Our top 10 arts organisations to work for

  

What arts organisations in Australia are doing the most exciting things? Where in the arts would you like to work? Would it be large or small, big or bold, or just plain fun? Chances are you can fit all the people that do work there in a lift, but no matter, there’s always room to dream! artsHub has a think about some of our top spots.

1. SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY

It’s not just that they’re clean and green, are back to turning a profit, or that they’ve got Artistic Directors Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett, the Sydney Theatre is producing a buzz. Champion of the emerging, the Australian and the new, STC is one of the most interesting theatre companies around. The international ‘star factor’ is wooing audience’s back, as are international influences such as Frantic’s ‘Stockholm’ and Steppenwolf’s August: Osage Country. Next year promises to keep the trend going with traditional, popular, stimulating and significant offerings. Definitely a place to be.

2. BALLET LAB

If you’re interested in contemporary dance that’s provocative, iconoclastic and led by the most controversial choreographer in Australia then you should be heading to Ballet Lab. Works such as Miracle, Axeman, Brindabella and Amplification have forged a fervent following, though Ballet Lab still struggles for funding certainty. Creator and artistic director Philip Adams continues to be recognised internationally for his choreographic genius: he spoke at this year’s Internationale Tanzmesse NRW in Dusseldorf, in 2009 there was the EMPAC residency in New York and the company regularly tours overseas. For those who have gone through the ‘Lab’ the challenge and value of the experience has been far reaching. The Lab’s next major work ‘Aviary’ in collaboration with The Australian Ballet and generous support from The Museum of Old and New (Tasmania) should make 2011 another ground-breaking year.

3. BRISBANE POWERHOUSE

The Brisbane Powerhouse had it’s 10th birthday this year. It’s been not just an opportunity to have a party but a chance to look at where it fits in and where it’s going. It may be a bit talked up, but Brisbane’s cultural scene has certainly changed since 2000. With a host of thriving artistic venues in Brisbane these days, such as QPAC and GoMA, there are a lot of places to go, and likely increasing competition (with block-buster arts events and exhibitions and the like) to keep the crowds, especially the Gen-Ys coming. But the once abandoned albeit historic art-deco powerstation is now a hub of popular and innovative arts activities, home to the Comedy Festival, the Queer Film Festival, provocative international and local theatre productions, cabaret and music events, weekend markets and two swish restaurants. Director Andrew Ross, does not appear to sitting on his laurels though, and is keen to keep the flow of new works coming.

4. CIRCUS OZ

There are those, you know who you are, who have always wanted to run away to the circus. But if you want to be picky about which one, then in Australia Circus Oz would be a great place to be. Founded on being ‘funny, irreverent and spectacular’ Circus Oz has been entertaining families around Australia and the world for 32 years. For the past 16 years, their homebase in Port Melbourne has inspired creative solutions to spaital problems but they’ve never really been able to fit everything they do inside. Simply they’ve grown too big, and popular corporate and children’s classes are vying for space with performance rehearsals. With substantial investment now made in developing a new home in Collingwood, the hope is that the Victorian election result won’t change the future for Circus Oz. The new site will take three years and a lot of public and government support but offers a lot more space – maybe even enough to fit in a few more runaways.

5. PICA

Maybe it’s being so far away, so west, but the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) seems prepared to dare. PICA has a long and iconic history in Perth as an incubator and facilitator of the best in contemporary visual, performance and cross-disciplinary art. One of Australia’s leading contemporary arts organisations it has a strong reputation for developing, presenting and touring inspiring, challenging and innovative works from international, Australian and local artists. In a city of around 1.7 million, it’s a big ask to keep an acclaimed arts organisations going, and PICA seems to have always been subject to rumour and funding concerns, but battles on, such as the recent decision to continue a reduced program in its performance space. Yet, it also seems to be enviably engaged with the community, with programs such as Art Addicts and it’s HATCHED schools program. Quirky and intriguing live performance, such as the recent Dashshund UN by Bennett Miller, add to the communities connection to the PICA. But PICA does not shy away from challenging the community with art that is ambitious, confronting and sometimes participatory across a range of onsite and offsite spaces.

6. SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY

After 30 years of leadership by Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon, and the tragic loss of Tanja Liedtke the Sydney Dance Company under the artistic direction of Rafael Bonachela now seems set on a confident future course. Bonachela’s new work We Unfold is receiving glowing praise and his new personally selected troupe of dancers may well deliver his vision of a troupe that inspires choreographers to ‘want to work’ with the SDC. Their home at the Sydney Theatre is secured, their touring program is doing well and the injection of wide ranging artistic talents are all signs that Bonachela is set to build a dynamic artistically vibrant and crowd pleasing company. The SDC has always been an incubator of great Australia talent and hopefully that tradition will continue.

7. AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS ARTS FOUNDATION (AbaF)

The Australian Business Arts Foundation may be the government funded arts and business partnership matchmakers of the Australian arts industry but they do it with love. Giving out prizes to the best business and arts organization relationships is just one part of what they do. They also provide invaluable business advice, professional development and networking opportunities and advocate to the private sector the benefits of supporting the arts. In an environment where arts organizations are becoming increasingly reliant on private support, the role of AbaF is only becoming more vital. CEO Jane Haley leads a national hands-on team who ‘get’ what it takes to run an arts organization and help make them more sustainable, that’s got to provide a lot of job satisfaction.

8. MALTHOUSE THEATRE

New artistic director at the Malthouse, Marion Potts, universally acclaimed as one of Australia’s most outstanding theatre practitioners, has unveiled her line up for 2011 and people are excited. It may be the literary combo of Beckett’s The End, John Ford’s famous ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore and the the Hayloft Project again coming out to play but this time with Brecht’s Baal or perhaps it’s the return of Moth or the Dance Massive collection – take your pick. Pott’s collaborated with outgoing AD Michael Kantor on a number of productions and has been a big fan of Kantor’s ‘audacity and true artistic daring’. So, the Malthouse’s reputation as the ‘bedrock of Australian contemporary theatre seems set to continue. It commissions and produces more plays and they’re the most ethnically diverse in an Australian theatre scene that struggles with ‘vibrancy’. And, they proclaim to actively pursue and identify the best of Australia’s emerging and established artists to create unique opportunities for risk, ideas and exploration’. A bold goal, indeed.

9. THE WHEELER CENTRE FOR BOOKS, WRITING AND IDEAS

Bursting out of the gates in 2010 the Wheeler Centre, ‘a new kind of cultural institution’ has been getting Melbourne talking with (unsurprisingly) talks, lectures, readings and debates, often controversial and always entertaining. When Melbourne was crowned a UNESCO City of Literature, the Wheeler Centre was created to be the city’s water-cooler of discussion under the clever leadership of Chrissy Sharp and the wit of Director of Programming Michael Williams. It’s also the home to a bunch of literary organisations such as Express Media, the Emerging Writers Festival, the Australian Poetry Centre and the Victorian Writers Centre. There may be only a dozen or so people permanently on the WCBWI, and they may have some of the best literary credentials around but hey, if you’re interested in the public discourse of the most important issues of our times and books – it’s the place to be. If you can’t work there you can at least go to their events.

10. CHAMBER MADE OPERA

Dinner parties are so passe. Now you simply must have an opera, a Living Room Opera. This new concept, or rather old concept, of chamber opera, takes very small audiences into the homes of receptive hosts, co-commissioners, to experience opera up close and in the case of The Itch, which had it’s world premiere in November, uncomfortably (given the subject matter). It’s the ultimate bespoke entertainment, to be wined and dined then rub shoulders with an exclusive audience of ‘those in the know’ and the highly talented performers. The Living Room Operas top off an impressive year for Chamber Made Opera, with the launch of the world’s first iPad app opera Exile, ongoing collaboration with the Victorian Opera in workshopping and providing profession development opportunities for five new opera and musical theatre works, in New Opera Ventures Australia (NOVA) and MANIFEST a unique research project of auditory spatialised performance, where architecture meets sound. There’s a future in opera, yet.