27 October – 4 November

Presented by Acting Company 2011 and teams of Production students from across all year levels, this year’s Contemporary Plays Season features A Mouthful of Birds, directed by Robert Walton; and St Kilda Tales, directed by Mary Sitarenos. These two directors have created densely woven theatrical worlds that offer the actors, designers and production crews a wonderful opportunity to collaborate and produce two highly engaging contemporary performances.
Book online.

Friday 28 October, 6.30pm

As one of India’s cultural ambassadors, percussionist Karaikudi R Mani plays the mridangam and is a leading innovator of South Indian classical music rhythms. As part of the Simplot International Masterclass Series, he will be workshopping and performing at the VCA with members of his ensemble and students from the Contemporary Music Performance stream. Concert details.

Sunday 30 October, 5.00pm

Fabian Russell will lead the University of Melbourne Orchestra in their last concert of the year at the Melbourne Town Hall. As Principal Conductor of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and Artistic Director of Melbourne Youth Music, Russell has an enviable reputation as one of Australia’s premier orchestral trainers. This concert will feature trumpet soloist Josh Rogan performing Desonclos’ Incantation, Thrène et Danse, and Stravinsky’s formidable Rite of Spring. Concert details.

12 – 17 November

Featuring 3rd year Dance students in performance and 1st, 2nd, 3rd year Production students in various creative and backstage roles, this season includes new works from professional guest choreographers Rosalind Crisp, Stephanie Lake and Brooke Stamp and Anna Smith’s stellar 4Phase. The program celebrates the virtuosity, artistry and energy of graduating dance students, marking the culmination of three years intensive training and their transition into the dance profession. Book online.

A masterclass with superstar Dame Kiri Te Kanawa on Sunday 9 October was the experience of a lifetime for six opera students. Over three hours, the students sang songs and arias from Strauss to Puccini and Dame Kiri spent half an hour with each of them, explaining the mechanics of her technique, offering suggestions and practical performance tips. Dame Kiri was so impressed by the performance of Colombian tenor Carlos Barcenas, she invited him to join her on tour. Read the full story.

A whole range of new creative scholarships will be available for VCA and the Melbourne Conservatorium students, from next year, thanks to $3 million dollars of funding support from the Victorian Government. Between 2012 and 2015 there will be 114 ‘Creative Scholar’ opportunities including: undergraduate and graduate scholarships for outstanding and/or disadvantaged students; Professional Pathway scholarships, mentoring scholarships and international travel scholarships. Read the full article.

Long-time community service leader in education, government and the arts, Ms Eda Ritchie AM, has been appointed to Chair the newly formed VCA Foundation, charged with raising funds to assist the VCA to grow, respond and meet the highest educational standards.  Ms Ritchie will be joined on the VCA Foundation board by John Calvert-Jones AM, Lorraine Elliott AM, Peter Jopling QC and Dr Fiona Myer. Read full story.

In early October, theatre graduates Claudia Escobar (pictured) and Talya Chalef were announced as joint winners of the $25,000 Keith and Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship. Claudia plans to collaborate with Italian Theatre Company Societas Rafaello Sanzio to develop a new piece of theatre with children in Bogotá, Colombia. Talya plans to use the funds to finish her Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting at Columbia University. Read full story.

School of Art lecturer and artist Kate Daw has collaborated with Stewart Russell to create a new permanent public artwork for the Docklands, Civil Twilight End. The contemporary artwork which features the daily striking of a bell resonating at twilight time brings a sense of community and natural rhythm to the Docklands precinct. A number of text works accompany the bell and tower exploring the meanings, histories and narratives of bells in our culture. Find out more.

12 – 15 December

The VCA School of Contemporary Music invites students in Years 10 – 12 to participate in a Song Writing Boot Camp this December. Introducing students to a range of concepts behind writing a great song, from lyrics to hooks and melodies; as well as touching on the business side of song writing. Professional musicians will be on hand to help students explore their songs throughout the four days. 
More details and application forms will be released soon: www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/songwriting.

Melbourne's international cabaret sensation Meow Meow returns to Malthouse Theatre with a story to defrost even the coldest of hearts. Marion Potts works in collaboration with Meow alongside an array of artists including Mitchell Butel.  Together they will create fantastical flights of fancy, cut-throat comedy with a dark edge and a whiplash score to ignite an utterly original theatrical experience.

For you chance to win one of 3 double passes to a performance on Fri 11 Nov 8pm at the Merlyn Theatre, email vcam-enews@unimelb.edu.au.

11 Nov – 4 December
www.malthousetheatre.com.au

It's America, 1959 and a couple is under pressure from their white neighbours not to sell their house to a black family. Fast forward to 2009 where the fate of the same house is under discussion again and although the stakes are different, the debate is strikingly familiar. Bruce Norris' Pulitzer prize-winning social comedy will have you squirming in your seat. This production features VCA acting alumni Patrick Brammall, Zahra Newman, Luke Ryan and Alison Whyte as well as music alum, composer Jethro Woodward.

For your chance to win one of 10 double passes to a performance on either Mon 24 or Tues 25 Oct at 6.30pm email your name, address and phone number with your date of preference to vcam-enews@unimelb.edu.au.

Playing at the MTC Theatre, Sumner until 26 October. www.mtc.com.au
 

Was Shakespeare a fraud? Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds, namely: who actually created the body of work credited to William Shakespeare? Anonymous poses one possible answer.

For your chance to win one of 10 double passes to a preview screening on Wed 2 Nov 6.30pm at Hoyts Melbourne Central email vcam-enews@unimelb.edu.au.

Only at the movies! From 3 November
www.anonymousmovie.com.au

VCA School of Performing Arts Short Courses are under way but it’s not too late to sign up. Whether you’ve always dreamt of being an actor, you have an audition or presentation coming up or simply want to experience the creativity and dynamism of actor training at the VCA, there’s a course for you.

To encourage you, we’re offering the first 5 people to enrol in either Acting 1 or 2 (starting this Tues 25 October) the chance to ‘buy one get one free’. If you and a friend sign up, you receive one enrolment free (effectively a 50% discount for you both!).

Call or email by Monday: (03) 9035 9229  / vca-perfartshortcourses@unimelb.edu.au

For theatre short course details go to:
vca.unimelb.edu.au/performingarts/shortcourses