Reigniting Artistic Vibrancy in the Australian Opera Ecosystem

About the project

This project aims to advance new methodologies for re-establishing ‘artistic vibrancy’ within operatic practice in Australia.

Artistic vibrancy emanates from the core of the Australian opera ecosystem, where vital ingredients such as text, music, drama, and décor are balanced and fused. The visible ‘stars’ of opera productions are guided by less visible behind-the-scenes music practices. The research is seeking to unlock and reveal these subtle musical processes within the Australian opera industry to re-establish the art form as one that is vibrant and constantly evolving in response to contemporary culture.

background

Signposting a crisis in the opera industry, the Australian government commissioned a National Opera Review, which was undertaken from 2014–16 with an aim to assess current practices in terms of ‘artistic vibrancy’.

This FEDERAL GOVERNMENT review found that artistic vibrancy had been in decline over a number of decades prior to 2010

However, the review primarily considered external issues such as audience access, funding, governance and management.

Artistic practices were not considered

and therefore the review only came to a partial understanding of the problems within the industry.

This project is funded by the Australian Research Council to look beyond the deliberately provocative directorial posturing that has frequently defined post WWII practices of opera-making and performance.

This project is aiming to refocus attention on the largely invisible curatorial specialists

the programmers, directors, [etc]

Shedding light on their practices will build deeper understanding of the artistic vibrancy that is inherent in opera curation.

This will provide important perspectives neglected by the National Opera Review

This research will give strong impetus for publicly funded operatic institutions to reconsider and recalibrate operational practices and priorities

This project aims to inspire a shift in operatic culture

As the Australian opera industry contemplates its reinvention (artistically and financially) in our COVID-affected world, the need for self-examination and inner renewal is imperative now more than ever