- ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
- COLLECTIONS IN FOCUS
- Lady Viola Tait Collection
- The Australian Ballet Collection
- Angus Winneke Collection
- John Truscott Collection
- Anne Fraser Collection
- Uniquely Australian
- Contemporary Collecting
Drawn to the Stage: Australian stage design from the Arts Centre’s Performing Arts Collection
Venues: George Adams Gallery, St Kilda Road Gallery & Smorgon Family Plaza
Dates: Saturday 21 July – Sunday 28 October 2007
Drawn to the Stage showcases the Arts Centre’s magnificent collection of stage design, spanning the late 19th century to the present day, including costume and set designs, set models, sketches and working drawings. The exhibition charts the history of Australian stage design as it is represented through the Performing Arts Collection. The exhibition includes over 300 works by 50 designers currently represented in the Collection, alongside companies they have worked for, such as The Australian Ballet and Melbourne Theatre Company, with which the Arts Centre has ongoing collecting arrangements.
Drawn to the Stage is composed around seven thematic sections or vignettes that explore the way in which the Performing Arts Collection’s holdings of stage design have been amassed over the last three decades, and the intersections of the Collection with the history of Australian stage design.
The Lady Viola Tait Collection of Edwardian designs for J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd illustrates the way designs were imported for the Australian stage at the turn of the 20th century. The Australian Ballet Collection recounts the story of the Ballet through a roll-call of visionary designers who have worked with the company over the years, including Hugh Colman, Kristian Fredrikson, Kenneth Rowell, Anna French, Jennifer Irwin and Michael Pearce.
Three very different mid-20th century stage designers, Tivoli Theatre stalwart Angus Winneke, and ground-breaking professional designers John Truscott and Anne Fraser, receive separate sections that show how their personal design collections weave rich biographical stories through their careers.
An eclectic Uniquely Australian display explores the way designers through the 20th century have depicted Australian imagery and themes for the stage. Lastly, a Contemporary Collecting section highlights recent donations, including the complete set of Roger Kirk's costume designs for Dusty: The Original Pop Diva, and a swathe of material donated by Brian Thomson for The King and I, and the bequest of the late Trina Parker, which illustrates the scope of stage design work acquired for the Performing Arts Collection, and preserved for future generations.
A 56-page exhibition catalogue, published by the Arts Centre, is available through the Performing Arts Collection Research Service for $14.95 (plus postage and handling), email: researchservice@theartscentre.net.au or phone 03 9281 8446.