KAGE unfunded in Australia Council’s recent four-year funding announcement

Last week ended with bad news for many national arts companies as the Australia Council announced who would be receiving funding and in turn, who wouldn’t. Tragically, as many as 63 organisations learned that they wouldn’t be obtaining the core funding they desperately depend on. The effects of this could be significant. In addition to Balletlab (VIC) and Force Majeure (NSW), award-winning dance theatre company KAGE (VIC) was among those that lost its support.

For KAGE and many others, the funding covered operational activity. This includes employing five on-going staff, maintaining an office at the Abbotsford Convent and being able to plan for the future with security and stability.

On the cusp of it’s 20th birthday, KAGE is at its strongest, having had two different works recently premiere at both the 2014 Melbourne Festival and 2014 Sydney Festival as well as its international debut in Helsinki, Finland in 2015. It has created over 20 new works and employed more than 110 artists and 106 creative collaborators. Over the last 19 years, KAGE has continued to “rethink dance”, reaching a broad audience, including those who may not have attended a contemporary dance performance previously.

David McAllister, artistic director of The Australian Ballet, has said, “KAGE is a wonderful company that has always broken new ground in the development of dance and physical theatre.”

As one of the earliest contemporary dance companies to form in Australia, it’s known for its originality of ideas and artistic focus. It collaborates across cultures and disciplines to create works of skill, beauty and irreverence that are rich in ideas and resonate deeply with diverse audiences. KAGE has performed in every corner of Australia. It’s presented its works in 78 different venues ranging from art galleries, nightclubs, traditional theatres to outdoor locations. With an ongoing commitment to fostering the next generation of Australian talent, KAGE has mentored 37 emerging artists and arts facilitators.

One of the apparent reasons KAGE, and many other arts companies, has lost its funding is because of a decrease in the Australia Council budget. However, this announcement comes at a critical time for KAGE. The company is about to embark on rehearsals for a new work called Out of Earshot, as well as a creative development collaborating with Aboriginal artists and Sámi artists from Northern Norway.

The Chair of the Board of Directors of KAGE, Fabienne Michaux, stated, “One of KAGE’s most significant achievements has been proving that live performance can tackle taboo topics with great grace and beauty. One of the things I love most about KAGE is its accessibility – not only through the performances it creates, but through its collaborations with different communities drawing them into the artistic process in the development phase of new works. It can also be seen long after the curtain falls through inclusion of works on the VCE playlist and in the case of Sundowner by making a DVD of the performance available through aged care facilities.”

Kate Denborough and Gerard Van Dyck established the company in 1997. Their creative partnership is based on a shared desire to push the boundaries of dance and physicality with irreverence and humour. KAGE creates performances that relate and respond to current social thinking and strive to develop an unparalleled and distinctive sensibility, style and aesthetic for dance theatre.

KAGE Ambassador Eddie Perfect said, “I’ve been a proud ambassador and long time advocate and admirer of KAGE. The innovative works they produce constantly push the boundaries of dance, drama, technology and cultural inclusion. Whether they’re developing work with Indigenous communities, senior citizens or cultures from across the globe, KAGE makes smart, progressive, high-quality work that enriches the Australian cultural landscape.”

KAGE collaborator Michael Leunig said, “Small companies like KAGE bring vitality, originality and inspiration – as well as excellence. I have witnessed this process in my work with KAGE. I have watched these dancers create and work and offer. I believe in this healthy process and know it to be essential. This is why they matter.”

KAGE has demonstrated its resilience to adapt and will continue to do so into the future. KAGE is currently seeking support for the development of its latest work directed by Denborough. Out of Earshot will feature a deaf dancer as well as a renowned contemporary jazz musician to explore the power of non-verbal language, intense physicality and the role that sound plays within communication. Donations can be made at: australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/out-of-earshot

Photo: Kate Denborough and Gerard Van Dyck. Photo courtesy of KAGE.