Today, CircuitWest announced the short list of nominees selected for the Pinnacle Performing Arts Awards for the Western Australian Presenter of the Year and Producer of the Year.
The Award celebrates the best in the live performance industry in Western Australia.
The three nominees for Western Australian Presenter of the Year are:
• Arts Narrogin: amazing efforts to maintain a high level of community engagement and the delivery of quality performances during a challenging 12 months. Arts Narrogin has continued to present a genuinely eclectic mix of popular, challenging and inspirational productions, several of which have sold out in spite of pandemic constraints and hesitation.
• Esperance Civic Centre: Despite a remote location and COVID Esperance delivered more performing arts show than ever in 2021 and were focussed on diversity, high quality and strong service delivery for producers
• Matt Dann Theatre, Port Hedland: after some lean years the venue is bouncing back, the 2022 program has offered the remote audience a wide variety of local, WA based and national talent, with 10 Matt Dann Shows with including touring work, from comedy through to music, dance, and children’s theatre as well as locally produced work.
The three nominees for Western Australian Producer of the Year are:
• Yuck Circus – Generous, well grounded, approachable attitude comes through in all aspects of their producing work including creation/direction of work. A contemporary and relatable company with excellent values, supporting a cast of women also from regional areas.
• Whiskey and Boots – For building and delivering a unique residency-style tour that will go to many presenters in 2022, and for always putting meaningful engagement with presenters and communities at the heart of their producing practice.
• Aria Scarlett – For an outstanding work that celebrates local artists and champions queer BIPOC artists especially creating inclusive and vibrant performance
According to CircuitWest Executive Director Sam Lynch, Western Australia is clearly gaining respect for its world class job producing and presenting in Australia.
“The award is about excellence in all its forms has meant that the spectrum of presenters and producers recognised has been very wide. It has really showcased how much high quality and diverse performing arts is happening across the state.”
“CircuitWest has seen so much evolution in our performing arts ecology in recent years and shown its growing importance to thriving communities.”
Nominations were based on anything nominators felt met the principal criteria of ‘excellence.’
The presentation of the awards will take place at WA Showcase on 25th July at 5.30pm.
About the finalists
Yuck Circus – Yuck is a West Aussie production company keen on championing the female voice across live performance. Onstage, behind the tech desk, in a creative or managing role; it’s all about getting femme-identifying individuals a hot go to show the world what they’ve got. Yuck comes from regional, remote, and isolated towns from all corners of Australia and are passionate about sharing our work and strengthening communities.
Whiskey and Boots – Whiskey & Boots is a Perth based performance company that makes headphone verbatim performance work that examines the challenges and contradictions of the human condition. Using storytelling with music they take real stories gathered from a community and share them publicly, illuminating moments that are familiar, expose common challenges and secret fears, reminding audiences that we are all complex, ugly, beautiful, brave, funny, flawed and vulnerable.
Aria Scarlet – Since graduating WAAPA, Aria performed across Australia as a soloist, composer and choir conductor. She has used classical training to explore all genres of music, collaborating with aerialists, fire twirlers, hip hop artists as well as burlesque & contemporary dancers. Aria went on to spearhead the creation of rural community choirs throughout the Gascoyne region.
Arts Narrogin
Arts Narrogin Incorporated is a not-for-profit association that supports and promotes art, culture and entertainment in Narrogin and the Dryandra Country region. Arts Narrogin aims to enliven the lifestyle in the region by presenting live performances – including musical and theatrical production, arranging community and youth workshops as well as mounting art exhibitions at the NEXIS gallery. They see arts and culture as an integral component in a vibrant, empowered, connected and strong community.
Esperance Civic Centre
Opened in 1981, the Esperance Civic Centre provides the focal point of entertainment in the southeast of Western Australia. The community facility regularly hosts concerts, drama, dance and music productions, conventions large and small, music festivals, graduation ceremonies, fashion parades, wedding receptions, religious services, quiz nights, luncheons, meetings, exhibitions, even funerals Despite a remote location and COVID Esperance delivered more performing arts show than ever in 2021 and were focussed on diversity, high quality and strong service delivery for producers
Matt Dann Theatre Port Hedland
The Matt Dann Theatre in South Hedland has returned after some quiet years to present a huge range of performing arts as well as new release films throughout the season. Matt Dann always looks to find new ways to reach new audiences. This year it will partner with the local gallery to present Whisky and Boots’ Mumma Stitch, in the Gallery Garden and trialled a local residency with their local dramatic croup “HATch” as well as delivering a range of touring and locally made work.
ENDS
Media Contact: Sam Lynch, 0419 971 713, pm@circuitwest.com.au