Annual Report - QPAC

Engagement
An impressive demonstration of our commitment to
offering the community the opportunity to participate in
the performing arts, is the establishment and growth of the
QPAC Choir. This community choir of approximately 150
voices, initially formed as part of the line-up for QPAC’s 2008
Christmas in Concert, has gone from strength to strength and,
in 2009, is continuing across four ‘terms’ of 10 weeks each.
At the end of the first term, the choir had an opportunity
to flaunt their talents with a short concert in the newly
refurbished Concert Hall and has since entertained the crowds
at the QPAC Housewarming and participated in a staged
‘spontaneous’ event in the Queen Street Mall to promote the
upcoming In Stitches comedy festival. Future performances
are planned for the Queensland Music Festival and QPAC’s
Spirit of Christmas in 2009 and further commercial and
community-based opportunities are being sought in the
future.
Participation in the choir provides an exceptional opportunity
to learn new skills and experience performance first hand,
as well as an outlet for social interaction both at rehearsal
and online through the choir’s Facebook page, expanding
opportunities for dialogue, learning, networking and creative
inspiration.
The QPAC Summer Music Academy provided participants
with a deeper personal music experience with the choice
of two programs – Music Skills for Choir and Emerging
Singers. The programs attracted a wide range of participants
– aged from 12 through to senior citizens and from various
musical backgrounds – and featured skill development and
the opportunity to work with music industry professionals
including Katie Noonan, Simon Gallaher, Matthew Hickey
(The Ten Tenors), Sean O’Boyle, David Kidd, Michael Wild
and QPAC Choir Master, Alison Rogers.
A further opportunity for young people to participate in
performance is being provided by Playing It Together, a new
chamber music competition for secondary school students
across Queensland. The project offers excellent professional
development for young musicians from 11 regional centres
across Queensland. A dedicated website extends the reach
of the program and enhances the experience through
access to online videos, music clips, inspirational tips and
links as well as interactive features such as a discussion
board, scheduled live chats with professional artists and
other social networking and learning tools. The talented
students from throughout the state, combined with the
exceptional professional development they have received
from the program, are sure to make the competition finals in
November 2009 a landmark event.
Patrons deepened their understanding of the performing arts
following their performance of The Mikado with dessert and
conversation with the show’s producer, Simon Gallaher, who
drew on his wealth of experience in music and theatre and
shared insights on what it is like to stage such a
major production.
Backstage tours, which have always held significant interest
for lovers of live performance, have been enhanced this year
to include information and experiences tailored to specific
areas of interest for secondary school students. Packaged
as art tours for drama and music students, the tours are
attracting participants from metropolitan and regional centres.
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