CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
TREASURER’S REPORT
To fulfil its mission as a creative hub for independent artists, Metro Arts relies on a mix of
independent activities, government grant funding, and other funding from supporters. The
Board, chaired by John Dunleavy, and the CEO Liz Burcham, have faced many challenges during
the year, particularly from a funding perspective. Despite the many factors that had the potential
to constrain delivery, Liz and her talented, dedicated and enthusiastic team delivered wonderful
support to artists and another outstanding program of work.
Metro Arts was operating within the first year of a new strategic plan. Once again, our
Organisation needed to respond to significant environmental factors affecting our traditional
marketplace. Core changes were made to streamline programming and place greater
emphasis on supporting the making process and connecting with wider markets.
It is my pleasure to have served on the Board of The Brisbane Community Arts Centre Ltd
(trading as Metro Arts) during 2013 and to now give my second report as the Organisation’s
Treasurer.
At the outset I must emphasise that the day celebrated in many countries by people playing
practical jokes, is not a deliberate choice for Metro’s Annual General Meeting. In earnest, I am
pleased to take this opportunity to reflect on the achievements of 2013.
In April 2013 the ‘crowd funded’ transformation of our Basement venue opened with a new
work, I should Have Drunk More Champagne, by The Good Room. In a celebratory event with
some of our donors, I watched the mixture of shock and joy that this work provoked while
taking some people outside their comfort zones. We are evolving from an Organisation that
in many respects is a shy one in terms of connections and networks beyond our traditional
domain and this Basement project was a catalyst to find ‘old friends’ we didn’t know we had.
2013 delivered significant pressure on the Organisation and industry caused by looming
State Government funding cuts. While the Board and in conjunction with the whole team had
made every effort to ensure our ‘ship’ was well positioned, there was still a level of anxiety.
Ultimately, Metro Arts was recognised for the valuable and distinctive role it plays in the
industry by receiving a small increase to its funding base across the period 2014-16. However
the pressure isn’t fully released with this funding geared to the first year of the triennium.
The Organisation will need to increase income to compensate for decreasing funding if it is to
maintain its level of services in years two and three, while combating increasing costs.
A reduction in both Federal and State funding distributed across the board to Queensland
artists and the s2m sector, raised the ongoing tension between operational costs of the
facility and artists’ and organisations’ capacity to pay for space; with studio occupancy levels
most affected. It’s important to note, in 2013 Metro Arts provided venue subsidies to artists
of $88,290.93 over and above the considerable venue investments it makes in programming.
Finding efficiencies in an operation is part of keeping a balanced budget and with the support
of the Federal Government program Enterprise Connect, Metro Arts was able to deploy new
facilities management software which automates previous manual operations, as well build
a new website to better reflect and promote Metro Arts’ products and services. The Gambling
Community Benefit Fund also assisted with purchasing new equipment for the Sue Benner
Theatre and the Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund enabled re-sheeting of Metro Arts’
Gallery walls, degraded by the continuous turnover of exhibitions.
I am pleased to report that in these tough conditions, Metro Arts was able to deliver another small
financial surplus, and finish the year with a sound balance sheet. Revenues for the year were up
4.3 per cent at $1,279,124, with expenses up 3.8 per cent at $1,269,157. This resulted in a surplus
of $9,967. It is a great credit to the management team that it was able to show resilience and
creativity to deliver so much community value under tough conditions.
Once again, as well as vital grants funding from Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the
Arts, the Metro Arts Espresso Bar was a strong financial contributor. The continuing success of
the cafe validates the Board’s decision to create this line of business and generate a much needed
independent source of funding.
The Metro Arts building in Edward Street in the Brisbane CBD continues as the physical hub of the
Organisation. As I walk to the building to attend each Board meeting or grab a coffee from the
café, it is fascinating to look out at the continuing transformation of the Edward Street precinct
into Brisbane’s upmarket shopping district.
The 2014 year promises to be another challenging one for the Organisation. I hope to be able to
continue to work with the rest of the Board and management to fulfil Metro’s mission and guide
and deliver its strategy.
Michael Cottier
Treasurer
They say good people make good organisations and I offer nothing but praise for Metro
Arts’ staff for their commitment and energies under the leadership of Liz Burcham and to
my fellow Board Members for their time and commitment . Your collective input in 2013 was
invaluable, and very much part of the continued success we are planning.
john dunleavy
chairman
Annual report 2013
Metro Arts would like to thank its funding and programming partners:
109 Edward Street, Brisbane
www.metroarts.com.au
Secretary:
Liz Burcham, CEO Metro Arts
Directors:
Michael Cottier, Chartered Accountant
Penny Everingham, Actor
Nigel Lavender, Arts Manager
Brian Lucas, Performance Maker
Andrea Moor, Actor and Director
Grant Stevens, Visual Artist
Margo Powell, Fundraiser
Chairman:
John Dunleavy, Barrister and Chartered Accountant
A total of 10 board meeetings were held in 2013.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Alex Anderson - Maintenance Contractor
Liz Burcham - Chief Executive Officer
Amida Callinicos - Administrator
Amy-Clare McCarthy - Programming Coordinator (Visual Art)
Chris Kohn - Theatre Diversity Associate
Joy Lane - Finance Manager
Emmaly Langridge - Administration Assistant
Jamie Lewis - Audience Development Manager
Robert Millet - Facilities Coordinator
Jess Murphy - Operations Manager
Rebecca Simpson - Front Of House Manager
Kieran Swann - Programming Manager (Performance)
Jo Thomas - Managing Producer
Katrina Torenbeek - Managing Producer
as of 1 December 2013
STAFF
FACILITIES
CEO’S REPORT
2013 began with a bang – literally, knocking down the gallery walls and
transforming gallery two into the new Artist in Residence studio. The walls
of the Gallery were refurbished with the support of the Jupiters Casino
Community Benefit Fund. The Basement renovation happened concurrently
and thanks to the generosity of our community we were able to transform
the basement rehearsal room into a performance venue. Launched in April
with the Good Room’s I Should Have Drunk More Champagne, this adaptable
and unique space that is relevant to contemporary practices established
itself as a favourite in artists’ eyes.
2013 saw Metro Arts implement an
evolved programming plan designed to
better address artists’ needs in a highly
dynamic market with emphasis on being a
space where artists can experiment.
For the first time three of our spaces
were removed from the hiring schedule to be deployed
through programming. Responding to the call for consistent
programming, we reduced to just one exhibition space and
commenced the year-long program with Timothy Edser’s
enthralling exhibition Tension 17, and closed with The Changing
Standards of Dialogue by our Artists in Residence Marcel
Daniels & Daniel Herberg.
In the Performance Program we increased our support for
artists making new work. We supported six Works in Residence
and 17 creative developments. The Provocateur Program,
enabled through Creative Sparks funding, was a standout. Each
month a senior performance practitioner was in residence for
one week to consult on and challenge projects in development.
In 2013 we launched a simple idea of opening the building
for people to visit artists’ spaces, see and offer feedback on
developing work and engage in discussion. On the first Friday
Night of each month, this whole of building and cross artform
experience, encapsulates Metro Arts’ unique community.
With a greater emphasis on the making process, it was clear we
needed to expand our producing services beyond the artists
supported through the MAPS initiative and by the end of
2013, 13 works were represented. Aurelian by Genevieve Trace
demonstrates the value of integrated programming. A Work
in Residence initially, the project moved into the producing
stable where it was successfully supported to premier with
a five venue tour across Queensland before returning to be
presented as part of Brisbane Festival, all underpinned by a
valuable partnership with Drama Queensland.
While in 2013 we saw our Programs become increasingly
national, we continued to expand our sights internationally to
underpin our role as a producer. In 2013, Jo Thomas attended
IPAY in the US to scope its potential for promoting our growing
stable of children’s works, and I attended IETM in Dublin – an
international forum for contemporary artists and companies
that act as facilitators of these practices.
At the end of 2013 we put a full stop on a 12 year institution,
The Independents, a banner under which more than 50
performance works had been co-presented. This brand
journeyed from a time where the term ‘independent artist’
wasn’t part of any Brisbane lexicon and there wasn’t any space
to present new work made by individuals; to 2013 where every
theatre accommodates independent artists, and almost every
artist is independent. We concluded a label or a sign post saying
‘this is independent’ is redundant. Metro Arts will continue
to co-present daring and exciting theatre and performance,
however more appropriately under its own name.
Again in 2013 Metro Arts demonstrated its commitment to
artists and their needs for a stable yet responsive platform to
practice independently. In a highly constrained market this
is not easy and it takes a very special and committed team
who can deliver the necessary minimum of three miracles in a
standard day. To the team that delivers the food and beverage
services that increasingly underpin our financial base, to those
that keep the paperwork flowing and the bills paid, to the
building whisperers who keep the old Broad upright, to those
frontline in the artist trenches, I say an enormous thank you.
Your tremendous hard work and the collegial spirit with which
you carry out our roles is inspiring. I also thank the Board for
their commitment, support and leadership.
LIZ BURCHAM
CEO
METRO ARTS PROGRAM // JANUARY to DECEMBER
Artists in Residence, Marcel Daniels and Daniel Herberg presented a series of sculptural, object
and image-based works as a part of their exhibition The Changing Standards of Dialogue in
November 2013.
In September we commissioned Artifax – our new venue booking system
to streamline our procedures, and create a professional standard with the
necessary redundancies needed to grow the business.
WORKS IN RESIDENCE
Income from studio tenancies became more unstable in 2013, the flow on
effects of funding constraints and cuts saw us say goodbye to some long
term tenants, while others were forced to downsize. The Norman Park
facility maintained its vitality and tenant list throughout 2013.
THE PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT: LOVE
Liesel Zink and Rohan Kapithany
A look at the brainwaves behind why we act and feel the way we do.
MAN IN QUOTATION MARKS
Margi Brown-Ash
A new work which explores death and illness in a youth-obsessed world; emotion and masculinity; and
coming to terms with impending loss.
PERFORMING DETENTION
Alicia Jones
An exploration into creating a way to perform detention for and with those who are detained, with the
aim of uncovering humane alternatives and approaches to the daunting path towards reintegration.
SUBURBIA
The Escapists
Continuing their acclaimed approach to storytelling, The Escapists turn their gaze to the city’s fringes
with a meditation on the fantastic hidden in the mundane, and lives and loves fenced-off and kept tidy.
MADAME CARANDINI’S TRAVELLING MUSICAL CURIOSITY SHOW
Stephen Carleton, Sandro Colarelli, David Fenton and John Rodgers
Secrets, lies and killer anthems; a new Australian music theatre work, dissecting madness, colonialism,
and cultural and personal dispossession, supported by a four-piece chamber ensemble with strings,
didgeridoo and glass harmonica.
FRIDAY NIGHTS
On 5 March, 3 May, 7 June, 5 July, 2 August, 4 October, 1 November openned doors and invited audiences into the artists’ space. Each month we showcased works in development; rough, ready, and full
of potential. This glimpse past closed doors is not about polished work buit rather the opportunity to
step into studios, participate in talks, see the unseen, feedback on new ideas and have a glass of wine
with Brisbane’s artist community.
IN DEVELOPMENT
PAPER DOLLS
Jennifer Bismire
EMERGENCY CRASH LANDING
The Deconverters
SWIMMING THROUGH AIR
Caroline Dunphy, Kate Lee and Jo Thomas
CRASH BANG
Grit Theatre
BILLY THE LAWYER & BENNY THE CLOWN
Daniel Flood and Emma Che Martin
NOT MUCH TO TELL YOU
Kaitlyn Plyley
THE GOOD PERSON
Younghee Park, Nathan Stoneham and M’ck McKeague
RUMPUS
Ahmarnya Price
CHATTEL SHELTER: HYSSOP IN THE HELTER-SKELTER
Ruth McConchie
exploration of Queensland politics, closed Metro Arts’ flagship program, The
Independents in December 2013.
SEASON OF THE INDEPENDENTS
I SHOULD HAVE DRUNK MORE CHAMPAGNE - 27 March to 13 April
Co-presented with The Good Room
DIRECTOR Daniel Evans
CO-DEVISED & PERFORMED BY Caroline Dunphy, Amy Ingram and Leah Shelton
Enter a world of sad pandas and empty dance floors, where Verbatim meets Experiential
Theatre in this one-hand-over-your-eye awkward yet deliciously bittersweet look at
possibilities lost and heart breaking memories gained.
ENVELOPE - 21 to 31 August
Co-presented with Backbone Youth Arts and The Vertebras
WRITER Finn O’Branagain
CO-DEVISED & PERFORMED BY The Vertebras - Katy Cotter, Aimee Dittmer, Gretchen
Johnson, Caitlin MacKenzie, Finn O’Branagain and Cassandra Ramsay
Based on stories collected from hundreds of people of all ages from around the world,
Envelope is a performance about coming-of-age.
MOTHERLAND - 30 October to 16 November
Co-presented with Ellen Belloo
WRITER Katherine Lyall-Watson
DIRECTOR Caroline Dunphy
PERFORMED BY Kerith Atkinson, Peter Cossar, Barbara Lowing, Daniel Murphy and
Rebecca Riggs
Sweeping through the Russian Revolution, World War II, and Brisbane history,
Motherland is an epic new work of historical fiction, informed by actual events.
PREHISTORIC -20 November to 7 December
Co-presented with Elbow Room
WRITER/DIRECTOR Marcel Dorney
PERFORMED BY Kathryn Marquet, Anthony Standish, Anna Straker and Steve Toulmin
Set in the eleventh year of the Bjelke-Petersen administration, specifically around
clashes between police and young people at independent gigs, Prehistoric takes us to a
time when Brisbane began to take the direction we’re on today.
PRESENTATION SEASONS
THE LADY OF THE HOUSE OF LOVE
C0-presented with Queensland Music Festival
A darkly eerie and exotic one-man cabaret show exploring the themes of love and
desire, fate and destiny using the fantastical, viscous and vivid prose of Angela Carter’s
short story, The Lady of the House of Love.
AURELIAN
Genevieve Trace
A new media performance constructed from the stories of regional community
members and experiencing loss, Aurelian captures history, communal memories and
imaginings; and the making of individual truths in order to move forward.
Jennifer Bismire and collaborators in creative development for Paper Dolls as a part of Friday
Night October. The team of artists explored life-size puppetry to develop a roaming work which
has gone on to presentation at Containerval Festival in Portside.
Over a number of years Metro Arts has managed to maintain
its pedagogical responsibilities with its relevance to the local
contemporary art scene, representing both emergent and
mid-career artists. This is something quite rare in Australian
contemporary art, and it is my intention to continue to
support this important legacy through future projects.
-Wes Hill, Visual Artist and Curator
IN DEEP WATER THE BUTCHER BIRDS
Katie SfetkidisThe Violent Romantics
MAKE THE CALL
Zin Ari
HEDONISM’S SECOND ALBUM
David Burton and Claire Christian
HANAKO
Caroline Dunphy
EBONY STARLING
Rebecca Meston
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Thomas Quirk
BROKEN HEART SYNDROME
Giema Contini
EXHIBITION PROGRAM
TENSION 17 - 27 February to 16 March
EXHIBITION BY TIMOTHY KENDALL EDSER
Timothy Kendall Edser’s performance based installations use the gallery space as a site to test the
physical limits of his body and investigate ideas that encompass the formation of masculine identity.
CRUDE TOOLS, FEEBLE ACTION - 24 April to 11 May
EXHIBITION BY ANASTASIA BOOTH
Working predominately in sculpture and installation Anastasia Booth’s practice explores sexual fetish
as a mode for investigating different theoretical and material discourses that focus on the re-imaging
of female desire.
SEEING THINGS - 22 May to 8 June
EXHIBITION BY MITCHELL DONALDSON AND DAN MCCABE
Mitchell Donaldson and Dan McCabe incorporate found objects, painting and photography into their
respective practices. Informed by a shared interest in abstraction and materiality, their work addresses
discourses dealing with contemporary forms of representation.
NO WONDER - 12 to 29 June
EXHIBITION BY ERIKA SCOTT
Adopting the idea of installation as ‘spatial collage’, Erika Scott makes work that transforms domestic
and quotidian materials in order to displace value systems and explore the mediated quality of subjectivity in the art making process.
Prehistoric by Marcel Dorney, co-presented with Elbow Room, a contemporary
Income from food and beverage reached new heights in revenue, customer
experience and customer interaction, culminating in us hosting the first
Café Christmas, which fostered the interaction between coffee shop
regulars, tenants and programmed artists. There was growth in special
events with the Basement opening in the Carriageway, a month of Brisbane
Festival, a number of private parties and of course our programmed events
including two Cross-Stitch’s, seven Friday Nights and continuous opening
nights.
IN-HOUSE ARI - 17 July to 3 August
EXHIBITION CURATED BY JENNA BALDOCK
ARTISTS JAKE SUN, YANNICK BLATTNER, ALREY BATOL, PIRRIN FRANCIS AND
BENJAMIN CROWLEY.
Jenna Baldock reflects on her experience as director of Inhouse Artist Run Initiative (ARI) through Out
of house, a group exhibition featuring emerging artists
PLATFORM 2013 - 14 to 31 August
JMA AT METRO ARTS
ARTISTS SHAYLE FLESSER, JUMAADI (INDONESIA), CARL WARNER, JUDITH WRIGHT,
MIA XIAOCHUN (CHINA)
Platform 2013 brings together installation and large-scale artworks by artists from the Australia and
Asia Pacific region.
NEW DAWN - 11 to 28 September
EXHIBITION BY CHRIS HOWLETT
Chris Howlett presents new sculptural works shaped by his interest in the political potential of
simulated environments as spaces for investigation.
ANTHOTOPIA - 14 October to 2 November
EXHIBITION BY NANCY STILLIANOS
Nancy Stilianos’ materially driven practice questions the environmental and economic stakes of
mass consumption and asks whether we can construct our own anthotopia through the use of locally
sourced materials.
CHANGING STANDARDS OF DIALOGUES / OTHER PROJECTS - 13 to 30 November
EXHIBITION BY MARCEL DANIELS AND DANIEL HERBERG (ARTIST IN RESIDENCE)
A culmination of their year-long process as Artists in Residence, this exhibition explores the complexitiies of cross-cultural dialogues through their collaborative practice.
CROSS-STITCH
CROSS-STITCH: Invasion, Take 225
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Lisa Fa’alafi
WORKS BY Jenny Fraser, Teila Watson, Kim Bowers aka Busty Beatz, Eric Bridgeman, Lucy-Ann
Langkilde, Jordan Kadell, Katty Cotter, Pete Foley, Pitisi Hatcher, Sammie Williams, Latai Taumoepeau,
Kathy Cogill, Ron Seeto and Leah Shelton
CROSS-STITCH: Invasion, Take 225; a two-night immersive hybrid art party saw Lisa Fa’alafi,
take the role of Artistic Director in her exploration of a vision of Australia through the effects of
colonisation featuring a diverse team of artists working across video, sound, performance, dance,
and music.
PRODUCING HUB
In 2013, Metro Arts Producing Hub grew from strength to strength. Metro
Arts delivered the fifth year of the MAPS initiative for Queensland artists,
funded by the Australia Council for the Arts Queensland, along with a
managing and producing service for a number of independent Queensland
artists’ works. Over the last 12 months Metro Arts’ Producing Hub
provided producer services to 9 independent artists/collectives (a total of
47 artists) on 13 projects which have been developed and/or presented in
venues across Queensland and Australia.
In the past year, our Artists have continued generating considerable
interest from the marketplace presenting premiere seasons as part of
major festival programs, touring to metropolitan and regional centres,
showcasing their work as part of signature programs and securing ongoing
opportunities and funding for new and existing projects. During 2013
Metro Arts has secured over $450,000 to support the delivery of these
Artists’ projects, through presentation fees, grants, sponsorship and
inkind support, stimulating an ongoing life for new work and contributing
to the sustainability of artists’ careers.
Highlights of 2013 included:
Residencies, Creative Developments and Showings:
• Suburbia (The Escapists) : Metro Arts Work-in-Residence,
Development Site Pitch, Brisbane Festival
• Packed (The Escapists) : Creative Development in partnership with
HotHouse Theatre
• Madame Carandini’s Travelling Musical Curosity Show (Sandro
Colarelli/Stephen Carleton/John Rodgers/David Fenton): Metro Arts
Work-in-Residence, QMF Work-in-Development Performance
• boy girl wall (The Escapists): securing IPAY and APAM showcases
• Trade Winds (Polytoxic): securing APAM showcase
World Premieres and Tours:
• The Empty City (The Human Company) – Premiere Season as part of
Brisbane Powerhouse’s Powerkids Festival; Awesome Festival Season
in the State Theatre of WA, Perth
• Performance Anxiety (Brian Lucas) – Performance Space Season,
Carriageworks, Sydney
• Aurelian (Genevieve Trace): Premiere Season as part of Brisbane
Festival; Regional Queensland tour
• Bear With Me (Tyrone and Lesley): Awesome Festival Season in the
State Theatre of WA, Perth
• boy girl wall (The Escapists): fundraiser performance, Brisbane
Powerhouse
CROSS-STITCH: Thunderbox
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Britt Guy
WORKS BY Zane Trow, Robert Millett, Lenine Bourke, M’ck McKeague, Matthew Day, Andrew Tuttle,
Edwina Lunn, Gerwyn Davies, Nathan Stoneham and Thomas Quirk
Metro Arts has been instrumental in making Aurelian... Without
Metro Arts’ belief in me and the ideas behind Aurelian and their
constant support of my professional development, I would not
have fulfilled my goal to tour the work to regional Queensland.
-Genevieve Trace, Aurelian
The successful premier of of the Human Company’s The Empty City as part of Powerkids at
Brisbane Powerhouse, saw the work immediately remounted as part of Awesome Festival.