JANUARY – DECEMBER 2017 ANNUAL REPORT Image Credit: Mick Richards NIDF 2017 Annual Report 2017 BlakDance 2 Annual Report 2017 BlakDance Image Credit: Elaine Pelot Syron Tent Embassy, Circa 1980 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY BlakDance uphold the continuing sovereignty of all Frist Nations peoples in Australia. We pay our respects to our Elders, past and present. We pay respect and homage to all the BlakDance elders across Australia. Without them, we would not be here continuing their legacy today. Annual Report 2017 BlakDance Annual Report 2017 BlakDance 1 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY 1 PROGRAMS | ACTIVITIES | ACHIEVEMENTS | PROGRAMS 2017 24 HISTORY OF BLAKDANCE 3 NIDF 2017 26 The Producer Development Program 26 OUR SITUATION 4 Touring Ecology 6 MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS 2017 27 OUR MISSION 8 OUR SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS 28 BlakDance Respectful and Relational Process 9 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 30 GOALS AND CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS 10 Performing Country 30 The First Nations Dialogues, New York 2018 31 CHAIR'S REPORT 12 Australian Performing Arts Market – APAM 2018 31 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 13 The BlakDance Residency Program 2018 32 Exporting 32 ABOUT US 14 NEXT GEN 32 Structure & Management 14 BlakDance Organisational Framework 14 FINANCE REPORT 33 The BlakDance Cultural Council 15 Financial Management 33 The BlakDance Board of Management 16 Funding 2017 33 Committee’s 16 Financial 2017 33 BlakDance Board Members Biographies 18 2017 grants 33 Constitutional Reform 20 AUDITOR'S REPORT 34 The BlakDance staffing structure 21 FINANCIAL STATEMENT'S 37 OUR PEOPLE 22 Board Members 22 MANAGEMENT REPORT 49 Employees 22 HOW YOU CAN HELP 59 Consultants / Project staff 23 CONTACT US 60 Elders for 2017 23 Peers for 2017 23 Annual Report 2017 BlakDance 2 History of BlakDance Led by the founder of BlakDance, Marilyn Miller, the ground-breaking In 2008 the Indigenous Choreographers Project provided six choreographers pre-cursor to BlakDance was the Creating Pathways, held in Canberra from from the ‘Springboard Initiative’ with the opportunity to network with a 27-30 October 2005 at the National Museum. Over 40 dance artists from selection of International presenters attending Sydney Festival 2008. across the country and several generations created a landmark event and the A new organisation emerged, BlakDance, which was funded in 2009. 1 foundations of a strategic plan for Indigenous dance for the next decade . The Australia Council supported BlakDance as a ‘building’ infrastructure The forum targeted mid-career independent Indigenous contemporary dance organisation for the period 2009-2016. For over a decade, BlakDance artists (including dancers, choreographers and teachers). have played a critical role in brokering opportunities, advocacy, market In 2006 and 2007 Treading the Pathways was the implementation strategy development, communicating protocol and leadership. from Creating Pathways recommendations including employment of a national BlakDance has successfully undertaken a wide range of activities that have had Indigenous Dance coordinator and the development of a Dancers Directory. It measurable impact on developing choreographers and dance practice: was auspiced by the Ausdance National organisation. Examples: Treading the Pathways assisted mid-career contemporary independent • In 2011 The Lagaw Gub | Island Wind teacher workshops and screenings Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance artists by developing the national were held. Developed by Djon Newie with educational written component infrastructure for Indigenous dance. It focused on building national networks, by Leesa Watego from Iscariot Media. Lagaw Gub is the first Torres Strait professional development and career opportunities. It created a dedicated Islander dance education resource in Australia. position that commenced in February 2007. Setting up the position entailed • In 2012 BlakDance produced an international showcase and presented the formulation of a steering committee to ‘bring an external sensibility to 4 choreographers to work alongside 4 international choreographers the project’, and the formulation of a strategic plan. Seven independent and included 7 performances, employed 12 dancers, and supported 9 contemporary choreographers, were selected for three-year development practitioners through professional development. under the ‘Springboard Initiative’: • This was held at the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane attended Gary Lang, Baru Kadal, NT Gail Mabo, QLD by 225 people. Direct outcomes in 2013: 4 practitioners programmed in Rita Pryce, Baiwa Dance, QLD Vicki Van Hout, NSW the National Dance Forum, 2 works presented at KOWHITI (NZ National Jason Pitt, NSW Nikki Ashby, VIC Indigenous Dance Festival), 1 work presented at the Centre of Contemporary Deon Hastie, SA Art (COCA) Cairns, and 1 choreographer commissioned for Ochres Dance Company, WA. A first ever publication of Torres Strait Island Play Dances was developed as a school’s resource kit for distribution through the Ausdance network and • In 2012/13 BlakDance continued to support mid-career choreographers State and Territory education departments and required appropriate teacher facilitating access through information sharing and crucial financial and in-servicing and/or delivery by Indigenous dance artists. A collaboration with administrative support including 5 artists at APAM 2012 and 4 artists at Dance Blackfella Films created a Dancers’ Directory in 2008. Company placements of Massive 2013. up to four one-week blocks were pursued in 2008 and 2009 with: • In December 2015, BlakDance produced Dana Waranara in Brisbane to over • The Australian Ballet – Gary Lang, NT 85 delegates from the Indigenous Dance sector. • Chunky Move – Vicki Van Hout, NSW • In 2017 BlakDance developed and produced the National Indigenous Dance • Expressions Dance company – Rita Pryce, QLD. Forum (NIDF 2017) as part of YIRRAMBOI Festival of First Nations arts and culture, Melbourne. 1 Annual Report 2017 BlakDance Creating Pathways was a partnership initiative of the then Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Arts Board with the Dance Board of the Australia Council for the Arts and Ausdance National. Our Situation BlakDance is the national peak body for Indigenous Dance in Australia. BlakDance connects dance artists with national and international markets. Our membership features independent choreographers and Examples include: community practitioners. Jacob Boehme’s participation in the 17th Assitej International World Congress We recognise and operate within a cultural continuum of past, present and Sweden/Denmark in 2011 future. BlakDance is Indigenous led and features an innovative and culturally Tammi Gissell, Rayma Johnson, Jacob Boehme, Robert Dann, Peta Strachan grounded governance structure. BlakDance serves a priority demographic of attended the Australian Performing Arts Market at the Adelaide Festival in 2012 Indigenous Australians and adds to the greater discourse, practice and policy Eric Avery, Gary Lang, Tammi Gisell, Vicki Van Hout, Jacob Boehme and imperatives of the arts sector. BlakDance is the trusted source of Indigenous Patricia Pryce attended the Dance Massive forum in 2013 dance advocacy in Australia and plays a critical role in brokering partnerships Tammi Gissell, Mariaa Randall, Jacob Boehme, Thomas E.S. Kelly, Jo Clancy, between the indigenous dance sector and presenters, policy makers, audiences, Vicki Van Hout, Waiata Telfer attended the Australian Performing Arts Market and stakeholders locally, nationally and internationally. at the Brisbane Powerhouse 2014 BlakDance supports artists and communities across many diverse forms of Indigenous choreographer’s residency Dance Massive 2015; Mariaa Randall, dance, geographies of histories, songlines, and protocols. It connects Jacob Boehme, Ian RT Colless, Eric Avery, Pauline Lampton, Nikki Ashby and collaborators and communities, fuels creative exchange, and builds public Henrietta Baird discourse; in turn strengthening the visibility of the artform, supporting Ian Colless, Amrita Hepi, Thomas E.S. Kelly participation in the Indigenous Indigenous dance sovereignty, and engagements with the broader arts ecology. Dance Residency at The Banff Centre Canada BlakDance is informed by a rights-based approach, using the standards in the UN Kerry Johnson’s work with the Alvin Ailey company in New York in an Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other local, national, and international dance and cultural exchange program international standards to guide frameworks for our work and the partnerships we engage in. This rigor drives BlakDance’s utilisation of best practice models Vicki Van Hout’s participation in the prestigious Paris Residency at the Cite 2013 ensuring appropriate protection and promotion of protocols across the and guest presentation in New York during Umyuangvigkaq: PS122 Long Table BlakDance program and avoiding the misuse or misappropriation of cultural and Durational Sewing Bee, 2017 property and resources of the BlakDance membership. This takes long-term Djuki Mali national and international touring 2007-2017 across more than planning and execution, consultation and good governance. 100 venues nationally and internationally For over a decade, BlakDance has consistently delivered generative and Jacob Boehme participation at the 2015 ISPA New York congress transformative sector events and has contributed significantly to the Amrita Hepi’s participation at the 2016 and 2017 IETM plenary sessions development of