APRA AMCOS’ MUSICAL THEATRE SONGHUBS to be delivered at APAX 2021
Throughout APAX, some of Australia’s best artists will be in the house at NIDA seeding the next great musical theatre works.
In partnership with PAC Australia, APRA AMCOS will deliver MUSICAL THEATRE SONGHUBS – a four day intensive where curators and guests will write, produce and record music, songs, and sound for the theatre.
As part of Australia’s largest national touring market, APAX delegates will have the opportunity to hear from the artists throughout the week and even get in on the ground floor of the work as it’s being created.
The incredible Yve Blake, Eddie Perfect, and Sonya Suares will step into the curator roles and joining them will be APRA AMCOS special guests Samuel Gaskin, Casey Bennetto and Vidya Makan.
Information for artists:
Musical Theatre SongHubs will be held at NIDA during APAX (the Australian Performing Arts Exchange), the most significant annual gathering of performing arts professionals in Australia, providing the connections, professional development and opportunities that deliver the performing arts across the country.
Applications are now open to APRA AMCOS members:
– 4 x members living anywhere in Australia or New Zealand
Members will receive return economy flights to Sydney, accommodation for six nights at $70AUD per diem daily.
– 8 x APRA AMCOS members living in the Greater Sydney area.
Members will receive $70AUD per diem daily.
Apply by 5pm (AEST) Thursday 15 July to be part of these sessions!
Submissions close 5pm (AEST). All submissions will be evaluated by SongHubs curators.
Successful applicants will be advised by COB Friday 30 July 2021.
Apply here: https://apraamcos.smartygrants.com.au/musicaltheatre
SongHubs is an APRA AMCOS initiative that partners emerging and established APRA AMCOS songwriters with renowned international songwriters and producers to create new works for local and international markets. The potential for Australian and New Zealand songwriters is considerable, with SongHubs taking place in both domestic and international locations.
MUSICAL THEATRE SONGHUBS CURATORS:
YVE BLAKE
Yve Blake (She/Her) is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and composer. She is best known for creating the musical FANGIRLS for which she wrote the book, music and lyrics. FANGIRLS premiered in 2019 at Queensland Theatre and Belvoir to five star reviews and standing-room-only crowds, before winning the 2019 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Mainstage Musical, the Matilda Award for Best Musical or Cabaret, and the 2020 AWGIE award for Music Theatre. In 2021, FANGIRLS returned by demand for a second Australian tour, and released a cast album via Ghostlight Records. |
SONYA SUARES
Sonya Suares is a multidisciplinary performer, dramaturg, director, producer and arts activist who made her screen debut in Ocean Girl in the 90s. Feature films include Wil, Knowing, My Year Without Sex and The Last Ride; television highlights are Rush, Very Small Business, East West 101, Lowdown, It’s A Date, Legally Brown, Romper Stomper, Next Generation and Five Bedrooms. In 2021, in amongst several collaborations and developments, she is working with composer/ lyricist Vidya Makan on The Lucky Country; AD-ing with Sarah Goodes on MTC’s Sunday; and co-directing Into the Woods with Dean Drieberg for Watch This. She has also written, produced and performed in the fantasy screen adventure, The Quest with an extraordinary team that includes her 11-year old son, Daniel. |
EDDIE PERFECT
Eddie Perfect is an Australian composer, lyricist, playwright, musician and performer. He was recently nominated for a Tony for Best Original Score for his work in Beetlejuice. His works for the stage include Shane Warne The Musical (Token Events), for which he won a Helpmann, a Green Room and Victorian Premier’s Literary Award;Vivid White and The Beast (Melbourne Theatre Company); Strictly Ballroom (Global Creatures);Songs From the Middle (with the Brodsky Quartet); and King Kong on Broadway (Global Creatures). Eddie’s acting credits include TV’s Offspring, South Pacific (Opera Australia/Lincoln Centre Theater), Keating! (Belvoir) and as a regular presenter on Playschool. |
SAMUEL GASKIN
Creator & Change Agent, Samuel Gaskin has always been one to stand out in a crowd. Not only is he an accomplished Artist and Actor, he also runs his own company Beat Entertainment, a BIPOC LGBTQI+ led and focussed entertainment company renowned for truly original bespoke concepts of deep heart. His work RECKŌNING recently took out four Melbourne Fringe Awards including Best Emerging Indigenous Artist – Supported by Wilin Centre (VCA & MCM); Market Ready Award – Supported by Regional Arts Victoria; Emerging Company Incubator Award – Supported by Monash Centre for Theatre and Performance; and Space Cadet Award – Supported by RISING Melbourne. |
CASEY BENNETTO
Casey Bennetto is a songwriter, performer, arranger, composer, dramaturge, DJ and eternal searcher for the definition of “dramaturge”. He’s best known for having written the musical “KEATING!”, but amongst other projects he’s scored television programs “Get Krack!n”and “Lowdown”, directed live comedy and cabaret shows, hosted national awards ceremonies, taught university music theatre courses and collaborated on award-winning opera “Lorelei”, so geez, Mum, get off his case, will you? His original songs have been performed by artists from Paul Kelly to Ali McGregor. He likes Bananagrams. |
VIDYA MAKAN
Vidya Makan is a critically acclaimed actor, singer and composer/lyricist, perhaps most well known for originating the role of Catherine Parr in the Australian tour of SIX. As a composer/lyricist, Vidya is currently working on her concept musical The Lucky Country in collaboration with Sonya Suares. In 2020, Vidya directed, produced and wrote the Green Room Award Nominated original song I NEED YOU TO SEE ME; a call to the entertainment industry for visibility and inclusion. Vidya is a proud graduate of Griffith University’s Queensland Conservatorium’s Bachelor of Musical Theatre and endeavours to champion minority voices in all of her work. She is proudly represented by Ian White Management. |