24 February 2021 08:53
MadeBy: Launch of world-first Australian composition-to-choreography competition
Entries opened today for a world-first composition and choreography initiative, MadeBy developed by OneMusic Australia and RAD Australia.
MadeBy highlights the business of music and dance, artistic currency and interconnectivity. It provides a $15,000 prize pool to Australian music composers and choreographers to create collaborative ‘works’ and integrate the two cultural sectors which are under immense pressure post COVID.
In a staggered competition, first Australian composers are offered the opportunity to submit an original composition with the winning piece featured in a second competition for aspiring choreographers within the RAD Membership, who will create an original dance work in response to the music. Along with cash prizes, each winner will then be given support to collaborate on a new work together.
In a bid to nurture the careers of emerging artists and educate musicians and dancers on the creative process, OneMusic and the RAD have engaged professional artists in both fields who will mentor the winning artists throughout their collaboration.
Competition Stages:
Stage One:
- 23 February 2021: Through APRA AMCOS (one of the organisations behind OneMusic Australia) emerging Australian composers will be invited to submit an original composition.
- The winning composition becomes the catalyst for stage two.
Stage Two:
- 17 May 2021. Through RAD, aspiring choreographers will be invited to submit a video of an original dance work in response to the winning musical composition.
- September: The winning composer will be paid to write and record an entirely new commissioned work in collaboration the winning choreographer and supported by mentors from each field.
- 2022: Their combined work will debut.
Rebecca Taylor, National Director of the Royal Academy of Dance said
“Music and dance are interwoven and supporting artforms. MadeBy is an opportunity for two organisations who underpin those artforms to come together and lead by example, in a collaboration which strengthens those links. So much more than a competition, it is a chance to see Australians celebrated for their authenticity and innovation and to provide transparency and insight into the creative processes of both musicians and dancers. It will nurture through mentorship and provide a platform to illuminate every step of the process. I am excited to see this project unfold.”
Mentors
Cat Hope
Cat Hope is an Australian composer and performer who creates music that is conceptually driven, in animated graphic scores formats for acoustic / electronic combinations and improvisations. Her works have been performed at festivals, broadcast on radio, and recordings of her works are published internationally. She maintains a collaborative practice that sees her work with dance, theatre, film and installation. Her first opera, Speechless, won the Best New Dramatic work in the 2020 Art Music Awards.
Alice Topp
Alice Topp is a celebrated Australian choreographer and former ballerina with The Australian Ballet whose own choreographic talent was spotted and nurtured by David McAllister AM former Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet and Vice President of the RAD. Alice was mentored by renowned international choreographer Wayne McGregor CBE and is keen to ‘pay it forward’ to the next generation of aspiring Australian choreographers as the mentor for MADEBY.
Judges
Judging the music competition are:
Chair: Cameron Lam, APRA AMCOS
- Cat Hope – composer and Professor of Composition at Monash University, Melbourne
- James Ledger – composer and Chair of Composition at the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Western Australia
- Alice Topp – choreographer and dancer
- Gerard Charles – RAD Artistic Director
- Grant Kennedy – RAD Australia Musical Accompanist
Judging the choreographic competition are:
Chair: Nichola Hall, RAD Australia
- David McAllister AM – RAD Vice President and former Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet
- Alice Topp – choreographer and dancer
- Gerard Charles – RAD Artistic Director
- Cat Hope – composer and performer and mentor
- The winning composer
Catherine Giuliano, Director of OneMusic said
“MadeBy is two grass roots organisations coming together to build awareness of one another and provide opportunities for their struggling arts and cultural creators. It’s a unique opportunity for us to educate the dance community on the value of music. It’s also a great opportunity for us to better understand about the music dance schools use and remunerate the right creators.”