What do we have to do?

Mercury's Wings has missed out another grant from the Australia Council. I think that makes close to 13 applications since November last year to various funding bodies in an attempt to get something happening on the Gold Coast and we have been successful in 2 and the money from those project goes away from the Gold Coast. Arts Qld and Australia Council wouldn't give us enough money to actually pay the actors proper wages!

What does the Gold Coast have to do to attract funding???????

Recently I heard that the Gold Coast is now being referred to as an autistic cousin or the drunk aunty that always takes her shoes off and jumps in the pool with her clothes on. Where do people get these assumptions from? Have they ever lived here or do they just visit? Is their experience of the Gold Coast merely Jupiters, Shooters and theme parks?

An article I read in the SMH about the opening of Versace said that there was many 'platinum blondes', and was the Gold Coast going to have any substance? I became angered at this narrow minded point of view. So, is the journalist saying that if the Versace Hotel was in Sydney then the opening would be a classy affair with lots of 'substance'? What was the writer expecting? A gathering of elite platinum blonde model Stephen Hawking clones? They went on to say that only time will tell if the Gold Coast can sustain the Palazzo Versace. Why did Sunland bother to build it here, so it would fail??

Why when politicians and arts funding bodies are talking about regional development does the Gold Coast continually miss out? Yes we did get regional stages funding, but that is the first glimmer of hope in years. However, $300,000 over three years is not enough, it is a start however. What about smaller to medium size projects? Projects that are too big for the RADF?

Mercury's Wings applied for 2 artist in residence programs to Arts Qld. One for Southport State High and one for Benowa Primary. Out of 57 applications 12 were funded and not one on the Gold Coast. Our applications were checked by Gold Coast City Council grants officers and carried letters of support from Griffith lectures and former artistic directors of major theatre companies in Australia as well as internationally renown artists who have trained us in what we do and yet we were unsuccessful. And at this point Arts Qld has been promising us feedback for 3 weeks and it is yet to arrive!

Mercury's Wings does not want to be famous, we want to produce work here on the Gold Coast for the people who live here. Yes, the work is for us well, we do love what we do, and we make no apology for that.

If would love to hear from you, please respond, have a say, and maybe we can change this misguided perception of our city

James

Somerset

Hi All,

Just finished 3 day residency at Somerset. Another great bunch of students. They were the group who Southport High edged out in the Drama Festival so I copped a bit of ribbing...all in fun of course!

The workshop I had tonight had 4 lovely and courageous students in it. I really love to work with motivated students, they keep me inspired and I always end up creating and seeing something new.

I am planning a workshop over the next school holidays. I am not sure if it will be one day or two this time...stay tuned.

James

Mercury's Wings Play Readngs

We had a fun night last Tuesday with our play readings. I was a little OTT in The Bear, I kept "laughing"(thats what I do instead of saying ummmmm when I am lost!). I couldn't find my place in the script, I was so busy "acting". It was fun however and I think the audience liked it.

Swansong was simply beautiful. Great to see Steven Crockett back on stage after 28 years away! I feel a Lear coming on.....(he was wonderfully supported by John Rees-Osbourne in a generous performance)

The Shakespeare readings are next, so tell your friends and come along for a relaxed and fun evening in The Basement at the Arts Centre. I think the Macbeth's will be there, Kate and some Italian dude Peter, some star crossed lovers, some cross lovers and a mystery couple...

Huzzah! to the Arts Centre for letting us use the space!!!!

Thank you Destry and Brad!

Well Done Southport

Southport High won the senior Drama Festival with their production of "Wolf Lullaby"!! I was so proud to have been a part of the is wonderful show and really positive school in the arts. I assisted the Drama Teacher and Director Kelly Sparke with movement and character development and took the students through Suzuki training and Frank Theatre training as a way to ground them.

Congrats to all involved!! I am looking forward to seeing what they bring to our playreading season of Greek Drama in October!!

Hurrah for SSH!

James