TANDERRUM / Facilitated by Ilbijerri Theatre Company
/ 2013 — 2015 18
M + M / DANIEL SCHLUSSER ENSEMBLE / 2013 19
HEINER GOEBBELS GERMANY Stifters Dinge / 2010 When the mountain changed its clothing / 2014 20
The current director , Josephine Ridge ( 2012 — 2015 ), is one of only three Melburnians to have run the show and she brought with her a deep understanding of the soul of the city . She made it a priority to focus on Melbourne ’ s character ; its distinctive juxtaposition of a strong sense of history , steeped in its own brand of European elegance , with an enthusiasm for the new , enhanced by its bustling multiculturalism and contemporary edge . She drew on the curatorial capabilities of festivals : pulling the strings of the cultural world together and making of them something new and valuable in itself .
Ridge traversed the relationship between Wagner and Brahms in anticipation of the imminent first-ever performance of Wagner ’ s Ring Cycle in Melbourne . She surveyed the history and current practice of circus in the city and around the world ; presented a three-year exploration of the string quartet , framed by its founding father , Haydn , and 68 of his works ; and programmed a tribute to the brilliance and worldwide legacy of one of the greats of modern choreography , Trisha Brown .
Looking to the strengths of the Melbourne independent sector , commissioning new work was a feature of Ridge ’ s tenure , as was the presentation across all genres of some of Australia ’ s most significant artists . The integral role of the visual arts in Melbourne ’ s culture found a dynamic place within the entirety of the programs through works such as Carsten Höller ’ s Golden Mirror Carousel , presented at the NGV as a component of the 2014 survey of the circus arts .
Working with Rachael Maza and Ilbijerri Theatre Company , Elders of five language groups of the Kulin Nation were invited to hold a Tanderrum ( Kulin for ceremony ) at the commencement of Melbourne Festival . The significance of the Elders to both welcome guests and give permission for them to perform on Kulin Country is deeply profound . In 2013 , the Tanderrum was the first jointly held ceremony to take place in the City of Melbourne since 1835 . Each Tanderrum was preceded by months of workshops to teach the next generation of the Kulin about their culture , their stories and their craft , to widen participation in the ceremony and to ensure a lasting impact . Importantly the Tanderrum is also about visibility . Despite the impacts of colonisation , Kulin culture is strong and alive — and it ’ s fitting that the Tanderrum should open the Festival .
Melburnians love ideas and political debate . Ridge fed this interest with the presentation of political works by companies such as Belarus Free Theatre ( Minsk 2011 : A Reply to Kathy Acker ) in 2013 . In 2015 , Headlong ’ s adaptation of George Orwell ’ s 1984 was accompanied by an exhaustive ancillary program including films , forums and a 10 hour live reading of the original text in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of Parliament House .
Ridge introduced Melbourne audiences to the work of Peter Sellars ( Desdemona , 2015 ), Kneehigh Theatre ( Brief Encounter , 2013 ) and Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre ( The Rite of Spring / Petrushka , 2013 ); presented Sylvie Guillem ’ s final Melbourne performances before her retirement ; and welcomed back Hofesh Shechter ( Sun , 2013 ), Peeping Tom ( 32 rue Vandenbranden , 2015 ) and Heiner Goebbels ( When the mountain changed its clothing , 2014 ).
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/ Artistic directions