Call for Expressions of Interest - Soft Landing
20 Nov 2009
Soft Landing 1: 'the dancer lands' with Solon Ulbrich - 15 March to 11 April 2010
Soft Landing 2: 'the choreographer in group-devised work' with Brian Lucas - 16 August to 12 Sept. 2010
A unique opportunity for tertiary dance graduates to engage, collaborate and forge creative partnerships for the future.
Soft Landing is a collaborative professional development program at QL2 Centre for Youth Dance, Canberra. This program has been developed over several years and has supported many recent graduates during the difficult transition from the tertiary course into the dance profession. All dance graduates within the first two years after completing their degree are eligible.
Each Soft Landing has a core period of 4 weeks in Canberra. You must make a clear commitment to the entire process and be available full-time for the period, concluding on the evening of the final day.
You should also be prepared to engage in online discussion and research prior to the studio development; and subject to funding, we will provide limited online and phone mentoring support after this.
Costs
There is no fee to participate, and QL2 will pay you an allowance of $500 towards your costs. You must make your own arrangements for your stay in Canberra. You may want to consider making your travel and accommodation costs part of an ArtStart application to the Australia Council.
Soft Landing 1 2010: the dancer lands
Independent dance artist and producer Solon Ulbrich will once again direct Soft Landing 1 for 2010, assisted by Amelia McQueen; with up to 12 participants.
Soft Landing 1 is a demanding non-university setting which will challenge your practice and develop your capacity to respond to choreographers with professional rigour, choreographic intelligence and an awareness of context. You will maintain and extend dance training, share knowledge and skills with interstate graduates, and launch a creative practice for the future.
The core of Soft Landing 1 will take place from March 15 to April 11, 2010.
It concludes with an "in progress" performance showing at QL2's theatre. You will undertake a full time creative process including: daily technique class; contributing to the development of a new dance performance; and mentored feedback. There will also be sessions on practical information including copyright and risk management; and opportunities to develop teaching and associated production skills.
Soft Landing 2 2010: the choreographer in group-devised work
Soft Landing 2 will be led independent dance artist Brian Lucas, assisted by Laura Boynes. It will involve 6-9 young graduates, some of whom may have also have been part of Soft Landing 1.
The core of Soft Landing 2 will be 16 August to 12 September 2010.
Over the four-week intensive period, Soft Landing 2 will focus on the group as choreographer/performers; in particular, on the choreographer in group-devised work. You will work in smaller collaborative groups towards a professional-level, flexible-site performance season of a work in a non-arts environment, which will be presented by NewActon through their public program. You will receive intensive mentorship from Brian, who will also work to maximise the creative capacity of group processes.
How to apply
If you would like to make an expression of interest for Soft Landing:
1) Send your CV including references, photo and brief cover letter expressing reasons for your interest, and which Soft Landing/s your are applying for, to: softlanding@ql2.org.au; and
2) Submit a video with up to 15 minutes of material demonstrating your dance experience and skill (and for Soft Landing 2, your choreography). This can be submitted by:
· mailing a DVD to QL2, or
· uploading it to Youtube or
· sending a .mov file (max 100Mb) by a free file transfer service such as yousendit.com or pando.com.
Selection
Prime selection criteria will be:
· a demonstrated desire to work in a mentored environment with the particular leader;
· potential benefit to the participant,
· potential contribution of that participant to Australian dance;
· consideration of availability, commitment, physical capacity and diversity.
Applications will be assessed by:
· Solon Ulbrich: Project Director (SL1)
· Brian Lucas: Project Director (SL2)
· Ruth Osborne: Artistic Director QL2
Dates
Soft Landing 1:
'the dancer lands' with Solon Ulbrich
· Expressions of interest must be received by: 11 December 2009
· Successful applicants will be advised by email by: 8 January, 2010
· Core intensive: 15 March to 11 April 2010
Soft Landing 2:
'the choreographer in group-devised work' with Brian Lucas
We have provided two closing dates, to gives you maximum opportunity to plan your year. You can apply in either round; some places will be held open for the second round.
· First round expressions of interest must be received by: 11 December 2009
· First round successful applicants will be advised by email by: 8 January, 2010
· Second round expressions of interest must be received by:
17 May 2010
· Second round successful applicants will be advised by email by:
21 June, 2010
· Core intensive: 16 August to 12 September 2010
The fine print
Soft Landing 1 and 2 are both dependent on unconfirmed funding. If the outcomes of funding applications are negative, Soft Landing 2 will not go ahead; and Soft Landing 1 may be reduced in scope. We will inform successful applicants as soon as we know.
Contact
If you have any further queries please contact softlanding@ql2.org.au
