Ausdance VIC: Helping independent dance makers thrive outside the frame

Ausdance VIC is the peak body for dance in Victoria and one of their key priorities is building capacity, capability, and resilience across the sector. Their mission is to see dance thrive throughout Victoria. They seek to do this through advocacy, activation, and education.

To support this objective, they are presenting Dancing Outside the FRAME—a series of workshops and a public forum—at the 2023 FRAME festival. Ausdance VIC is delighted to bring this exciting opportunity to the Melbourne dance community.

Over four weekends in March, Outside the FRAME offers an extended occasion for a sector-wide exploration of what dance can potentially achieve through innovation, inclusion, collaboration and diversity. This inquisitive conversation will be headlined by leading sector voices—Phillip Adams, Caroline Bowditch, David Prakash and Professor Emma Redding. Together, presenters deliver an intoxicating and challenging potpourri of youth, experience, achievement, and science.

The workshops are for anyone connected to dance. Dancing Outside the FRAME is an opportunity to work and learn alongside sector leaders, who possess a powerful mix of insight and knowledge. Presenters will share their hard-earned wisdom with a broader audience to help shape a positive, exciting, accessible, and inclusive future for dance in Australia.

All sessions will be on Sunday afternoons starting on 5 March and are open to the public. Tickets are available from the FRAME Festival website. The single ticket price is $33 and FRAME pass holders get a 15% discount.

The first session of Dancing Outside the FRAME is with world-renowned founder and Artistic Director of Phillip Adams BalletLab, Phillip Adams. It facilitates an exploration of the dance industry through movement and discussion. In a focused discussion about how dance is dynamically evolving while still holding to its origins, Phillip will share his considerable knowledge of contemporary dance gained over a career spanning 30 years of innovation, risk-taking, and international collaborations. This session will be on Sunday 5 March, 1:00 pm—3:00 pm at Temperance Hall, 199 Napier Street, South Melbourne.

Next, enjoy a session with Youth Arts leader in dance David Prakash, a street dancer and contemporary artist who deploys his unique perspective as a working artist to combine two seemingly incompatible dance worlds. David will lead a movement workshop investigating the ability to create, consider, connect, curate, and collaborate beyond individual reality. David’s understanding of the connective mechanisms that allow street and contemporary dance to act as a catalyst for collaboration and experience in the industry will smash the stigma normally associated with having to choose a side. This session will be on Sunday 12 March, 1.00 pm—3.00 pm at WXYZ Studios, Lucy Guerin Inc, 130 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne.

CEO and Artistic Director of Arts Access Victoria, Caroline Bowditch, leads a movement and creative workshop investigating the ability to consider, connect, curate, and collaborate beyond perceived limitations in the next session. Caroline will focus on accessibility in dance and how achievements of the body are not limited if the mind is on board. Caroline is an advocate and performer. Sometimes described as a “mosquito buzzing the ears of the arts industry”; she is a champion for access and inclusion. Enjoy this session on Sunday 19 March, 1.00 pm—3.00 pm at Temperance Hall 199 Napier St, South Melbourne.

Lastly, attend an interactive panel discussion to round out Ausdance’s series, with Phillip Adams, David Prakash and Caroline Bowditch; facilitated by Professor Emma Redding. This final session brings together the areas of industry, inclusion, innovation, diversity, and accessibility in today’s fast-changing world of dance. After the discussion, attendees will enjoy an opportunity to connect with other dance industry professionals at a networking event, including light snacks and refreshments. Take part on Sunday 26 March, 12.00 pm—2.00 pm at Patrick Studios, Level 2/140 High Street, Windsor.

To purchase tickets and learn more about Ausdance’s Dancing Outside the FRAME series, click here.