DRILL’S 2019 REPORT
2019 was a year of unprecedented growth and success for Hobart’s youth dance company, DRILL. After a creative development in 2018 we premiered our Major Season NEON to a capacity crowd, featuring an incredible collaboration with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and three emerging Tasmanian composers. 2019 also saw DRILL presented as a part of Ten Days on the Island for the first time with The Stance, created by Brisbane-based choreographer, Liesel Zink.
In 2019 we tripled the scale and reach of our dance-in-schools program Dance Nexus, providing accessible, creative and non-competitive opportunities for more young Tasmanians than ever.
For the first time we offered the Choreographic Program in partnership with Tasdance and Salamanca Arts Centre, supporting young artists to create and present short site-specific works.
We welcomed Cathryn Gurrin as our inaugural General Manager, greatly assisting the company in managing the increasingly large administrative workload.
Finally, at the end of the year we shared the news that our founding Artistic Director Joshua Lowe would be leaving us after thirteen years of leading the company.
Please read on for all of our 2019 highlights, images, videos, reviews and statistics!
25
Performances
33
Schools
388
Rehearsals & Classes
11
Venues
2,243
Participants
11
Partnerships
4,996
Audience Members
11
Artists
For 2019, DRILL received $142,053 of competitive public funding, and raised a further $48,792 in revenue.
That’s a
26%
return on that investment
And a subsidy of just
$63
per participant
Or a subsidy of just
$28
per audience member
MAJOR SEASON: NEON
606
Audience
100%
Capacity
26
Participants
DRILL’s 2019 major season was NEON, choreographed by Joshua Lowe, Angela Barnard, and returning DRILL alumna Jaala Jensen.
NEON was a free-roaming experience, with audiences given the choice of how to watch and listen to each of the three works, which were performed simultaneously on loop. Featuring musical scores created by Jonathan Dieckfoss, Claire Farrell, Rhys Gray, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, combined with a riotous design of light and colour, this work was a truly unique experience for audiences. Also a part of National Science Week, NEON audiences began their experience with an hour of scientific experiments with artistic outcomes.
CARBON • KRYPTON • LITHIUM
NEON began by focusing on three of the many core building blocks of the Universe; the chemical elements. Each choreographer chose one element and used this is a launching pad for their own choreographic investigation during a five-month creative development in 2018. They drew inspiration from the elements’ chemical makeup, physical forms and practical uses, but also expanded on this to explore abstract concepts and metaphors that have relevance to both the participants and audiences.
NEON took place during the International Year of the Periodic Table.
AUGUST 14TH - 17TH, 2019
BAYVIEW SECONDARY COLLEGE
Click here to watch the video preview of NEON!
Click here to read the review of NEON by Robert Jarman for Artshub.
THE STANCE
7
Participants
~2,000
Audience
This monumental dance and sound performance investigated the choreography of bodies in protest. Performed across Australia, Asia and Europe, this latest iteration interwove the voices of young Tasmanians into movement and sound, creating a powerful and moving experience. An ensemble of Tasmanian dancers occupied public space and performed to live music transmitted through wireless headsets.
Inspired by recent protests led by young Australians, The Stance questioned what it means to put your body on the line for something you believe in. Both highly political and physically demanding, this imposing act of endurance channeled the history of public protest and recent acts of global activism.
The Stance was created by Brisbane-based choreographed Liesel Zink and in 2019 was a part of Ten Days on the Island.
Audiences were invited to view the work at any point during the two and a half hour duration.
Saturday March 23rd, 2019
10am to 12:30pm
Elizabeth Street Mall
this was a free event
Click here to watch the video preview of The Stance!
Click here to read the review of The Stance by Kath Melbourne for Artshub.
Click here to read the review of The Stance by Lesley Graham for Dance Australia.
MOVING EAST
Moving East was a new program for DRILL, supported by the Clarence City Council. Over two terms DRILL worked with primary and secondary schools in Clarence, connecting them with a professional dance artist to collaboratively create short works to be presented at public events.
9
Schools
6
Scientists
202
Participants
500
Audience
DUST / Clarence Plains Festival
In collaboration with Dancenorth (QLD) and Ten Days on the Island, DRILL worked with four schools to create their own short dance pieces themed on Dust by Dancenorth, which toured to Hobart in March. Students worked with artist Felicity Bott over five weeks, and then presented their pieces at the Clarence Plains Harvest Festival. Students and their families also attended a performance of Dust, and had a Q&A with the Dancenorth dancers! Participating schools included Bayview Secondary College, Rokeby Primary, Clarendon Vale Primary, and South Arm Primary.
Saturday March 30th, 2019
2pm
Clarendon vale Primary School
this WAS a free event
World Games Day
DRILL choreographer Hannah Vermeulen (supported by Joshua Lowe and Tullia Chung-Tilley) worked with students to create short dance pieces that were performed at World Games Day in Clarence. Each school was connected with a scientist from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies or the Australian Antarctic Division, who shared their work with the students and helped them create their dance pieces. Participating schools included Rose Bay High, Bayview Secondary College, Lindisfarne North Primary, Risdon Vale Primary, Warrane Primary, and Bellerive Primary.
Sunday June 30th, 2019
1PM
KANGAROO BAY
this WAS a free event
DANCE NEXUS
5
Schools
6
Scientists
86
Participants
785
Audience
Dance Nexus is DRILL’s annual combined schools dance program. Each year we work with selected primary and secondary schools in a 5-week in-school residency to create dance pieces around a common theme.
In 2019 DRILL connected each school with a professional scientist, who assisted choreographer Felicity Bott and the students to create a piece in response to their practice. Classes included learning about safe dance practice, warm up, learning contemporary choreography, and developing movement through task-based choreography. Schools came together for a combined performance day at Montrose Bay High School on June 7th. In 2019 the participating schools were Montrose Bay High, Windermere Primary, Glenorchy Primary, Moonah Primary and Kempton Primary.
Friday June 7TH, 2019
6pm
Montrose Bay High School
Click here to read the review of Dance Nexus 2019 by Kath Melbourne for Artshub.
DRILL CHOREOGRAPHIC PROGRAM
8
Participants
5
New Works
42
Audience
Through a new partnership with Tasdance, Artistic Director Adam Wheeler mentored young dancers as they created and presented their own short dance works. Over four weeks, 8 Tasmanian participants were given space, guidance, and provocation, while undertaking a choreographic exploration that was of interest to them. In partnership with Salamanca Arts Centre, participants were invited to use the entire building and grounds, creating opportunity for site-specific work.
JUNIOR COMPANY: ELEMENTAL
27
Participants
100%
Capacity
164
Audience
After an incredibly successful Junior Company program in 2018, DRILL once again offered the Junior Company program in 2019. This program is assisted by the MONA 24 Carrot Carnival, facilitates a workshop series for 1,400 primary students in the lead up to the call out for participants. The eight-week program for dancers aged 9-14 taught contemporary technique, improvisation, choreography, and collaboratively created and presented a 30-minute work. Through a partnership with the Peter Underwood Centre, the program was an eligible learning destination for Children’s University. Junior Company was hosted by Moonah Arts Centre, and choreographed by Angela Barnard, assisted by Erica Campbell-Graham.
Elemental was an experience of the periodic table through movement. The dancers looked at the contrast between life-giving and toxic gases, dug for metals and created human sculptures and machines, became tiny molecules that form H2O, and became elements that responded to and bonded with each other. The development process even included creating their own man-made elements!
CLASSES
In 2019 DRILL offered weekly contemporary technique classes for 9-14 year olds in Terms 1-3, with an average attendance of 15 students per term.
RESIDENCIES
DRILL employed three artists across three 1-2 week residencies at Mountain Heights School (Queenstown) and King Island District High School, working with 126 students.
WORKSHOPS
DRILL ran 44 workshops across 24 schools as a part of our Primary and Secondary Schools workshop series, introducing 1,534 students to contemporary dance.
SUPPORTERS
For more information or queries about the DRILL 2019 Program, please get in contact with us.
Cover photo by Joshua Lowe.