NEWS!
What's New in 2013........
FIRST ROUND OFFERS...
The 2013 Workshop and Music Skills Tour has been more successful than ever, covering 78 towns, 1200 kilometres and making direct contact with 2200 children. It is now very much a part of the educational landscape of North West NSW as schools embrace the opportunities that Moorambilla can offer.
First round offers have gone to schools and the deadline for returning forms is this Friday 31 May!
What to expect in 2013!
As we continue to grow, so too has the calibre of our artistic partnerships. 2013 will see the most extraordinary artists yet coming to work with all the Moorambilla Voices students. This year we have several leading national arts organisations involved:
- two powerful Indigenous dancers will work with the children – Erik Avery, a representative of The Australian Ballet; and Ghenoa Gela, the television presenter of ‘Move It Mob Style’
- TaikOz is back YES!
- performing as our chamber orchestra are eight Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship players with their Artistic Director, Roger Benedict;
- Artistic director Roland Peelman and The Song Company will be singing up a storm;
- two stunning young composers in residence — Alice Chance and Andrew Howes — and accompanist Callum Close, and compositions by Dan Walker
- contemporary Indigenous artist, Frank Wright, from Walgett will be working alongside Indigenous artists from the Ngemba Wailwan Artist Collective, Mary Kennedy and Barbara Stanley.
STOP PRESS!
'A multi-arts festival that brings a whole region together, some from the most disadvantaged area in NSW, wins national award!'
To cap off what has been an outstanding 2011 Season - we are delighted to announce Moorambilla Voices and Festival as the winner of the 2011 National Award at the Music in Community Network Awards. The award celebrates creative and inspiring partnerships. The National Judges said of Moorambilla:
“This is a world class initiative, in the bush. It has developed from the bottom up – using the talents and resources of the region and amalgamating them with visiting artists, to create really meaningful opportunities for everyone involved. It is not often that you see young community members from rural and remote Australia given the opportunity to be at the heart of a cultural program this rich and diverse. Here, local stories and legends are told through music and visual art connecting with ancient Indigenous art forms of the Ngemba Wailwan people and Japanese drumming. Leading composers work with the participants to generate new music for the Moorambilla Voices massed choirs and MAXed OUT Company, featuring our artistic partners Sydney Brass, TaikOz, the Sydney Youth Orchestra and our long term choir in residence the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus. The music is inspired by the traditional art works developed in residence by the amazing Ngamba Wailwan artists and the Moorambilla Voices participants representing lifelines, landscapes and legends of the local area. The economic and social value of this festival to the local community is enormous.”
For full details of the awards program see the Music in Communities Network web site: www.musicincommunities.org.au/awards/music-in-communities-awards-2011.
Press release downloadable here!
Saturday 17th December 2011 - Draft schedule of our 2012 Workshop Tour available now - all detail subject to final confirmation - get it here!
Moorambilla Festival and Moorambilla Voices have been shortlisted in this year’s national Music in Communities Awards.
The Awards reward and promote community music groups, the ‘unsung heroes’ of Australia’s cultural life. The ‘Local Links’ theme for 2011 invited groups to outline the connections, partnerships and relationships they have nurtured in and beyond their local community.
“We set this year’s theme in recognition that the best community music making does not happen in isolation,” says Tony Breese, from the Music in Communities Network which runs the Awards. “There are many groups that have had real success in forming strong and sometimes unusual partnerships which have enabled their activities to flourish and benefited their local communities at the same time.”
“Moorambilla Festival and Voices were up against some outstanding entries from choirs, bands, orchestras, drum circles, accordion societies, all sorts of groups from right across Australia,” he says. “After some very difficult decisions, these were whittled down to just 18 finalists.”
“This award is so fantastic for the communities Moorambilla Voices and Festival represent. The award recognises the unique role partnerships have, and continue to play in the creation of new Australian music celebrating the landscapes, lifelines and legends of the people across the region. And is a celebration of revitalisation and sharing of the ancient traditions.”
The Music in Communities Network is Australia’s first national network linking community music leaders in towns, cities and villages all over Australia. More information on the Music in Communities Network and the Awards can be found online at www.musicincommunities.org.au.
DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE HERE!
UPDATE! - Moorambilla Festival is the winner of the Events and Tourism Award at the 2011 Regional Achievement & Community Awards! - Coonamble identities Row Macrae & Jamie Lee Hodeges - Local Festival Coordinator and Outback Arts RADO respectively were in Coffs Harbour at the Gala Awards event to collect the award on behalf of Michelle and all those who have worked tirelessly over the past 6 years to make the festival what it is!!!
A great way to celebrate a brilliant event this year!
Moorambilla Festival is excited to announce they are semi-finalists in the 2011 Awards Australia Regional Achievement and Community Awards. Nominated from a field of over 300 entrants as 1 of 10 semi- finalist in the events and tourism initiative category from across NSW. The Final three wil be announced on September 23rd - must be a great omen as this is the first day of the Festival in Coonamble.... Winner of the category to be announced in November at a Gala in Northern NSW - go to http://www.awardsaustralia.com/RACA.html for more details!
OUTBACK ARCHIES
Outback Arts, in conjunction with the 2011 Moorambilla Festival, will be holding an art exhibition on September 23rd to help celebrate, promote and nurture artists in rural, regional and remote NSW. The art exhibitions theme is ‘Landscape, Legends and Lifelines’ and is open to the individual artists interpretation. The exhibition is open to the 2D mediums of painting and photography as well as sculpture. Artists living in the Outback Arts, Orana Arts and West Darling Arts will have the opportunity to submit applications. To find out more and how to enter click here.....
Cabaret Concert line up confirmed - Friday 23rd September - for more details..... click here
Great news from Moorambilla
We want to say a big thank you to Stephanie Hutchinson who worked with us on the 2011 season until June this year – Steph really got the wheels turning for this year travelling across the region with Michelle in April and setting the foundations for this year's exciting program. She worked tirelessly with the board to kick some major goals for 2012 funding applications. Since then she has taken on some other big projects outside Moorambilla and has handed the reins on to the fabulous Annette Brown to bring it home for a great finish!
Annette, you may remember, came to Moorambilla last year with the Tango Oz Orchestra, and has a daughter who has been coming to the festival as part of the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus. She is very familiar with the set up of Moorambilla and really keen to make sure everyone has a bed and
knows what to do when. We are thrilled to have Annette on board as she is a brilliant organiser, great fun and passionate about making music available to everyone. Annette is the person you need to talk to if you have any questions about anything. The contact details have not changed:
Email – voicesadmin@moorambilla.com
Ph: 0448 808 903
You will be able to catch up with many friends at the Festival as Michelle will be introducing you to the newest member of the Moorambilla family - baby Iggy - born in June; the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus (including our dear friend Jeanne Kinninmont) will be there in force along with the folks from TaikOz inlcluding their consumate artistic director Ian Cleworth and Paul Goodchild (trumpeter) who is bringing a group of brass playing friends from the Sydney Symphony and we will also be joined by not just the Tango orchestra but the full force of the flagship Sydney Youth Orchestra - 50 players in all!
So all is good and things are going from strength to strength in terms of Moorambilla 2011....Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Welcome Ignatius Bede Robinson!!!!
The Moorambilla Family has grown by one in the last week Michelle our founder and artistic director giving birth to a new baby boy - Ignatius Bede! Mum and Bub are doing well and look forward to meeting you all in August! Congratulations to Michelle and Family from all of your Moorambilla Family!
Wow - Huge Congratulations to Laura and Abigail Murray from Lightning Ridge - they have been organising their own fundraising for this year!
They spent Tuesday afternoon selling chocolates down town to raise funds. Yesterday they went into their room and created this beautiful poster. Tell us your stories!! Click here to read more and see their great poster!! Let us know your stories!!
FIRST ROUND OFFERS OUT TODAY - 10th May!
First round offers for Season 2011 were posted today to your schools! Look out for them and get the registration forms back in as soon as possible! Any questions - pop Stephanie a line - voicesadmin@moorambilla.com
Stop Press - Moorambilla Voices & Festival Art Music Award Gong!
Moorambilla Voices & Festival awarded NSW State award for Excellence in an Organisation at the 2011 APRA/AMCOS Australian Music Centre Arts Music Awards - see excerpt from award press release below:
In New South Wales, the State Award again honoured Excellence by an Organisation, this time by Moorambilla Voices children’s choir. Over the past five years Moorambilla Voices and the associated festival event held in Coonamble, has given hundreds of children from regional and remote New South Wales the opportunity to take part in the festival and participate in music workshops in their local areas.
Click here for full award listing.
Margie Moore OAM - Education Consultant
Moorambilla Voices congratulate company director Margie Moore on her recent Order of Australia Medal announced in the 2011 Australia Day Honours. Margie's award is for contribution to Services to Arts through Music Education and is due recognition for her role in developing the Sydney Symphony Orchestra education and musician training program and her contribution to the Orff Society for creative music education and movement in Australia.
We are extremely excited to announce that Margie will be increasing her involvement in the newly developed capacity as Education Consultant. Margie will be working with Michelle and Stephanie to document the educational outcomes of the program and further develop the education strategy for Moorambilla Voices - Once again congratulations Margie!
ABC Regional Radio come on board as Festival Media Partner!
ABC regional radio has signed up as Media Parnter for the 2011 Moorambilla Festival in Coonamble. Andrew Dunkley and crew will be in Coonamble on September 23 for a live broadcast from the Plaza Theatre!
