Liesel Zink

This campaign is to support nine independent dancers to travel to Sydney and present The Stance at Performance Space's Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art.

The Stance is a monumental live performance that places a mass of bodies in public spaces around the world, inviting audiences to consider the politics and phsycial commitment that fuel mass protest. The Stance is an act of endurance that channels the history of public protest and recent acts of global action, activism and intervention. An ensemble of nine dancers perform to a live score of music (by the incredible Mike Willmett) which is transmitted to audiences through wireless FM headphones, transforming familiar urban spaces into a world of poetry and dance.

The Stance has been a long time in the making! With the support of Metro Arts and Arts QLD, I started the project with my collaborators Mike Willmett (sound artist) and Martyn Coutts (dramaturge) in 2014. It has since premiered in King George Square in Brisbane and we are thrilled that The Stance has now been invited to be a part of Performance Space's Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art in Sydney.

THE STANCE @ LIVEWORKS

The Stance at Liveworks will be presented as a five hour durational performance, weaving in and out of the Everleigh Markets outside of Carriageworks on Saturday morning. In addition, we will present three performance installations Wednesady - Friday evening where we will have the opportunity to further experiment with the durational elements of the work.

The Stance is free of charge and will be performed at Carriageworks the following dates:

   Performance Installation
   - Wednesday 2 November, 7pm – 8pm
   - Thursday 3 November, 7pm – 8pm
   - Friday 4 November, 7pm – 8pm

   Full-Length Performance
   - Saturday 5 November, 8am – 1pm.

Join the facebook events page here for more details.

WHAT PARTICIPATING IN LIVEWORKS WILL MEAN TO US:

Liveworks celebrates the newest and most intriguing developments in experimental art from across Australia and the Asia Pacific. It is a festival known for it's ambition and risk-taking, with an extensive schedule of large-scale exhibitions, participatory installations, live music, dance and theatre. We are so humbled to be a part of this festival. It will be an incredible opportunity to share our work with some of the leading experimental arts practitioners around Australia and the world! It is my hope, that this will open up opportunities for further national and international development and performance.

On a more personal level, this will be the first time that I have presented my independent work in my home state of NSW...and I am so excited to, at last, have the opportunity to share what I do with my friends and family in my home state.

Furthermore, I am thrilled to be able to bring such a large team of interstate artists to Sydney to not only perform at the festival, but also to experience all the workshops, conversations and performances as well. 

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT ARTS:

As a chorographer, I am particularly passionate about supporting the practices of independent dancers. Throughout the process of The Stance, I have provided paid employment for over twenty dancers to be a part of the development process. With dancers ranging from emerging to professional, it has been a joyous experience to have such a large group of independents coming together to make The Stance the work that it is today. :)

LONGER TERM VISION FOR THE STANCE:

I have recently finished developing and presenting The Stance on Mature Artists Dance Experience (a dance ensemble of women over fifty) in Tasmania for Junction Arts Festival and Salamanca Moves.  

It showed that no matter who you are, your age or your background, we are all united by the need to stand for a better world. I now plan on developing and presenting The Stance on different people in different cities around the world.

Every dollar that you donate will go directly towards the artist fees of the nine independent dancers performing in The Stance at Liveworks.

The dancers that you will be supporting are:

  - Gabriel Comerford

  - Caitlin Comerford

  - Lauren Carr

  - Robert Flehr

  - Robert Tinning

  - Charles Ball

  - Amy Pan

  - Courtney Scheu

  - Sharon Lee

Outside of The Stance, these artists have their own independent practices as dancers and choreographers. Being a part of this project will not only showcase their brilliant performance abilities, but also enable them to take part in the workshops, performances and conversations at Liveworks... giving them a unique and artistically enriching professional development experience in Sydney. :)

Note: We intend the money to be evenly split between the dancers.

The Stance is an ambitious project with a large cast of dancers... in my mind, this is part of it's magic! However, unfortunately it means that funds do not stretch far. With recent cuts to the small to medium and independent arts sector, funds are limited. 

While I have been able to put my own money and fee towards covering the production costs and flights to bring my artists to Sydney, I am still short on covering costs and would love to be able to put a bit more money towards the dancer's fees. Should we raise enough funds, any remaining money will go towards covering production costs and travel expenses.

No donation is too small and every dollar counts! We would be so grateful for your support :)

For more information about this project and the work that I do, please visit www.lieselzink.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The Stance was first created with the support of Metro Arts. This project has also been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. 

PHOTO CREDITS:

#1: Samantha Williams and Charles Ball, Photography by Fenlan Chuang

#2: Samantha Williams, Ting Chen, Joshua Thomson, Photography by Fenlan Chuang

#3: Brisbane cast of The Stance at King George Square, Photography by Fenlan Chuang

%234: Beverley Funnel, MADE Dancer, Salamanca Moves, Photography by Liesel Zink

%235: Gabriel Comerford and Joshua Thomson, Photography by Fenlan Chuang