University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2010 Together Alone: conditions for sustainability in Australian independent theatre Jane Elizabeth Kreis University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Kreis, Jane Elizabeth, Together Alone: conditions for sustainability in Australian independent theatre, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, University of Wollongong. Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 2010. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3309 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact Manager Repository Services: [email protected]. Together Alone: Conditions for Sustainability in Australian Independent Theatre A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree Doctor of Philosophy from University of Wollongong by Jane Elizabeth Kreis MA, BA (Hons) Faculty of Creative Arts 2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Postgraduate research is by no means a straightforward process and having had to coordinate my research from off-campus has required the support and experience of particular staff with the Faculty of Creative Arts, the Research Students Centre, Library Services, and the Information Technology Services of the University of Wollongong to whom I am deeply grateful. I would however like to give particular thanks to my long-time supervisor Dr Janys Hayes who has been my rock and advocate from day one of my research degree and who understood the challenges I faced in managing motherhood, isolation and doctoral research. I am also grateful to Dr Ian McGrath, Dr Margaret Hamilton, and Prof. Sarah Miller who acted in supervisory capacities at crucial stages of my research and thesis development. Special thanks also to Olena Cullen who was a vital link between me and the University. I would also like to give special thanks to Vicki Dodd, the Faculty Librarian for Creative Arts; Erin Hood, the Higher Degree Research Scholarships Officer; and Dr Penny Harris the Head of Office of Research and Postgraduate Studies. Given the nature of my research focus, I am also indebted to the independent theatre practitioners and related organisations who provided the purpose, the material and the passion for this work. Without you, this thesis would not exist. In addition, I sought and received much needed feedback from peers and specialists. I would like to give particular thanks to Margaret Botticchio, Clare Dyson, Liz Mackinlay, Jenny O‘Donnell, and Peter O‘Keefe for their generosity and insight. On the home front, I especially need to send my deep thanks to the man who became my husband during this thesis, Justin Kreis. This profound acknowledgement also extends to my parents, Terry and Jenny O‘Donnell. This small family network ii understood and supported my drive to fulfil this research in spite of other commitments and constraints. A big cuddle and fat raspberries also to my children, Lili and Jude Kreis, who came into being two thirds of the way through my doctoral research: although necessarily a bit of a hiccup in the thesis process, they have taught me more about creativity, energy and sustainability than anyone. I would like to acknowledge the environments in which this thesis was developed: Moreton Island National Park for its beauty and its ability to pare life back to its most basic; Glen Innes for its community and childcare which enabled me to complete the final writing of the thesis; the capital cities and regional centres in which I worked and interviewed; and the University of Wollongong for its online and on-campus dedication to scholarship and academia. Lastly, this thesis is dedicated to my late, paternal grandfather Professor Emeritus Thomas O‘Donnell who passed away only months before this thesis could be submitted. His personal commitment, passion and success in regards to research and education were a great inspiration to me and to many others. Although I no longer officially carry the O‘Donnell name, I am proud to be the next member of his family to submit a doctoral thesis. iii STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY I, Jane Elizabeth Kreis, declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Jane Elizabeth Kreis 30 June, 2010. COPYRIGHT AGREEMENT By submitting this thesis, I hereby grant to the University of Wollongong (UOW) or its agents the right to archive and to reproduce and communicate to the public my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain ownership of copyright and all other proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. ii STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY ............................................................................. iv COPYRIGHT AGREEMENT ......................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. v LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... xiv KEYWORDS .................................................................................................................. xv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... xvi CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................... 19 1 Setting The Scene .................................................................................................... 19 1.1 An Introduction to the Thesis .......................................................................... 19 1.2 Situating the Hermeneutic Research Process .................................................. 20 1.3 Situating the Researcher .................................................................................. 21 1.4 Part A: Developing an Independent Voice...................................................... 22 1.4.1 Definition of Sustainability ......................................................................... 23 1.5 Description of Chapters................................................................................... 24 1.5.1 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................... 24 1.5.2 Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................... 25 1.5.3 Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................... 26 1.5.4 Chapter 5 ..................................................................................................... 26 1.5.5 Chapter 6 .................................................................................................... 27 1.5.6 Definition of Holism ................................................................................... 27 1.6 Part B: Conditions for sustainability in Australian independent theatre ......... 27 v PART A ........................................................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................... 33 2 More Than Economics: Developing a context for independent theatre and sustainability ................................................................................................................... 33 2.1 An Ongoing Literature Review ....................................................................... 33 2.2 The Language of the Thesis ............................................................................ 34 2.3 Developing the Research Question ................................................................. 34 2.4 Relevant Early Literature ................................................................................ 36 2.4.1 Australian Government and Related Publications 1980 – 2008 ................. 36 2.4.2 A Brief History of the Australia Council for the Arts ................................. 36 2.5 The Economic Agenda: Funding shifts ........................................................... 38 2.5.1 Early Online Marketing and Business Development .................................. 41 2.5.2 Theatre How-To Manuals ........................................................................... 42 2.6 Defining the Scope of the Research ................................................................ 43 2.7 The Language of Global Theory ..................................................................... 45 2.7.1 Globalisation ............................................................................................... 46 2.7.2 Glocalisation ............................................................................................... 48 2.7.3 Creative Industries: a glocalised, economic framework ............................. 49 2.8 Interconnection