MAXed OUT Company
The MAXed OUT Company has just completed its third highly successful project in 2010 and the opportunities for 2011 and beyond continue to grow and develop.
MAXed OUT gives high school aged children (years 7 to 10) the opportunity to participate in this Company - we call it a Company because they work collaboratively with their peers from across the region and with the professional musicians and artists who lead the project in a focussed and intensive artistic environment.
The 2010 project was sensational, featuring the opportunity to compose an original work with one of Australia's most energetic and exciting performance ensembles TaikOz and composer Dan Walker under the artistic direction of Michelle Leonard. Audience members still talk about the spellbinding performance of the Company and TaikOz at the 2009 and 2010 Moorambilla Festivals, as they explored the local legends of the Pilliga Scrub Yowie and the artistic inspiration of the Dandry Gorge.
In 2008 the 3 movement multimedia work was shown at the Western Plains Cultural Centre in Dubbo in November, a first for youth in this region.
Residency camp dates
Regional Youth (MAXed OUT) Camp: 24 – 28 August 2011
Regional Choir Camp (Girls & Boys & MAXed OUT): 21 - 25 September 2011
Moorambilla Festival: 23-25 September 2011
What happens at the camps?
The selected participants will meet to create the MAXed OUT work through a series of workshops with key artists. This ensemble will provide gifted regional youth with rhythmic and musical skills the opportunity to compose a work collaboratively while in residence at the August camp.
Working with their regional peers and the internationally acclaimed percussion group TAIKOZ, composer Dan Walker and composer / artistic director Michelle Leonard, and pianist Luke Byrne they will create a 20 minute work for percussion, vocals / choral music, and music composed for mixed ensemble (string quartet, wind instruments) based on the stories and myths of the region - in 2009, the Pilliga Scrub Yowies and in 2010 using the Sculptures in the Scrub as inspiration for the story of the Dandry Gorge.
The works use text and musical motifs created by the children with all children learning traditional Japanese taiko drumming and the routines developed by TaikOz members Kevin Man and Kerryn Joyce. The work is scored for children voices (three parts), adults (SATB) with string quintet, soprano saxophone, piano and taiko percussion.
This camp offers a highly creative environment for young people to develop skills in:
- choral singing
- compositional techniques
- percussion and taiko
- creativity using other artistic mediums
- performance experience
- self-confidence and self-discipline
- collaboration with peers from across the region
- social skills and leadership
The September camp involves an intensive rehearsal process leading to the performances for Moorambilla Festival. MAXed OUT premiere the new work at the opening Festival Concert and also perform at the Gala Concert, joining with adult choirs and orchestra to prepare some of the works for performance during this time. They also participate in the Festival workshops which cover a wide range of musical, visual and other artistic styles.
It is VITAL that all youth participate in both these camps so they are part of the process and final performance of their work.
