO is a company with a reputation for always stepping out first, and often beyond what anyone else does – and that comes down to a broad, big artistic vision, with a singer’s soul. It’s not enough to just keep presenting an annual season that conforms to a conventional pattern. That’s been done – and is already done – what excites me is the possibility of making our flagship festival output THE flagship Festival. A brand of opera-music-theatre that stands out from the rest, through strength and variety of artistic concepts, and the team that has a unique capacity to pull together. 

The foundation of any artistic endeavour is a unified, agreed vision for the end result – and artists and musicians, despite their different opinions and backgrounds, do respond  well – or at least professionally - to a big creative vision that asks for their best, their trust and requisite cooperation. 

My global view of sector trends and developments, broad experience of types and standards of productions - from The Met and Covent Garden to Bayreuth, Salzburg, Glyndebourne - all the way to back rooms of pubs in the UK and warehouse shells in the USA – has given me exposure to creative forces, combinations and story diversity that haven’t hit Australia – yet.  Digital – film – VR – immersive engagement, which has broader  - and positive - implications for things like breaking down prejudices, access, sustainability and reach. 

In these times when people have the capacity to pick and choose - and shut out, if they have pre-conceived ideas - ‘Opera for Everyone’ (or anyone, which might be more inclusive), is less about dragging everyone to ‘the opera’, as it is perceived by much of the GP, but enhancing that by taking elements of opera out into the community: making sure there is a presence bigger and bolder that people can’t ignore – and also, aiming to have ‘vibe’ different to other companies. I have many ideas of how to combine the rather conventional skills of most of the artists around us with creative collaborators who can come together on a mass audience artistic vision - not necessarily blockbusters, which assume wealth of the ticket-buying disposable income kind - but available, visible - there for the taking; unexpected, surprising, unobtrusive until someone engages.

We’ve been tugging on the coat tails of UK and Europe especially, training our most talented, and letting them go to the other side of the world so that they can do normal human things, like have a paid job and a career trajectory doing what they’re [exceptionally] good at…

The imprint of time should be felt on opera, just as it is on every other art form.  We have to confront the racist and sexist ideology within these works. The spirit of right now has to inflect everything around how we do it.

That is why ACOCO is developing as the most progressive and audacious company in the country. We go after representation on stage, in the creative staff, in the orchestra – we embrace diversity - and also look at accessibility in terms of how inherited repertoire is handled and what new pieces are being presented.

We have to do what film does – resonate with people in a sense that it connects with them and their lives in someway.  And people don’t expect to like every film they see, or book that they read - they keep going until they find something they love. We have to do that in opera - change the conversation, make the sector less prohibitive - cost-wise, language-wise, culture-wise. It might only be through a snippet of a relationship or a shared emotion or an acknowledgment of trauma – but unless we connect with people – many people – we are going to keep having the same old ‘why do opera, it’s expensive, no one cares’ conversation. 

I want to put that to rest by finding the funding (capacity) to do a variety of artistic projects that make those attitudes obsolete.

Compliments that sting.

Being called 'brave' and ‘resilient’ in the face of a seemingly immovable status quo stings, because it feels like a hollow consolation prize.

While I know the intention behind the compliment is positive, it highlights the growing sense of futility of my efforts against overwhelming odds. It feels like a pat on the back for enduring injustice, rather than achieving meaningful change.

I do appreciate the well-intentioned praise for bravery and resilience, as it acknowledges the challenges I face. However, I find myself grappling with the implications - it recognises my individual fortitude, but inadvertently shifts focus from the systemic issues at hand to my personal capacity to endure them. This subtle redirection diminishes the urgency for any one else’s action.

Being lauded for perseverance in the face of obstacles can feel paradoxical. It reinforces the notion that the responsibility for innovation and artistic delivery rests solely on my shoulders, rather than inspiring a collective determination to overcome shared challenges. This individualisation of struggle, though meant as encouragement, doesn't necessarily catalyse collaborative efforts that could truly advance our artistic output.

While I value the recognition of my efforts, I wonder how we might reframe this dialogue to emphasise collective responsibility, and inspire real engagement in addressing the obstacles we face.

Apathy: the guardian of the status quo...

Stepping into opera leadership was not just a career move for me; it was a mission to connect Australian audiences with our talented artists and to harness the power of operatic storytelling for today’s viewers. As a creative producer, I took on the role of a catalyst for opportunity, nurturing rising stars while challenging established artists to embrace fresh roles. This journey has been deeply personal, rooted in my love for high-quality opera, which began when I received my first professional singing contract, often at great personal sacrifice.

Fifteen years ago, being a female leader in the opera world was considered outrageous. Even with my credentials as a principal artist with our national company, I faced scrutiny and suspicion when I dared to start my own company. The prevailing belief seemed to be that a female singer could only aspire to sing, not to lead or innovate. Yet, each success fuelled my ambition, pushing me to expand my horizons beyond what I had initially imagined.

The path has been as rewarding as it has been challenging. In Australia, an undercurrent of disregard for artists permeates the entire sector. Budget cuts lead to shorter contracts and increased burdens on individual performers, who are often without the necessary support or financial capacity to maintain the high quality expected of them. Only a privileged few can afford the luxury of dedicated coaches and ample preparation time.

Perhaps most concerning is the scarcity of Australian singers in paid, ongoing opera leadership positions in Australia. Since Lyndon Terracini's departure, I may be the only full-time singer-artist in such a role. This represents a significant missed opportunity, particularly for our national company. We have a wealth of experienced performers, yet there is a glaring lack of "talent spotting" for roles beyond the stage. Unlike in sports or ballet, opera lacks a clear pathway for performers to transition into leadership—a gap I have long sought to address.

I am not a self-promoter; time devoted to my work has always been about achieving success for ACOCO as a company of artists and for our audiences, who often differ from those attending the Opera Australia or other state companies. My journey stands as a testament to the untapped potential within our opera community. It is time we recognise the value of Australian female artistic leadership and create structures to nurture it, ensuring a vibrant future for Australian opera - at home, as part of the global stage.

Apathy and narrow engagement have led to a failure to recognise the talent at hand. Perhaps it is easier to ignore the possibility that there might be different—and perhaps better—ways of doing things, in case it challenges everything there ever was... Or maybe the fear of ambitious female artists, reminiscent of the plots of traditional operas and inevitably ending in downfall of someone, keeps the status quo.

As I reflect on my ongoing, unfinished journey, I remain committed to advocating for change within the opera community. By recognising and nurturing the talent of female leaders, and the multiple skills of singers in general, we can pave the way for a more inclusive and dynamic future for Australian opera that spans an entire working life.

Courage of convictions

I was recently challenged on a point of ‘conventional classical music etiquette’ and put in the position of having to justify my directive - to reiterate the contemporary context to get my own way in the face of ‘tradition pushback’. It took me by surprise, because I had assumed that highly experienced professionals in Australia would have been aware - if not exposed to - the types of unconventional practises that are quite commonplace overseas - particularly as companies evolve in presentation of works in non-traditional settings, venues and concepts, and are consciously setting out to break down barriers.

It got me thinking about all of the contemporary opera, concerts and theatre I’ve seen overseas over the past decade or so, and how most of what I’ve seen overseas passes unnoticed - and, as a female stage/artistic director, I am challenged on ‘authority to direct’ more than male counterparts - even conductors (peers) will challenge my concepts and question my feedback. Not all bad; a healthy ideas exchange has never done art any harm. It’s the inherent assumption that the status quo in Australia is the traditional and the correct, that troubles me. Artistic decisions are always informed, even if a directive appears to be spontaneous - always, for me, an artistic decision underpinned by a foundation of expertise/experience, and an audience-centric mindset. Not in terms of subject matter or style of materials - but certainly in vitality and clarity in the end-game of compelling storytelling.

I thought I might try to list as many highlights as I can remember - extraordinary experiences of creators, performers, musicians and creative professionals pushing boundaries and breaking the stronghold of tradition and etiquette - which increasingly, holds meaning only for those ‘in the know’.

This will be a WIP as I brain-dump first, and maybe come back and re-order/add comments later:

I’d say this is a third so far…

PRISM by Ellen Reid directed by James Durrah - Beth Morrison Projects - Prototype Festival NYC

AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES written and performed by Rinde Eckert Culture Project NYC

MAI LAI written and performed by Rinde Eckhert Singapore Arts Festival

ATLAS by Meredith Monk directed by Yuval Sharon Los Angeles

WAR OF THE WORLDS by Los Angeles Philharmonic, directed by Yuval Sharon

FIRST TAKE by Wild Up and The Industry, Los Angeles

SECOND TAKE by Wild Up and The Industry, Los Angeles

TÊTE A TÊTE FESTIVAL London - Tosca in a pub

PAUL BUNYAN by Benjamin Britten presented by the ROH Chorus in an out of town arts space

NEW OPERA WORKSHOP Opera America Conference San Francisco

THE FATE OF FRANKLIN AND HIS GALLANT CREW Four Larks

PEER GYNT Four Larks

BLISS

POWDER HER FACE by Rufus Wainwright New York City Opera at BAM

THE MAGIC FLUTE dir by Barrie Kosky in collab. with 27

PETER PAN Royal Opera Covent Garden

LADY MACBETH OF MTSENK The Met

SYNAESTHESIA FESTIVAL MONA

MADAMA BUTTERFLY The Met

PRINCE IGOR The Met

ADRIANA LECOUVREUR The Met

RING CYCLE (Castorf) at Bayreuth

RAPE OF LUCRETIA Glyndebourne

CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN Glyndebourne

THE TWO FIGAROS UCLA

THE RING CYCLE Seattle Opera dir by Stephen Wadsworth

THE CONSUL Seattle Opera

THE PERFECT AMERICAN English National Opera

ROSSINI by Little Opera Theater NYC

FLY AWAY PETER Sydney Chamber Opera

THE ENCHANTED PIG Young Vic on Broadway

THE RING CYCLE Munich

VENUS IN FUR New York

THE RIVER starring Hugh Jackman New York

A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE New York

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES with Nathan Lane New York

HELLO DOLLY with Bette Midler New York

NEXT TO NORMAL New York

THE MAGIC FLUTE by Barrie Kosky Komische Oper Berlin

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHOGONNY by Barrie Kosky Komische Oper Berlin

4:48 PSYCHOSIS Prototype Festival NYC

THE ADDAMS FAMILY New York

THE FRONT PAGE New York

ALL THE WAY New York

BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO with Robin Williams New York

BILLY BUDD Glyndebourne

THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN Glyndebourne

SAUL Glyndebourne

THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA Glyndebourne

TRISTAN & ISOLDE ENO

THE PLACE WHERE YOU STARTED Mark Weiser Helix/Los Angeles

DIE WALKURE with Placido Domingo Los Angeles

CAPRICCIO with Renee Fleming The Met NY

Don't just bring 'the voice'...

FOR NEW - AND ASPIRING - ACOCO RISING ARTISTS:

If opera singing doesn’t connect with the very essence of the performer, as a human being with a story not just to be told but to be lived and felt and shared - and for that raw feeling to be poured out - the singer can impress, inspire, entertain - but still leave people cold. It’s a wasted opportunity - for everyone, and for the art form.

Every element of opera performance is about capturing the feeling, grasping the intention, making the connection. 

Everything learned from University, from teaching, classes and research - it has no artistic value unless it is connected to communication. For a complex character - audiences want their thoughts, breaths and journey - not ‘just’ the music/text/your voice.

If you don’t do that pre-work: the imagining, thinking, crafting - and you think your sound and musical preparation is enough, we may as well all go home now. We are here - as opera artists -  to make a difference; not to coast by feeling comfortable and safe in what we’ve learned.  

We need to take all that we’ve mastered - the instrument, the tools, the materials, and apply our own unique, laser focused drive to communicate - beyond the singularity of words, music and action. It’s a combination of voice quality and creative flair with applied thoughts and authentic commitment that wins people over. 

Perform as if your life depends on every phrase. Because in many ways, it does.

Opera and injustice

For the past ten or so years, we’ve been hearing a common refrain from philanthropic bodies, as they (and the general population) become more aware of the failure of government to address social injustice - particularly in access to health, education, and breaking cycles of entrenched generational disadvantage.

Today, I was asked to come up with some on-the-spot thoughts about opera and injustice:

With all the money directed to addressing increased social disadvantage and injustice, it certainly seems - from where I’m at - that the decline in support and valuing of performing arts by government and corporates have relegated so-called ‘elite’ art to entertainment for the privileged - through requiring direct economic benefit or impact from human/artistic endeavour. It is difficult to shake the feeling of ‘failure’ brought about by significant decline of government, philanthropic and corporate support for opera - especially non-mainstream opera.

A recent comment to me, upon being inducted in the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll, that “most of these women get paid extremely well for what they do”, reminded me of my naive student days when I thought that those OAM AM etc letters after a name meant ‘rich’. There is no doubt that recognition is reward in itself - a shot in the arm to keep the drive-hope aflame. Lifting and expanding human sprits for little economic reward requires a constant wiring of the brain to articulate ‘value’ beyond financial capacity or stability. It is undeniably wearing to keep ‘begging’ for support for creative capacity - and a platform for our highly-trained and talented artists and musicians - who were once children at school being given access and opportunities - and told that if they worked hard they would be ‘rewarded’ with careers. Anyone who graduated as a performer since the 1990s is realising that is simply no longer the case in Australia - the overseas talent drain is alive and well in opera, bemoaned since the early 1900s!

After offloading my own sense of injustice in terms of a lack of capacity to do more than I do, there IS potential to put contemporary opera to work in addressing injustice:

Contemporary opera can speak loudly for those whose voices are not heard.

Injustice includes lack of access to transformative and inspiring performing art - classical music - theatre - new ideas. Contemporary opera needs funding to be able to take its messages and its social currency TO audiences - not expect them to come to us.

Opera layers the narrative to convey messaging beyond conscious comprehension - sharing human physiological responses beyond the intellectual. Hair standing on end, heart racing etc - these cannot be faked, or ‘willed’ - they happen in spite of ourselves, and serve as a reminder that we are essentially all the same - human.

Collecting thoughts for a 10minute radio interview

ACOCO sings our stories of today, and tomorrow. 

ACOCO is committed to creating opera that is vivid; reaching the heart of our contemporary, diverse and unknown audience: inspiring anyone. Age, gender, sexuality, cultural background, politics - what does it matter? A human in a seat is what ACOCO wants. An 80 year old or an 18 yo - or anyone - experiencing contemporary opera  by our company for the first time is a win for ACOCO.

Is presenting opera by old dead composers in their original form presenting ‘opera’ or exhibiting nostalgia? Giant retrospectives sell, but do they provoke, propel…?

Contemporary - in presentation, creation, ideas - brings a vitality and even a sense of discomfort - I see that as a driver for human endeavour - conquering, mastering, trying - that’s life-force. I’ve never been one for complacency - or being told not to dream so big. What’s the point in having people with less imagination and courage telling you what will or won’t work? If I’d listened to those types of people - those who played safe and are comfortable only when all around them do the same - I probably wouldn’t have finished high school.

An opera singer may enjoy singing 500 performances of Tosca because it is comfortable, but I’d rather see people step up out of their comfort zones, musically, theatrically - and that also goes for the audience. 

Experimental opera/music theatre is a whole other box - and one I’m happy to leave to other people. My artistic choices are informed by what I like and see to be working elsewhere: stories compelling, music dramatic and effective - and the odd beautiful tune or harmony, rhythm or colour to simply connect instantly with people never goes astray. 

We can revere past generations’ achievements but trying to emulate or aspire to anyone else’s success or path is pointless - the context in which they flourished no longer exists. 

Looking for another Melba or Sutherland is symptomatic of the Australian cultural cringe - subscribing to the ‘old view’ that we’re not any of us worthy unless we can be as it was in the good old days. 

Contemporary opera in America and Europe is exciting - increasingly irreverent, astounding in creativity/artistry, culturally aware and respectful of diversity. 

Here in Australia we have new companies who still set out to do what everyone else is doing - where is the Australian identity and culture in that? Where’s the progress, and the vitality, if we keep doing the same things over and over?

FRANKLY: I’m tired of convincing people that the work we do is worth someone’s time and money - invaluable even - 

If people don’t buy tickets - and stop devaluing the artists by expecting tickets for free or ‘for a bargain’ - they’ll have only mediocre in the future. Quality is backed by foundations, and it costs money. It doesn’t just appear due to talent or instinct, or come out of nowhere. Everyone involved has to become more engaged in getting people into those seats. A name on a brochure, unless a world-leader or influencer, is not going to get people out of their houses. The social aspect needs to be led by everyone - those involved and those who value - to create an inclusive and celebratory atmosphere. Too much sitting back, posting/sharing online, and expecting the world to change - IMHO…

About the works to be presented on Oct 3:

THE LOSER - a flawed human being confiding in each audience member. Some of the details are shocking but you don’t want to miss a word - satirical, surprising and with a biting wit that gives way to cathartic laughter.

TO HELL AND BACK is a more conventional two person dialogue told in present and past tense. A fly-on-the wall view of a complicated relationship between a mother and her daughter-in-law. Both of the beautifully drawn and musically crafted characters make it easy to ask yourself - what would you do?

The nature of the artist

It is important to remind ourselves about why we work so hard, dedicate and sacrifice so much, for very little certainty and security. With the added complication of this widely misunderstood and sometimes maligned art form that is opera - in Australia, in the 21st century.

The pandemic and its associated difficulties have brought about soul-searching and harnessing of purpose like no other. Artists and academics caught floundering in the face of government and societal structures which offered little support for the very nourishment to which most turned during lockdowns. The internet did bring us closer together - connections across continents and collaborations from afar - but opportunities vanished, career trajectories stalled, funds dwindled and earned income vanished: our worth reduced to what we were prepared to sacrifice to keep ‘in the game’. We - artists - face constant existential crises - often asked “as clever people” why we don’t “just do something else”.

In that often-asked (and disrespectful) question lies the difference between artistry and creativity.

Someone suggested recently that essentially, being an artist was simply another creative profession. That personal and financial sacrifices for creative work were a choice, and not necessary: for you could simply apply your ‘creative’ talent to a less-demanding (and commercially-viable) form. It struck me that this attitude is wide-spread - reflected with governments renaming Arts Ministry to Creative Industries, feeding into a lack of understanding and valuing what it means to be AN ARTIST in society - as opposed to a creative professional.

By definition, artistry and artistic ability is the cultivation of skills and talents honed towards creating works of art. In short: art is an original - unique creation, with the intention of sparking an emotion or response in the person watching/listening etc. Creativity and creative ability is defined as the skill of pooling together different elements to find a solution to a problem. A perfect example is advertising - creative thinking and originality geared towards delivering a business result. The two are NOT the same, although they overlap.

Art and creativity share similarities, but the pursuits and deeper skill sets are different. As an opera singer, a belief in the individual voice as unique - both in sound and something to share and say - the belief in one’s worth as AN ARTIST and devotion to the development of artistry is at the core of sustaining motivation.

Call me romantic, but I believe most artists on the other hand are ‘called’. We all call upon creativity in various aspects of our lives, and most certainly complex creative thinking is part of producing any work of art - particularly so for the greatest of all collaborative performing arts: opera. Creativity can be applied, but artistry is, for the most part, other-worldly.

Artists are here, not to solve a problem or produce a commercial result - nor to necessarily ‘make sense’ - we’re here to connect, inspire awe, provoke dialogue, and sometimes, to surprise; othertimes, to charm

“It is one thing to get all the notes right…it is another thing to play the thoughts within the notes, the light around them, the darkness behind them, the silence at the end of the phrase. That is what inspires awe.”

ALEX ROSS, "The Art of Fantasy," The New Yorker, Mar. 17, 2003

CHARM:

To subdue, control, or summon by incantation or supernatural influence; to affect by magic.

Smoke and Mirrors

“15M FOR THE ARTS”, they scream. “SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS” they cry. The media doesn’t report with a critical eye. They print what they’re given - because it has all the hallmarks of a “good news story”.

When I receive the notifications, I hungrily drill down into the detail - pick out the bits that might apply, check the web links (always the announcement is made before the website is updated), look for the support that might mean something to our 12 yo company, and employment for our artists/musicians.

With a lifetime habit of hopefulness, I ignore the rising sense of distress about spending another two days (at least) of what should be artistic, creative, productive time on a grant application designed to be difficult - designed to put off small companies without operational resources.  And, if 1 out of 10 applications happen to be successful, the grant rarely covers any ‘normal’ recompense of time spent in the cycle of apply, communicate, contract, get approval for logo placement and associated creative rationale, change any perceived ‘critical’ program note, report and acquit. 

In the latest Victorian government announcement, it’s pretty clear that the support is for those bigger companies that have the capacity to lobby - to use their might, not for the greater good of the fabric of what used to be called “the creative capital”, but to fight for their own survival - they already get to keep their overheads and administrative machines enabled by multi-year operational funding agreements, which are not available for SMEs.

Drilling down shows that 15M is nowhere near enough.  If the government really wants to help, they could stop with grant applications.  If State and Federal governments can keep putting money directly into accounts on the basis of COVID-19, without tender or recurring applications, then surely arts grant applications can stop too. 

The department could take a look at the arts companies that have been in operation - regardless of size - continuously for the last ten years. Go back to their 2018/2019 income. Give every company 10% of that year’s turnover.  That would be something to get excited about because it would give rise to artistic choices.  

“Mr. Pearson said the changes would apply to large groups such as the Melbourne Theatre Company and the Australian Ballet.

“It’s about allowing them to get back to doing what they do best,” he said”.  

An SME has to apply for max. $10K grant - but the website isn’t updated yet. There are grants for region-based organisations (up to $15k) and disability-led/access-focused organisations. In the early 1990s, when working with Barrie Kosky, he and I were applying for $10k grants.  In real terms today, that is $21,000.  Is it sensible and rational to contemplate another 10-12 page application for ½ the support? 

Recycle the grant material people say. (Each project is different). Use the application you did last time, they say. (The questions/criterion have changed and the project is different).  Isn’t it great about government support for the arts, they say?  

A Media Release grants a government a lot of goodwill. No wonder there are so many announcements.

Awards can be so rewarding...!

My last post - a very long time ago - was all about the melancholy and sense of loss of live theatre and performance. Obviously, that type of thinking didn’t last long, as we ‘pivoted’ to online delivery of our 3rd Yarra Valley Opera Festival. It is all very well to have bold ideas, but without the extraordinary skill, talent and dedication of the people I am privileged to work - and dream - with, that ‘outlandish’ plan to put our festival pieces online could very well have come to nought. After the initial lockdown in Victoria, and the unfolding real-life drama around the world, with cancelled contracts, travel, opportunities, income, as a producer and leader in the opera - performing arts industry, I felt a responsibility to keep our artistic toes in the water, and maintain a sense of ‘company spirit’, come what may. It was a bigger task than first imagined, as Victoria went into an ongoing, difficult, wintry four-month lockdown, and worse, a 5KM travel limit was put in place. With the Yarra Valley excitingly close to Melbourne for a live festival, as an online event in lockdown, it may as well have been on the other side of the country! But…, we had singers and artists and technicians willing to change modes of delivery - and drones, and cinematographers and editors played a bigger than usual role in creating 10 days of online opera performances.

For singers, the prospect of recording their roles wasn’t a big deal - the challenge was Zoom rehearsals and read-throughs, being isolated in preparation and performance, AND then for most, not being able to record on-site. Sending in audio files and having to re-do, over and over, drew on a level of patience that is easier when you’re in a rehearsal room with others with immediate feedback. The technological requirements stretched new and developing skills - such as padding a wardrobe to attain compatible recording levels, and having an argument imagining your duet partner directly staring down a camera lens, whilst surrounded by 3 microphones recording live to a backing track recorded interstate, or, in the case of Figaroll, in Switzerland! What came through wasn’t just the intrepid nature of 21st-century opera artists, but a spirit of determination and resilience that has come to define ACOCO as a company. We don’t (yet) have government funding for operational costs, or major corporate partnerships, or thanks to COVID, a steady event income. Fortunately for us, we have our artists, musicians, creative minds and our multi-tasking production crew, who are all about excellence, collaboration and courage, and who execute work for minimum award rates and are deserving of much more.

Producing the 2020 Yarra Valley Opera Festival was exhilarating, stressful, inspiring and risky. To be given a Green Room Award for Programming - “for "innovative and adaptive programming, allowing their festival not only to run but to reach new audiences" - is a testament to the wonderful, generous spirits who created the roles, the content and the platforms. We are now looking at ways to incorporate digital and online content to continue to spread access beyond those in our geographic bubble - it was truly gratifying to connect with people profoundly at such a trying time.

Thank you Green Room Association for the award - it came as a big surprise, and appreciated on behalf of everyone involved.

Missing 'the undiscovered'.

I’ve been trying to articulate what is missing for me personally, in the tsunami of online performing arts content - excellent, slick streamed and replayed performances, trained singers in Brady bunch configurations singing sentimental songs, cute snippets of opera singers and celebrities in their ordinary houses singing ordinary songs extraordinarily, people speaking truth to power with friends from their homes without filters, without editing, without quality equipment - fuzzy archival footage (like ours - just a record, a tool for artist reflection) never meant for a public forum, quizzes, links to historical recordings, cheerful, artistic people sharing freshly baked bread pictures and duck ragù recipes - and sorry to say, I feel overwhelmed, and disinclined to listen or watch any more than a tiny portion of any of it.

In amongst all the wonderful outpourings of creativity at my fingertips, it strikes me that I am truly yearning for my music-opera-theatre to be conceived, rehearsed, crafted and delivered for me (amongst others) in a designated performance or theatre space. I’ve seen enough of the inside of peoples’ homes from Grand Designs and aspirational trawls through real estate video brochures.

Richard Brody’s article in The New Yorker has him missing ‘the obscurity of the undiscovered’ in the movie theatre, and it strikes me that ‘the undiscovered’ is what opera - or any live performance - has in spades, over the online variety. One aspect of live performance that we cannot reproduce online is the lack of filter; the element of danger - something could go slightly or ridiculously wrong - and because we have taken away the individual’s capacity to press pause, turn down the volume, get rid of background noise, taken away tools enabling multitasking, we ramp up expectation and potential exhilaration, draw a room full of strangers into an unknown connection or unanticipated effect that comes from the transfer of waves and vibrations in human-with-human contact. An audience member is alone - isolated - usually in a seat - but in the same place as the art - the performances - the vibration - the skill - the shared.

The clamour to be seen ‘being artistic’ online - particularly on social media - probably mirrors how unseen we - the performing arts - are, in the grand scheme of government priorities and understandably, health crisis management.

There is pressure for all arts organisations to join the online chorus - and we’ve put a toe or two in, with another couple to come - so as not to be antisocial, and to maintain some kind of contact - but sigh; Iive is live is live, and I long to be back on the boards with ‘my’ people - on-stage, back-stage off-stage and front-of-stage - being there, together.

The Handmaid’s Tale - Australian Premiere - Ruders/Bentley - 2019

The Handmaid’s Tale - Australian Premiere - Ruders/Bentley - 2019

Dream, or despair...

The imposed shut-down of our social lives - particularly, arts and culture, is for me a mixed blessing; in the sense that time at home gives rise to dreaming and creativity, and time at home also indicates a real and worrying loss of income. I find I have 9.6 weeks of long service leave accrued, which may be helpful in keeping our NFP afloat in a time where we are unable to present our regular public performance program, but nevertheless, the uncertainty and incapacity to plan - with the downward curve of the pandemic expected sooner than the upward curve of the economy - well, we all know even with a projected budget surplus where funding for the arts was going, so a recession with or without a virus is, to put it mildly, not great.

I started an opera company/studio at the beginning of the GFC in 2009. Took the risk, worked almost without stopping for ten years+, and we’re still standing, as the song goes.

Someone I know said that I chose to work in this field, and the fact that he earns 5 times as much as I do is justified; essentially, because he doesn’t enjoy his work as much as its perceived I enjoy mine. On the enjoyment scale, I concede that at times, mine

is likely well and truly off the scale - and I like the thought that for people participating - performing and watching - that their enjoyment factor is off-the-scale also. The inherent risk in choosing to work in live performance is of course, now coming to pass - risk we’ve kept (mostly…) in check through imagination and efficiency.

Now that we’ve lost our live, pulsating, cheering, tingling audience - for the time-being - and we’ve lost our so-called ‘earned’ income, it shines a bright light on our donors and supporters, who enable our work to carry on behind the scenes - learning music, imagining and planning productions, formulating schedules and marketing materials - and continuing to nourish our Studio Young Artists with advice, repertoire, coaching and hope.

Lockdown is coming. We are naturally concerned about how - and how long - we will need to keep the public and the wolves from the door.

MOON SQUARE (1).png

Speech: Opera is dead.

Long live opera.

Hello, I am Linda Thompson - formerly, principal soprano with Opera Australia, where I performed more than 20 principal roles at the Sydney Opera House, former Head of Classical Voice at Monash University. Currently, Artistic Director and founder of Australian Contemporary Opera Company [ACOCO] - and the Yarra Valley [Australia’s only] Opera Festival. To get us all into an opera-state-of-mind, I’d like to introduce you to three extraordinarily talented, dedicated young artists. On piano is Jane Matheson - Jane incidentally was our very first repetiteur / opera pianist in training in 2009 - and is now a regular pianist with Opera Australia. Georgia Wilkinson and Naomi Flatman are in their second year with ACOCO - Young Artists who will both make major role debuts in our Festival in October. [Sous le dôme épais - LAKMÉ - Delibes]

Thank you very much Robyn, for inviting me here to speak tonight, and to you all for coming along so that we can talk about my favourite topic - opera - and its necessary reshaping and redesign for the 21st century.

I’ve subtitled tonight’s introductory speech ‘Opera is Dead, Long Live Opera’. Of all the performing arts, opera fights a never-ending battle for survival - audiences are becoming harder to win over, as pre- and misconceptions are carried from one generation to the next - but it doesn’t - and cannot - die. We must not drop the baton. It must change however; in Australia particularly, not least to win over people who increasingly have more competition for their free time - and less free time - than ever before. Opera is relatively new in Australia - although the earliest records of Australian colonial theatres show touring overseas opera companies were here as early as 1842 - here in Melbourne, it was almost 100 years later that Miss Gertrude Johnson OBE, a protégé of Melba, came back from London and in 1934 started her own company - The Australian National Theatre Company - which included the first Australian schools for opera, drama and ballet. Twenty years later, in 1954, her company gave a Royal Command performance for Queen Elizabeth II, and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust was subsequently formed - however, in a spectacular display of Sydney-Melbourne rivalry - out of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust ‘The Australian Opera Company’ was born, initially as a touring company - with Sydney as a home base. I give that historical context primarily to explain give background into our own pioneering spirit, and of this company I founded ten years ago - now known as ACOCO - named to honour a trailblazing and under-celebrated Australian woman. To link a similar determination and sense of responsibility in establishing - the only Australian Opera Festival - the Yarra Valley Opera Festival (after ten years of Melbourne-centric performances) - as a third pillar of professional opera in Australia - not in competition but alongside our State and National companies - with a view firmly on the future of opera - the art, audiences, performers - for the 21st century.

When I was in my final year at University, I met and formed a little opera company with Barrie Kosky. For those of you who are not familiar with Barrie - he is a Melbourne-born, Berlin-based opera director. Not just any opera director - he has twice been awarded International Opera Director of the Year. Which, for those of you unaware, is like winning an Olympic Gold medal - twice. After being at the helm of the Komische Opera - so-called ‘comedy opera’ - but essentially one of the three major opera houses in Berlin - Barrie redefined the ‘komische opera’ for Berliners, or more appropriately, he defined it - making it a welcoming place full of productions that are awe-inspiring, sometimes hilarious, sometimes shocking, sometimes both. The big difference between opera in Australia and opera in Berlin obviously, is the level of funding - and the government subsidised ticket price, which for most Germans means going to the opera is like going to a movie. Barrie has an artistic budget in Berlin that Australian - and most UK - opera companies can only dream of. For all our joint experience - from the Union Theatre at Melbourne University and TheatreWorks in St Kilda to Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, Bayreuth, The Met - we remain firmly connected by a driving force - one we have devoted our working lives to since we were both in our early 20s - and that is, that the story or the message is supreme, and the quality elements are not there to be revered - they are to be used to reach people, to move people - to be transformed and to transform. Barrie says: “in an opera evening, your senses must be intoxicated. Otherwise, what’s the point?” It is not by chance that Barrie’s Komische Opera House is noted equally for how interesting the productions AND its audience are…

AUDIENCES TODAY AND FUTURE

The National Review of Opera investigated audience disengagement from opera over 2009 - 2013 - without properly acknowledging the possible effect of the GFC - but most interesting, they found in their surveys that many people, young people especially, viewed it as not an ‘art of our time’. There is a strong call for Australian content on our stages, and I agree that is absolutely necessary, but I also suggest that old works looked at with Australian eyes can have an impact as profound in shifting perceptions and creating points of connection. There is a glaring statistic that I think fuels the discontent stirred up in the industry from time to time. That is that the artistic voices / leaders in our comfortably government funded opera companies are 90% white men over 60. That is not meant as a political jibe or a criticism - will. need to be stated as a fact until society is aware that the issue exists, and can be driven to shift something. It impacts not only the creative voices, but as the vast majority of funding is tied up there, has a far-reaching effect into the future - and the survival of opera. Until there is more diverse creative leadership - by that I mean artistic leaders - those that have the power to say whose, which, how and by whom the stories will be told - and that is not performers, or management - opera will be stuck in the 20th century. It may be controversial to say, but our opera artistic leadership is stagnant - therefore most of our opera is similarly stuck and lacking. We need an influx of innovative thinkers, of varied social and cultural backgrounds involved in the telling of these wonderful stories - old and new - or opera will struggle to be important to an Australian population in the 21st century. Our driving force is to have an audience member so overcome with the thoughts and feelings that they either didn’t know what to think, even if some will hate it...most of time when people say they hate something, it is because of how it made them feel - so we let them feel - encourage visceral , gut reactions - the primary goal is to have them moved, and the second is to have them think - but you can’t control the second as a performer - the creative team does that. And if those creative teams - particularly stage directors - continue to be 85-90% men, is it any wonder the thinking part of it has not been ignited? I’ve nothing against great male directors and male conductors. But opera doesn’t have time to continue with complacency and same-old. You have one chance usually, to convince someone to give you their trust and keep coming back.

As I have been growing audiences for Gertrude Opera’s work - we have produced more Australian premieres than any other company in Australia in the past 8 years - it becomes clear that there is not only a young generation - youth - that are not connected with opera and what it means for the human spirit - there are people in their 40s, 50s, 60s plus who have never been, who have never viewed opera as ‘for the likes of them’, and who consequently are not bringing their children and their grandchildren. If anyone wants to listen or watch, it is on a screen somewhere - but we - those who know and care - we know that it is only live performance that can reach in and grab hold of someone. I truly believe this type of connection is going to be the most sought after with the rise of AI, automation and technology. Humans instinctively - eventually - seek out what they are missing. Some of my favourite audience feedback quotes from last year: “We loved it. Our first visit to the opera, and we cannot wait for next year” Heinz and Helga (in our 80s.) “It was amazing! This event will stay with me. (I am 75) “I found a new love this week. I have always thought that opera wasn’t my thing, however this has blown my mind…simply stunning.” “for me it has made as bit a cultural impact as the introduction of Tarrawarra Museum of Art to the Valley” “my nine year old is off to his guitar lessons today with an invigorated spring in his step” “my 14 year old daughter’s first opera experience and ‘she wasn’t bored at all - she quite liked it” which from a fairly critical teenager is high praise”

FESTIVAL OPERA

Through my determination to bring festival opera to Australian audiences, and with my experience growing Gertrude Opera’s audience, I know that there is an audience for opera in Australia - it just isn’t the audience it has now. I know opera is a living, breathing art form that is current, vibrant, relevant and fresh. Festivals are Australia’s fastest growing format for consuming live music, and it is the right way to reach our new audience. Festival opera is allowed to be bold, to be progressive, and to be theatrical - performed without conductor sometimes, in the round at others - risky, bold, irreverent, cheeky - as a rule, not as a novelty.

The bonus of being lifted out of one’s normal environment to enjoy world-class opera in a non-traditional space - such as a ‘tent-theatre in a paddock nestled in the Yarra Valley - adds a whole new level of social engagement. I have, from the days I ran a company with Barrie Kosky, and to now, when I’ve seen A-House, B-House, student opera, pub opera, festival opera and experimental opera - had an artistic impulse to play with the material to incorporate elements of old and new.

Gertrude Opera, through its company of established and young artists, musicians and creative teams, is re-vitalising the art form. Presenting new works, presenting new ways of seeing old works - and, shock, horror, we’re taking master works and messing with not only the story-telling, but with the soundscapes. Generations of audiences who’ve grown up with film and video game scores, recorded music, sound effects and amplified instruments don’t hold prejudices around what opera ‘should’ sound like... We’re singing the old melodies that are like honey for the voice and tonic for the ear - keeping the finely crafted combination of words and emotion - unamplified - AND adding a 21st century soundscape, with electric guitar, amplified strings, expanded percussion and electric keyboard.

Singing Macbeth is one of Australia’s most revered Verdi baritones - Michael Lewis OAM. He has sung on world stages, with the best orchestras, and yet, he is excited by our version of the orchestration which brings ‘rock’ musicians and opera orchestral players together. That a single human voice can ‘out-sing’ an amplified orchestra of 12-16 is simply extraordinary. That the two strands of emotional and dramatic expression can fuse to form a perfect, thrilling combination for an opera written in 1847, is tremendously exciting. So exciting, that James Black (of RocKwiz, Mondo Rock) and Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera) have jumped on board to contribute to the score. The production is in collaboration with a New York based company, Monk Parrots, and we are to perform a concert version at La MaMa in New York in December, with a full season planned in January 2021.

We’re taking a 21st century look at Monteverdi’s 1643 Poppea - his last opera - unlike his others, that were written for court performance, Poppea was written for a commercial theatre - possibly explains all the sex and murder - and it premiered during the carnival season. Using Melbourne-based composer/conductor and Artistic Director of Forest Collective Evan Lawson, to craft (or ‘tamper’) with that Baroque soundscape - to bring a romantic, filmic soundscape to a brutal, bloody and fascinating story - using the unusual combination of double string quartet with two (real) harpsichords - stage directed by Emmy-Award winning Australian theatre director Gale Edwards, it will be unlike anything anyone in Melbourne has seen before. In my role of introducing Festival Opera to Australia, I don’t think it is my job to convince or try to impress those who are already engaged in opera to come along - I presume they have a predisposed curiosity - my artistic spirit is geared towards capturing the many, many people who have perhaps thought opera is not for them, worried that they will feel uncomfortable, that it is ‘old-fashioned’ and weird - and that it is only for ‘certain people’. Or, they’ve been once, or twice or ten times, and haven’t gone back because they didn’t enjoy it - they were bored - or worse, alienated. What sets us apart? We sing primarily in English. We focus on text, on relationships and drama We shorten, change, alter material in the interests of audience engagement. I say this to you knowing that there is nothing revolutionary in what we’re doing in an international context, but in Australia, audiences have not had the experience of Festival opera, and nor have the majority heard of Glyndebourne - this shining beacon of festival opera that has evolved from a romantic notion of a very wealthy Englishman and his soprano wife to lead the way in dynamic, thrilling and bold productions. I am to announce tonight a secret, that is embargoed for a few weeks until the official announcement. Our international Artistic Patron is Danielle de Niese - she is an Australian soprano - who won young talent time as a 9 year old - and went off to live in America. She is married to Gus Christie, the grandson of Sir John Christie, who founded Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1934. (same year Gertrude Johnson started the National Theatre in Melbourne. (He too was told his ideas were folly…) That’s not the secret. The secret is: after discussion with the new Artistic Director of Glyndebourne, Stephen Langridge, Gertrude Opera is to hold a regional heat of the Glyndebourne Opera Cup. Other heats are being held in Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, Milan, New York & Capetown. Held every 2 years, and held for the first time in 2018, and now with a heat as a satellite event of the Yarra Valley [Australian International] Opera Festival, we will award an Australian, NZ, Chinese or Hong Kong born singer and send them to Glyndebourne to progress straight into the semi-final. It is an extraordinarily exciting connection to one of the most prestigious festival companies in the world. With our 3 operas, the Glyndebourne Opera Cup heat, and two satellite events, we are beyond excited about our 2nd Festival, and beginning to see what the 21st century holds.

CALL TO ACTION

And that leads to me to why I am here. We have vision and opportunity, but what we don’t have is sufficient funding. It is clear that the big AMPAG / government pie is not going to be divided up and change our fortunes anytime soon - and so we are appealing to people who believe in what we are doing, for opera now - and for what we are setting up for the rest of the 21st century - to help us financially. The performers and I - we’ve all been the beneficiaries of philanthropy to get us to this point - and from those opportunities, this enterprise has grown - a bigger, broader vision, which needs support. I recognise that it is difficult, in an environment where return on investment for shareholders drives companies, and social, climate and health issues trump the arts - pardon the pun. We’re in the bringing strangers together, of driving empathy, thought and wonder - helping to broaden horizons and spark possibilities. That is priceless. Food, shelter, health equal living - any living creature needs the same. But humans also need sparks of the beyond - Art - Opera - does that. Opera looks past what is squarely in front of us - past what we think we need and to what we didn’t realise we needed - it invites sharing - vibrations, opinions, questions, thoughts, problems, ideas, solutions, horizons. ACOCO has ticked over its tenth year of operation, and I have eyed this milestone with a clear vision of what I wanted to have achieved. What we look back and see is a little company that roars. We have a strong audience focus, and a theatre DNA. Our Culture Projects have used opera to hold a mirror to some of the most confronting social issues of our time - domestic abuse, immigration, cult - and our reshaped old works have engaged an loyal and interested audience - many of whom still do not step into the State theatre. I daresay the future of opera - or arts festivals - is not in musicals and light shows and digital backdrops and excess. The opera devil is in the detail. Harnessing all we know about ‘real’ human connection, about understanding the people who live with, alongside and far from us: opera-telling the stories of us and of others in our own unique and connected way to pass a 400+ year old baton and carry it into the 21st century. I know for sure that the only thing that’s good for opera is GOOD opera. The opera festivals with longevity value quality-control that is managed through artistic choice and brand alignment - you can’t just throw open a ‘festival’ to anyone who wants to perform, or you lose your claim on ‘excellence’ and the term ‘festival opera’ becomes generic, or a ‘community’ festival. We want to employ the best. To do that, we significant financial support - Angels, Benefactors, Patrons - to help us deliver our world-class Festival - and the Glyndebourne Opera Cup Heat - this year, and be able to plan for the future. One of the problems with being an independent company is a lack of capacity for forward-planning - we have survived ten years by being prudent, and only committing when we knew we could deliver and ‘land the plane’ as they say. I don’t want to change that caution, but we do need the capacity to be able to plan 2 - 3 - 5 - 10 years ahead. The government will help with marketing/tourism related funding, but not artistic costs (the people who perform and create) - Government money is tied up in the AMPAG / Aust Council model, and unlikely to change fast enough for us. We want to craft new work - new Australian work - we want opera artists to have viable careers in Australia and to act as a bridge to overseas opportunities - we want to be the future employer of our young artists we train, and most importantly, to leave a legacy of a vibrant Opera Festival style and culture for generations to come. We are all dedicated professionals, and passionate about what we do: we value our partners, donors and supporters more than you can imagine - if you have the capacity and the inclination - we’d love to welcome you into our company to be a part of shaping opera in Australia for the 21st century. Thanks again Robyn for inviting us here. Our singers will finish with a couple of pieces of music - which they will introduce, and then open the discussion = Q & A. Re-invent the Ensemble Company How much: $3M over 3 years (Victorian Opera get $4.4M per year/$12M+ over 3. They have no full-time singers) There are enough fantastic professional singers in Australia (or Australians who want to be working and living in Australia) to re-invent the idea of an ensemble - I want, ultimately to get an ensemble, five well-known singers, five unknown singers, five young singers, put them on salary for two or three years, and present works that you wouldn't normally see - or in extraordinarily bold ways. Put 15 singers on salary for three years. Put them into our festival operas, and then onto a bus. Get them doing charity balls and TV appearances and all the singing they possibly can - because they’re on salary. Have them sing for people who’ve never had the chance to see real opera-theatre - ‘ new’ or new-old opera- we don’t give them what they’ve seen on TV. Get new audiences hooked - on stories, emotional exchanges, relationships, dilemmas - see their own emotions be reflected through the drama, and extravagant imagination - places their minds would not necessarily have taken them - with the music and voices as the last element (the singers’ secret weapon).

DANIEL TODD AS NERO LEO WILLIAMS AS ASSASSIN IN POPPEA GO 2019.jpg

F.A.I.R.s FAIR

We must address gender inequality in opera leadership.  Across the board in performing arts, there are 29 Major Performing Arts Groups that are federally funded on a multi-year basis.  Of those 29 groups, there are only 2 female artistic directors. There are 5 government-funded opera companies in the MPA, and only one has a female leader - in the role of Executive Director.  'Straight' theatre has addressed artistic contribution with the determined inclusion of more than 50% female playwrights and actors. But that equality in representation has not transpired into artistic leadership - direction. With the current leadership, we have a state company receiving state and federal funding and NOT ONE opera singer is employed full-time.

For the future of opera in Australia, the situation must change. Opera Australia in their 2019 season have 29 mainstage conductors and directors - only one is female. It bears repeating. Just one female directing artistic output - out of 29 male conductors and directors. I am the mother of a female film director. Similar statistics abound in the film industry. I need to consciously play my part in paving the way for female directors and conductors to take their place in leadership/on the podium - starting in 2019 with Gale Edwards AM - females have just as much right to tell their stories, their way, on Australian and international opera stages as the men who are leading Australia’s performing arts companies and output.

To that end, we welcome your contribution (tax-deductible) to fund our 'FAIR' Syndicate (Female Artist In Residence) Annual contributions will support the employment of an established female director in our creative team each year, with their artistic output to headline our Opera Festival.

In 2019, our 'FAIR' is Gale Edwards AM, Emmy and Tony award-winning Australian theatre director. Just by having an Australian performing arts company led by a woman, [ACOCO] breaks new ground. Surely gender inequity in the 2020s shouldn’t be so glaring. Sponsors and government need to step up pressure also, and could start by providing additional funding for independent companies that are making a significant and balanced contribution to Australia’s artistic landscape, as ACOCO continues to do….