QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT ...

QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Strategic Relationships
Build and strengthen relationships that add value and bring mutual benefi t
QPAC recognises the critical role partnerships play across all areas of our work. Partnerships expand our capacity, enrich our
everyday practice, encourage us to think from different perspectives and offer opportunities for growth. Like QPAC’s business,
our relationships are varied and support a range of activity from the creation of new creative works to delivering impeccable
customer service. These relationships take a number of forms and vary in their depth and longevity.
Producers and presenters
Some of the most critical relationships for QPAC are those with producers and presenters. In 2011-12 QPAC partnered with
producers and presenters locally and from around the world. QPAC is a signifi cant investor in commercial musicals and in
2011-12 partnered with the Gordon/Frost Organisation on Annie.
QPAC also partnered with leading Australian producers Leo Schofi eld and Ian McCrae to secure and present two concerts by
the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in October 2011.
As a presenting partner, QPAC co-presents with local organisations as well as many companies from around Australia. A
co-presentation is usually driven by multiple factors and will often focus on expanding the local audience base and/or
developing the production quality. For example, QPAC regularly co-presents with national companies Bangarra Dance Theatre
and The Australian Ballet, and this year with Opera Australia; and state based companies Expressions Dance Company, Zen
Zen Zo Physical Theatre, Queensland Theatre Company, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Ballet as well as the
Queensland Conservatorium, Griffi th University, Brisbane Festival and Queensland Music Festival. The issues that infl uence
QPAC’s decision to enter into partnerships as well as the outcomes sought vary enormously and range from enhanced public
participation to art form development or commercial opportunities.
Industry partnerships
QPAC is a leading organisation in the performing arts sector in Queensland. As much as QPAC is a venue, QPAC also has a
strong focus on strategic relationships within the overall arts industry. Through these industry partnerships QPAC seeks to
support the development and advancement of the performing arts industry and to maintain strong and productive working
relationships with a variety of artists and organisations.
QPAC belongs to both the Australian Performing Arts Centres (OZPAC) and Northern Australian Regional Performing Arts
Centres Association (NARPACA) networks. These associations create networks and build on professional relationships across
the performing arts industry.
A signifi cant part of QPAC’s commitment to industry partners is the artists and companies in residence program. QPAC
continued to work with musical ensemble Southern Cross Soloists as Company-in-Residence. Since forming in the mid-1990s
Southern Cross Soloists has become one of the most innovative musical ensembles in Australia. In 2011-12 Southern Cross
Soloists have two showcase concerts and two concerts in their ‘Music and Words’ series.
Brisbane’s Harvest Rain Theatre Company continues to perform at QPAC with this year showing James and the Giant Peach,
The Wizard of Oz, The Neverending Story and Hairspray.
Government stakeholders
In 2011-12 QPAC partnered with all levels of Government across a range of projects. Brisbane City Council was again a major
sponsor for the 2012 Out of the Box Festival.
QPAC consolidated a partnership with Events Queensland by presenting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO). Extra
funding from the Federal and State governments was also granted for this project to assist with costs in a live simulcast of
the VPO performance. The VPO live simulcast to six regional Queensland venues was the fi rst such simulcast presented by
QPAC. The success of the VPO and live simulcast created the momentum for QPAC and Events Queensland to create a formal
partnership in the QPAC International Series to bring international companies to perform exclusively in Brisbane in coming
years. The fi rst in this series will occur in August and September of 2012 with the Hamburg Season. A performance in the
Hamburg Season will also be simulcast live to venues in regional Queensland.
In 2012 Opera Australia (OA) returned to Brisbane for a performance season for the fi rst time in 25 years. Extra funding from
the Federal and State governments made this return season possible. OA will return to Brisbane in coming years.
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