Sunday Arts Magazine

8 Jan 2017

All Things Midsumma, plus a bit of film

Arts, Comedy, Dance, LGBTIQ, Music, Performing Arts, TV & Film, Visual Arts

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Happy New Year to all our listeners! Brendan and David are back hosting together and Neil is breaking a sweat panelling in the background. Today the show is mostly about visual and performing arts at Midsumma which is commencing on Carnival Day–Sunday 15 January. Our hosts will be interviewing Midsumma’s Programming Manager, the Director of Gasworks, a performing arts Program Director from The Arts Centre and 2 performers doing shows at Midsumma. But, as always, Brendan starts the show with Film Reviews! First up is a film getting rave reviews–La La Land–a modern musical about trying to make it in LA/Hollywood, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling-4 stars. Next is a doco about Janis Joplin– Janis: Little Girl Blue. Our hosts discuss the famous blues singer in some detail without giving too much away-4 stars for this doco. Next doco is Author: The JT LeRoy Story which is the story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by author Laura Albert. Brendan gives it 3 stars but it could have got more if it was tighter and a bit more objective.

Midsumma Guests today are:

15:05 to 32:49 mins–Daniel Santangeli is Programming Manager of Midsumma. He is a producer but also an artist which helps him in his work as he can see things from the artist point of view. He also wants to present and support the richness and diversity of the LGBTIQ community. There are 130 events at Midsumma (not all arts of course) and Daniel gives an overview of some of them including: Midsumma Horizon (on 4 February) which is a new art extravaganza in the Testing Grounds open space behind the Arts Centre. It is based on the proposal–What does a queer future look like?–an idea which came from the 30years of Midsumma anniversary; there are 3 distinct and different Hubs— Gasworks, Hare Hole (Hares and Hyenas) and the Arts Centre; at Incinerator Gallery there are photography exhibitions–Convergent Pathologies and Beautiful Women; at Chapel Off Chapel there is Drag Formation (which is also going to Mardi Gras); Dolly Diamond is doing Bl*nkety Bl*nks at Chapel Of Chapel and also hosting Piano Barre at the Arts Centre; AND cutting edge stuff such as HardQueer DeathPony–a bizarre dance performance via Phillip Adams BalletLab.

33:49 to 45:44 mins–Tamara Jungwirth is Director and CEO at Gasworks and is here to talk about Gasworks itself as well as Midsumma events there. Tamara has been at Gasworks for 7 years and prior to that she that did arts management in Melbourne for 25 years. She was one of the first to do the new grad level course in Arts and Entertainment Management and one of the people to help put together the new museum in Carlton Gardens. Gasworks is bigger than people generally think looking like a giant red brick doughnut with a park in the middle. There are 2 theatres, 2 galleries, the large outdoor space, plus 16 studios for Artists in Residence. Also, the 2 theatres are being renovated so any theatre performances are being done outside. For Midsumma there is –a Spiegeltent-type festival village accessed through a giant inflatable rainbow; a performance tent called the Pink Pavillion; a Chillout zone with a lounge, a cuddle-puddle, a bar, a lollyshop AND a 10min/10person dance caravan. Shows include: The Desperettes on 27 and 28 January, Playtime staged readings of new queer theatre works on 25 January and an audience poll. There is the amazing Elizabeth Taylor exhibition (from 17 January) consisting of clothes, accessories, household items etc via Melbourne collector Wayne Griffin, who had a 30 year friendship with her. There is also a Priscilla Queen of the Desert event with film and dress-ups.

46:54 to 1:03:54 mins—Performer Beni Lola (Natasha Jynel ) is here to talk about her background and her show at Midsumma called Auto bio-queen on from 1 to 4 February at the Pink Paviliion in Gasworks Arts Park. Natasha grew up mainly in Boston USA and loved performing from an early age. She did many arts programs and was exposed to musicals and theatre. She studied theatre, film and photography and at 20 moved to Australia and studied English Lit and then a Dip Ed. She got her PR and citizenship and has been teaching English to circus performers and is a performer and writer herself. She has an unconventional view of the feminine and wanted to be a drag queen but couldn’t. She’s drawn to Las Vegas showgirls with glittery costumes and headdresses and also loves ballads. She was an exotic dancer at one stage. She’s recently more drawn to the idea of taking up stage space and not having to be perfect and being a vessel for people to access their own stories. Natasha’s cabaret show Auto bio-queen is based on her own life with audio taken from her autobiography especially her relationship with her brother. Here Beni does all the things that the social awkward Natasha (who also has a Borderline Personality Disorder) wants to say, think and do in public. And Beni can get away with it.

1:04:26 to 1:15:16 mins–Ash Flanders is another performer who has a show at Midsumma. It’s called Playing to Win and is on at the Arts Centre from 27 to 29 January. Ash did drama classes at High school, did a Uni course and soon started writing his own work. He and a colleague started up their own theatre Co. called Sisters Grimm which is very successful and world-renowned . They’ve worked with the STC and MTC and have done many shows overseas. They do very out-there shows which start in a cinematic genre and ‘jump the shark’ early on. He explains why. When writing shows like Playing to Win it comes very quickly to him as it is material that he’s interested and engaged in and he feels like he’s just talking to friends when he’s in front of a queer-friendly audience. Ash did the show last year as part of the Cabaret festival but now he has better lighting, a band- consisting of 3 women and David Barclay- and it is at the Arts Centre! He was invited to the Arts Centre by one of the —Daniel Clarke who champions local and queer artists (and is the next guest here). Playing to Win is basically Ash telling stories and examining pop culture with the overall premise being –how to win in this modern day (in the entertainment industry) and what does it look like.

1:15:35 to 1:31:56 mins—Daniel Clarke is one of 3 Performing Arts Program Managers at the Arts Centre–a role he’d moved to in 2016 after 5 amazing years as Creative Producer and CEO at Theatre Works. Daniel was inspired to be an actor after watching Mary Poppins as a child! He details his acting/directing/producing background before moving to Melbourne in 2011 which included roles in regional SA, Festivals in Adelaide (including Feast) and work in the UK(which he left and returned to Australia for love). He also talks about his experience at Theatre Works and the variety of things he does at the Arts Centre. They’re doing at least 7 events for Midsumma. Daniel is programming the Festival Barre for the 3 weeks of Midsumma. This includes– Monday Nights where anyone can sing along as well as Dolly Diamond singing; Djs every other night; talks on Saturdays; a Collecting Kylie fan event on 21 January from 1 to 3pm. Shows include Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo 17 to 22 Jan; Glorybox 24 to 29 jan– with special guests including Robyn Archer on 27 Jan & Mama Alto 28-29 jan, Panti: High Heels in Low Places on 2 to 4 Feb; and Ursula Martinez– a Melbourne exclusive show-on 30 Jan; AND Rhonda Butchmore 19 Jan to 5 Feb . Other events are the Globe Anniversary dinner 12 Jan; the artist and volunteer party on 5 Feb AND the Victorian Public Service Pride launch.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:09 — 45.8MB)

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