QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT ...

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Chief Executive’s overview 2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT In 2011-12, QPAC exceeded its visitation target of one million. While QPAC measures its success against a range of indicators, none speak more powerfully to the relevance of our programming than the number of people who have chosen to come to the Centre. The diversity of the program, which drew together the best of national and international commercial producers and showcased Australian and international artists and companies in both contemporary and classic works, provided audiences with a myriad of choices. In presenting this program, QPAC worked with government, tertiary institutions, corporate supporters and community organisations to ensure that its scope was both broad and deep. The program, which resonated so strongly with Queenslanders and tourists, is the result of partnerships which have been developed over many years. Working with all three levels of Government was demonstrated in the successful delivery of our Opera Australia season in May-June 2012. A season of this scale is a mammoth undertaking for all parties, with Government support and facilitation playing an essential role in the presentation. While the season was fi nancially supported by Events Queensland and Arts Queensland, further support was provided by the Federal Government to ensure that a live simulcast of an Opera Australia season would be broadcast to regional centres later this year. This broadcast will be received in venues owned and managed by various Councils throughout the State. While also a fi nancial supporter of QPAC endeavours, Griffi th University staff and students worked with QPAC by sharing technical expertise and skills through 2011-12. In turn, QPAC provided low cost accommodation for a number of Griffi th programs, presentation opportunities for students and support for Conservatorium. A highlight of shared learning experiences for both organisations was the premiere live simulcast of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in October, with Griffi th Film School working alongside QPAC production teams. QPAC has been especially fortunate in 2011-12 with QUT facilitating the appointment of our inaugural Scholar-in-Residence, Adjunct Professor Dr Judith McLean. It was particularly fortuitous that QPAC was able to access her expertise and guidance in the development of the curatorial framework underpinning the 2012 Out of the Box Festival, and the development and delivery of the Connecting the Dots… symposium, focussed on engaging parents, teachers and educators in the importance of arts education experiences for children. QPAC works closely with its precinct partners, QAGOMA, the Queensland Museum and the State Library. In 2011-12, this collaborative approach was evident in two major cross-precinct festivals, the Torres Strait Island Festival as well as Out of the Box festival. The breadth of programming and exhibitions, lectures and workshops for these festivals drew on the expertise and collections of each of Queensland’s major cultural institutions to provide visitors with rich and engaging experiences. The twenty-fi rst century will be the Asian century. The importance of building relationships in the Asian performing arts and entertainment sectors has been impressed upon QPAC staff and our board. QPAC is a major performing arts centre in the Asia- Pacifi c region and it is important for us to continually learn and expand our awareness, understanding and experience of other worlds and their histories and artists. Asia is a diverse, complex and nuanced region and there is no doubt it will take long term and meaningful engagement for great partnerships and projects to be realised. In 2011-12 QPAC lifted its focus on Asia and I was fortunate to travel to the region twice in 2012. In February, I visited Korea, Japan and a number of cities in China to establish relationships with the major performing arts centres in those countries, including the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing. This trip was an invaluable exchange with the cultural sector and its leaders in these distinctive parts of the world and also allowed me to raise their awareness about QPAC and its achievements and reputation in a number of areas. One of the outcomes of this trip was that I was invited to attend and present at the World Theatre Forum at the NCPA in Beijing in June. This was a great opportunity to meet more arts leaders from Asia and the world, and further my understanding of the state and aspirations of China’s cultural industries. Asia will increasingly become a focus for QPAC within its international agenda. I am particularly excited by the artistic, commercial and educational opportunities greater engagement will create for our artists, professionals and communities as we progress. I credit this year’s outstanding successes to the expert guidance and advice from Henry Smerdon and the Board, together with the creativity, diligence and passion of the QPAC team. I thank everyone for their support and efforts through 2011-12. 7
QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 2011-12 Highlights and Achievements 2011-2012 marks the fi rst year QPAC visitation reached one million people in one year. People came to QPAC to see 1 427 performances, an average of almost four performances per day, across 255 seasons. Live performance QPAC hosted the internationally renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO) for two concerts in October 2011. Both concerts were sold out and the second concert was simulcast live to six venues in regional Queensland. The live simulcast was the fi rst such venture by QPAC and effectively doubled the number of people able to enjoy the concert. VPO was a highlight on Brisbane’s cultural calendar. A VPO rehearsal session was open to music students which provided an opportunity for those students to learn from VPO. Mary Poppins was the most successful musical at QPAC in over a decade and second highest selling musical at QPAC’s history. At a time when families in particular are watching their budgets the phenomenal success of pre-sales and full houses was remarkable. This was the fi rst time QPAC has hosted a musical by international entertainment giant Disney and with such success we hope it will not be the last. In the last year QPAC was one Australian venue to host a season of the new musical version of Dr Zhivago based on the book by Boris Pasternak. QPAC also invested in this production which is now showing in Asia. This musical was developed and premiered in Australia. Often musicals are developed in Europe or America and come to Australia after long seasons overseas, Dr Zhivago was a truly fresh experience for Australian audiences and the feedback was positive indicating that trialling musicals in Australia may become more common in the future. Perennially popular musical Annie returned to the Lyric Theatre in 2012. This family-friendly favourite played to sold out audiences. Annie provided opportunities for young performers to participate, and for younger audiences to visit QPAC. Opera Australia (OA) returned to the stages in Brisbane after 25 years with Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute and Baz Luhrman’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Funding from the Federal and State Governments ensured this season went ahead and there are plans for future seasons from OA in the years ahead. QPAC and OA have been working together to determine the best outcomes for the future relationship. QPAC Museum In 2011-12, QPAC Museum presented two exhibitions in the Tony Gould Gallery, attended by a total of 11 420 visitors. The Mary & Me exhibition tied in with QPAC’s season of Mary Poppins. This exhibition was particularly unique for Brisbane and Queensland audiences with the author of the Mary Poppins books, P. L. Travers, hailing from Maryborough, Queensland. Mary & Me included archival video and costumes from the current musical version of Mary Poppins as well as papers from the P. L. Travers collections at the Mitchell Library at the State Library of New South Wales. A View from the Sixth Row celebrated one person’s unique vision of the performing arts and featured works in the performance as well as ‘behind the scenes’. Photographer Reina Irmer is well-known to performing arts companies visiting QPAC for her passion and talent in capturing unique moments on stage. From the mid-1990s to the present day Reina has taken photographs from the audience perspective, during the fi nal dress rehearsals with only available stage lighting. This exhibition featured a selection of Reina Irmer’s images with an emphasis on recent productions including Fame, West Side Story, Queensland Ballet’s The Nutcracker and musical WICKED. Public Participation In July 2011 the entire Cultural Centre collaborated on Torres Strait Islands: A Celebration. Each institution in the Cultural Centre contributed to this celebration. QPAC’s contribution was to host the 2011 Mabo Oration by Terri Janke, in association with Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland, as well as the premiere performance of Bangarra Dance Company’s Belong. QPAC also contributed to the book documenting this celebration of culture. 8
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QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT ...

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