THE FIRST SHORT BLACK OPERA PROJECT IN BENALLA FOR ABORIGINAL KIDS
- Progressive PR
- Oct 12, 2016
- 2 min read
Short Black Opera led by renowned Yorta Yorta soprano, composer and educator, Deborah Cheetham AO will run its first residency in Benalla for Aboriginal kids from 24 to 28 October with a FREE lunchtime concert on Friday 28 October at the Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre (BPACC). This project is presented by Living Culture Together under the auspice of Multicultural Arts Victoria.
“For more than one thousand generations the First People of this land have passed on all knowledge of geography, the sciences, medicine and humanity through the visual and performing arts. Short Black Opera understands that this is the most powerful way to know the world and give meaning to everything in it. Through this project we aim to not only inspire and empower Indigenous children but also to provide them with real pathways into the professional arts industry.”
Artists
Deborah Cheetham AO is a Yorta Yorta woman, soprano, composer and educator, and made her international debut in 1997 and has performed in the theatres and concert halls throughout Australia, in the UK, the US and New Zealand. She is Artistic Director of Short Black Opera Company, a national not-for-profit devoted to the discovery and development of Indigenous opera singers. Cheetham was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AOL) in 2014 for "distinguished service to the performing arts as an opera singer, composer and artistic director, to the development of Indigenous artists, and to innovation in performance", and in 2015 was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
Benalla’s indigenous children in Years 4, 5 and 6 will have an incredible opportunity to work with Artistic Director Deborah Cheetham AO and the Short Black Opera artists for the week. Each morning the children will come to BPACC to work alongside Deborah and the company’s artists to develop their skills in singing, songwriting, visual arts and storytelling. They will be inspired and empowered to explore their talents and cultural identity and will prepare a repertoire for a final lunchtime concert at the end of the week featuring a new song that they co-write with Deborah.
Short Black Opera Company continues to create sustainable pathways and produce high quality performance outcomes for indigenous adults and children, building on successful seasons of Deborah Cheetham’s opera Pecan Summer in Mooroopna, Victoria (2010); the Arts Centre, Melbourne (2011); the State Theatre Centre of WA (2012) and most recently at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide (2014). As a result of Short Black Opera’s training programs, indigenous artists are gaining entry to Australia’s peak arts colleges, conservatoriums and universities with a 100% completion rate to date.
Living Culture Together is the first project of its kind in Benalla, auspiced by Multicultural Arts Victoria, and facilitated by local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educators, community, arts and environmental workers to explore new ways of creating social and cultural exchanges among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the local community.
SHORT BLACK OPERA
RESIDENCY: 24 – 28 October
CONCERT: Friday 28 October, 12noon-1pm, FREE
Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre
To book, email bpacc@benalla.vic.gov.au or phone the BPACC Box Office on (03) 5762 5515 from 10am to 4pmMonday to Friday.
Share the love for this great company, giving children such valuable opportunities!
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