Seeing the Chameleon:Barriers To
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SEEING THE CHAMELEON: BARRIERS TO MAKING DANCE WORK FOR INDEPENDENT DANCE CREATORS IN BRISBANE Elizabeth Jane Vilmanis Associate Degree in Dance Dr Clare Dyson - Principal Supervisor Professor Susan Street - Associate Supervisor Associate Professor Bree Hadley - Associate Supervisor Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Research) Dance Department Faculty of Creative Industries Queensland University of Technology 2017 Professional editor, Denise Scott, provided copyediting and proofreading services, according to the guidelines laid out in the university-endorsed national ‘Guidelines for editing research theses’. Keywords Barriers to making dance, Brisbane independent dance creators, choreography, contemporary dance, dance training, ecological lens, funding system, independent dance artist, dance infrastructure and resources, interim dance artist, making dance, mixed methodology, professional dance, independent artists' motivations, perceptions of independent dance, Australian context for creating dance work, complex independent dance sector. Keywords 4 Abstract For at least twenty years, Brisbane independent dance creators have been experiencing barriers that make it difficult for them to prioritise the creation of new work. Anecdotally, they say that the barriers to making new dance work are due to lack of infrastructure and resources; however, there is little research to date, to substantiate these claims. Given the diverse and complex nature of the barriers, approaches to finding solutions have been reactive rather than preventative. Brisbane independent dance creators are often under recognised and required to do a diverse number of roles within their job description. Similar to the colour changing attribute of the chameleon that camouflages its true identity, the lack of visibility of the independent creator, often masks their identity. However, where the chameleon's camouflage is advantageous to their survival, limited visibility and lack of differentiation of independent dance creators can negatively impact their ability to create new dance works and sustain a feasible career. This research project differentiates independent dance creators and identifies and investigates their motivations, and their perceptions of the drivers and barriers to making new dance work. Incorporating a mixed methodology, participant observation, Grounded Theory, and Root Cause Analysis are used to generate related data, including analysis of practice, a literature and contextual review of claims about practice, and a survey of Brisbane independent dance artists. Broader Australian contextual barriers to making independent dance work are first identified, followed by an exploration of barriers facing Brisbane's dance makers generally and then specifically Brisbane's independent dance creators. Significantly, the ways in which the barriers to making dance relate are considered, and a framework is created to unpack their labyrinthine constitution. The framework distinguishes three different levels of barriers: causal; problematic; and symptomatic. This identification of the different types of barriers provides a systematic way to address the interconnected and multifarious barriers that currently exist, and to prevent their recurrence. Abstract 5 Table of Contents Keywords 4 Abstract 5 List of Tables 9 List of Abbreviations 10 Statement of Original Authorship 11 Acknowledgements 12 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 13 Chapter 2: WHAT HAS BEEN RESEARCHED AND DOCUMENTED? 18 Large scale research on the Australian performing arts sector ............................ 18 Research on individual artists (non-art form specific) .......................................... 18 Literature specific to the Australian dance industry ............................................ 19 Literature pertaining to the Australian independent dance sector ..................... 20 Literature pertaining to independent dance in localised contexts ...................... 23 LEARNINGS FROM LITERATURE 26 Chapter 3: REVEALING THE CAMOUFLAGE 29 THE TITLE OF 'INDEPENDENT DANCE ARTIST' 30 TRADITIONAL STRUCTURAL MODELS 35 MAKING DANCE IS EXPENSIVE 39 Space ..................................................................................................................... 39 Tools and time ...................................................................................................... 40 THE FUNDING SYSTEM 42 The three government-subsidised professional dance sectors ............................ 42 The hierarchy ........................................................................................................ 44 Unspoken perceptions .......................................................................................... 44 Table of Contents 6 GENERAL CONTEXTUAL BARRIERS 46 Chapter 4: LOOKING CLOSER 49 INFLUENCES THAT HAVE SHAPED BRISBANE INDEPENDENT DANCE PRACTICE 49 SPECIFIC CONTEXTUAL BARRIERS 56 Visibility ................................................................................................................. 57 Space and platforms ............................................................................................. 59 'Interim dance artists' ........................................................................................... 61 Chapter 5: A VIEW FROM WITHIN 64 Chapter 6: WHERE PRACTICE MEETS RESEARCH: A METHODOLOGY INFORMED BY EXPERIENCE 68 MIXED METHODOLOGY 68 THE ECOLOGICAL LENS 70 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION 72 GROUNDED THEORY 73 ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS 75 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS 76 Use of participant observation ............................................................................. 76 Use of a survey...................................................................................................... 77 Use of document analysis ..................................................................................... 82 Use of Grounded Theory Analysis ........................................................................ 83 Use of Root Cause Analysis ................................................................................... 84 ETHICS 85 Chapter 7: UNVEILING THE BRISBANE INDEPENDENT DANCE CREATOR 87 PROFESSIONAL DANCE EXPERIENCE 88 OTHER ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN 91 MAIN FOCUS 93 MOTIVATIONS 95 Table of Contents 7 ROLES REQUIRED TO CREATE NEW DANCE WORK 98 TRAINING 100 Chapter 8: THE BARRIERS: DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT 101 THE CAUSAL BARRIER: A lack of visibility of Brisbane independent dance creators 102 PROBLEMATIC BARRIER #1: A lack of clarity around the term 'independent dance creator' 103 PROBLEMATIC BARRIER #2: Not 'fitting' the traditional model of a singular, straightforward artistic role 103 PROBLEMATIC BARRIER #3: Difficulties with resources and infrastructure 104 PROBLEMATIC BARRIER #4: The hierarchical organisation of the funding system 108 Chapter 9: A FRAMEWORK FOR ADDRESSING BARRIERS 111 Chapter 10: CONCLUSION 113 KEY LEARNINGS 113 LOOKING FORWARD 116 Bibliography 121 APPENDICES 127 Appendix A: Independent creators' motivations for becoming independent 127 Appendix B: Key barriers to making dance work for independent creators 129 Appendix C: Professional practice to contextualise the insider view: Elizabeth Vilmanis - Curriculum Vitae 2017 132 Appendix D: An overview of the evolution of contemporary dance in Australia 142 Appendix E: Contemporary Dance Companies and select independents in Australia - Timeline 148 Appendix F: The Questionnaire 153 Appendix G: Marcus Westbury's table - "What's the difference between enabling and programming?" 158 Table of Contents 8 List of Tables Table 1 Basic funding hierarchy for the Australian dance industry ..................................... 44 Table 2 The subsidised professional dance ecology in Brisbane .......................................... 58 Table 3 Questionnaire population ........................................................................................ 80 Table 4 Time spent (in years) by independent creators in the professional dance industry .......................................................................................................... 89 Table 5 Time spent (in years) by independent creators in the independent dance sector ............................................................................................................. 90 Table 6 Other activities of independent creators ................................................................. 93 Table 7 The main foci of independent creators .................................................................... 94 Table 8 Independent creators' motivations for becoming independent .............................. 95 Table 9 Roles that independent creators undertake in making dance works ...................... 99 Table 11 Framework to address barriers ........................................................................... 111 List of Tables 9 List of Abbreviations QPAC: Queensland Performing Arts Centre QUT: Queensland University of Technology List of Abbreviations 10 Statement of Original Authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. QUT Verified Signature Signature: Date: June, 2017 Statement of Original Authorship 11 Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere