I often tell students in workshops that they have no reason to be ashamed of living on the Gold Coast. That they must find their voice first, before they can become any sort of 'character'. Part of that voice is that they are from the Gold Coast!
I recently read in the GC bulletin an article about a new local theatre company who said that their project was "a Gold Coast product from start to finish", which may be true...They then went to say they could not see why the Gold Coast could not be more like Sydney or Brisbane. I think that this is why we are perceived as a lesser artistic city. If this company wants to be more like Brisbane or Sydney then maybe they should move there and do theatre! I am very serious about this!
Why should we feel we have to compare and import people from outside the Gold Coast when it comes to the arts? I know that Harvest Rain is a good company, but is there no other organisation or person on the Gold Coast to run the summer school? Yes, yes it's a business decision, but what about the local community? Now, I'm not say Mercury's Wings should or could do it, that’s not what we do, I'm merely asking why we always feel the need to get groups from outside the Gold Coast? Instead of building on the talent and wealth of knowledge that is already here.
Hmmmmm….
ReplyDeleteI think the ‘Cultural Cringe’ which is obvious among Gold Coastians is symptomatic of a wider Australian problem. There is a palpable embarrassment and lack of belief in our own culture (which is not as easy to define and denigrate as people think).
The most popular and influential theatre has been conceived from a specific cultural context; none other than the time and place the playwrights and performers lived in. Think Brecht, Artaud, Stanislavski even. There is no hierarchy of context. 2010 Gold Coast is no less important than 19th century Russia, and especially not to the people on the Gold Coast in 2010!
Something important local theatre can offer people in our increasingly multimedia-centric, globalised village is a local, personal experience; one that is performed by people you may see at the shopping centre next week, unashamedly borne out of and for the Gold Coast community.
There’s the challenge! Bring it on!!!
James you never cease to provoke and challenge us, do you? You may be accused of flogging a dead horse, but that would presume that the horse was once living wouldn't it? Could it be that we find horses superfluous because we're happy slopping around in our thongs? (the footwear kind of course) I think you may have something there James. Is it that we have not, because we ask not and we ask not because we're used to not having it? Which makes me think that you James may be the Gold Coast's own Oliver Twist ("please sir, I want some more") I for one am dumbfounded each time I'm told the Gold Coast has ample cultural focus and opportunity; talent, yes! ideas, yes, yes! potential, definitley yes, but opportunity...hmm? Not to take anything away from the great work that so many are doing, but to say we'd like more is not being ungrateful nor disloyal nor is it making a mockery of the fabulous efforts and work already done. Ironically, it is an expression of our identity! I am convinced that things will change. Why you ask? Because it has to. Society does not grow to maturity without an artistic voice and cultural identity (check out the history books). Identity, however, is discovered 'in' the search, not 'after' the search. Even these discussion are part of that formative process. So let's keep talking. Thank James for stirring the waters! BTW, can't wait to attend one of your tuesday night gigs.
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