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E S K A R E tru jou M A I N G P O W T H w e rn T T P E EA E R om tr ey E H TR R RF a O an ilb th A U E N OR r l a o S D – M z u M in gh T I A E N A er g Q t C N le h E Th uee e li A K S B H or ns fe Y nt la of A S I on nd a .
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d an k ss an le Fr ar Fe 26 Ju & 7. ly 2 30 2 7 pm 01 9
QUEENSL AND MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTS
Welcome Messages A few years ago, I realised the freedoms I enjoy in this country were only recently gained. I grew up believing I could do anything, but this is a fortunate position of power that was fought for by extraordinary women in recent history - women like Merle Thornton. In a time when some women choose to shy away from the feminist moniker, I dreamt this show in order to reclaim the majesty and beauty of that word – to educate and to shine a light on a bad ass lady who changed the lives of millions of Australian women for the better. Queensland women are truly extraordinary – we have an amazing group I like to call the BABS – the Bad Ass Babes – who truly shaped our nation for the better. Women like Merle and Sigrid, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Ruth Fairfax, Dame Quentin Bryce, Dr Lillian Cooper, Aunty Joan Hendricks, Emma Miller, Dr Margaret Valadian, Cathy Freeman, Carol Lloyd, Irene Longman, Joan Sheldon, Anna Bligh, Annastacia Palaszczuk, Leeanne Enoch, Jackie Trad, Leneen Forde, Sister Angela Mary Doyle, Katherine Elizabeth McGregor, Win Schubert, Megan Davis, Cynthia Lui, Chief Justice Susan Keifel, Chief Justice Catherine Holmes, Bishop Angela Taylor, Reverend Jacqueline Hurren, Ellen O’Donnell, Sally Anne Atkinson and Justice Phillippides and the like.
A huge heartfelt thanks to our incredible Queensland Music Festival Frank and Fearless team led by Sally and Aaron, our BABS Merle, Sig, Tiana, Kerry, Izzy, Megan, Libby, Andrea, Kate, Kylie (and Craig!) and the amazing BABS who enabled my dream to become a reality – Amanda, Cass and Anthe. Tonight, I invite you to learn from an amazing elder (and PS please research the BABS!) and the inspired by the next generation of budding bad ass babes Tiana Khasi and Kerry, Izzy, Megan and Libby of Pink Matter. Equality is just and beautiful. Yours in song,
KATIE NOONAN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR QUEENSLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL
Sydney in 1952 and studied Philosophy as a post-graduate at the University of Queensland. Merle also writes fiction including a novel (After Moonlight 2004) and a range of writing for performance, including The Sikh Hat Trick, an actors-and-puppets film for equal opportunity training at the University of Melbourne at the time of the 1987 law on equal opportunity in work. She also wrote for television series Prisoner in the eighties, and wrote a stage play (Playing Mothers and Fathers) which had a successful season at Carlton Courthouse in 1990.
MERLE THORNTON Merle Thornton is an Australian feminist, activist, author and academic. Merle made history when she and Rosalie Bogner famously chained themselves to a bar rail to protest the refusal of drinks service to women in public bars. Their action became the starting point for women’s liberation in Brisbane in the late twentieth century. It is now recognised as one of the defining moments of second wave feminism in Australia. At the vanguard of the equalist movement in Australia, whilst rearing her children in the 50s, Merle helped establish the very first Women’s Studies course at the University of Queensland in 1973 and founded the Equal Opportunities for Women Association in Brisbane. Merle Thornton graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of
In the nineties Merle was Victorian Chair of the Australian Writers’ Guild (writers for performance) also Chair of Women in Film and TV and was active in a number of organisations concerned with issues for women, for writers and for arts participants.
Sigrid has starred in many films now regarded as classics of Australian cinema. They include George Miller’s box office hits The Man From Snowy River and the sequel Return to Snowy River. The Lighthorsemen directed by Simon Wincer and Slate, Wyn And Me. More recent films include Face to Face directed by Michael Rymer, Inspector Gadget 2 and the US indie feature BFFs. She will next be seen in the Cairnes Brothers’ highly anticipated second feature Scare Campaign.
SIGRID THORNTON In 2016 Sigrid won Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for her portrayal of ‘Judy Garland’ in Peter Allen: Not The Boy Next Door. Recent television highlights include the critically acclaimed ABC series The Code alongside Anthony LaPaglia and the hit Foxtel series Wentworth. Other television career highlights include Seachange for ABC TV, The Boy In The Bush with Kenneth Brannagh and the BBC/ABC Co Pro The Far Country opposite Michael York. The miniseries 1915 for BBC/ABC was followed by HBO’s highly acclaimed All The Rivers Run and Paradise for CBS in the US. Sigrid’s other credits include the telemovie Little Oberon and as ‘Detective Gerry Lloyd’ in Underbelly: The Golden Mile.
Sigrid’s stage credits include the Australian tour of The Blue Room directed by Simon Phillips. Sigrid also toured nationally co-starring with Oscar winner Brenda Blethyn in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads. Her performance as Desiree in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music with co-star Anthony Warlow at the Sydney Opera House garnered rave reviews. Sigrid starred in The Effect for MTC and as Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire for a sell out season in Perth. In 2016, Sigrid played ‘Golde’ opposite Anthony Warlow in Fiddler on The Roof. Most recently, Sigrid has just wrapped shooting on the revival of the classic Australian drama series- SeaChange, in which she starred and Executive Produced and is due to air on Channel Nine in 2019. Throughout her career Sigrid has been awarded numerous film, television, theatre awards and nominations including Silver and Gold Logie, AFI, Mo and IF awards.
TIANA KHASI Over the past twelve months, Brisbane future-soul artist Tiana Khasi has introduced herself via two critically acclaimed singles ‘Nuketown’ & ‘They Call Me’, both vibrant, powerful statements of intent that honour her
Samoan and Indian heritage. Streamed over 3 million times prior to her official debut thanks to features with The Kite String Tangle, Golden Vessel and labelmate Sampology, her voice has been called many things: “elegant” (Life Without Andy), “most dope” (Audiosteez) and “as venomous as it is honey-sweet” (Happy). Now, Tiana Khasi employs that same, singular voice in its most defining task yet: her long awaited debut EP, Meghalaya. The Sampologyproduced debut is a rich tapestry of styles and influence, with inspiration drawing from themes of self-empowerment, family and heritage. A trained jazz vocalist and keystone artist in her hometown, Tiana’s unique sound has seen her support Jamaican-American “TrapHouseJazz” sensation Masego, Swedish soul artist Fatima, acclaimed Australian collective 30/70, labelmate Laneous and more. 2019 has also seen Tiana nominated for Melbourne’s prestigious ‘Corner Award’, with Baker Boy & Sampa The Great amongst previous years winners.
PINK MATTER After its members met through university, Pink Matter was born in late 2016, the neosoul 4-piece has captivated the Brisbane music scene. Within their first year, the all-female group won the QUBE Effect ‘People’s Choice Award’, played Jungle Love Festival and released their debut single Quicksand, which would later earn them airplay on 4ZZZ, Triple J Unearthed radio and Triple J. The group have become a staple in their local scene, appearing in Bugs’ 2018 ‘Glue’ music video, playing events such as Mountain Goat Valley Crawl (2018) and earning support slots for sold out shows from The Creases and Bugs (2018). Their music is a modern, twisted take on the neo-soul/urban genre with notable hints of Hiatus Kaiyote, Koi Child and The
Internet. Described as, “sonic heaven” by Purple Sneakers (2017) and “forward thinking” by Futuremag (2018), the group has forged a signature for themselves through their music and personality. Pink Matter’s debut 5 track EP ‘Human Error’ recorded at Bedlam Studios, mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer/producer Nick Herrera was released August 2018 and was well received by their hometown audience. After selling out their release show at The Foundry, they’re gone on to support Harvey Sutherland on tour in Melbourne and Sydney and most recently support international artists The Internet for their debut Brisbane show this year.
Acknowledgments Queensland Music Festival would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which Queensland Music Festival events are taking place, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. PATRON His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC Governor of Queensland BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dominic McGann – Chair Danielle Duell – Deputy Chair Darren Busine – Treasurer BOARD MEMBERS Diat Alferink Prof. Margaret Barrett Alison Mobbs Jim Reeves Jane Williams John Willsteed CREATIVES Optikal Bloc – Video Design Andrea Moor – Director Kate Wild – Script Writer/Dramaturg QUEENSLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE TEAM Katie Noonan – Artistic Director Joel Edmondson – Executive Director Katrina Torenbeek – Program & Technical Director Simon Buchanan – Business Development Director Linda Gordon – Marketing & Communications Director Wendy Mansell – Regional Engagement Director PROJECT TEAM Aaron Dora – Project Coordinator Sally McRae – Managing Producer Katrina Torenbeek – Program & Technical Director Kylie Mitchell – Senior Technical Manager PROJECT TEAM Staycee Johns – Stage Manager Charlie Macfarlane – Production Intern FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Tobias Hill – Secretariat to the Board Jodi Kelly – Finance Manager Beata Kennedy – Finance & Administration Peta Winters – Administration Manager
PROGRAMMING & TECHNICAL Jason Allen – Ground Transport Pip Boyce – Managing Producer Jake Cook – Production Coordinator Joc Curran – Creative Producer Kate Driscoll-Wilson – Managing Producer Aaron Dora – Project Coordinator Gabby Gregory – Associate Producer Erica Hart – Executive Program Producer Isabel Hart – Associate Producer Elverina Johnson – Managing Producer David Logan – Ground Transport Bart Mangan – Technical Manager Sally McRae – Managing Producer Kylie Mitchell – Senior Technical Manager Ruby Newport – Associate Producer Bernd Neumann – Technical Manager Lia Pa’apa’a – Co Producer Oliver Samson – Project Coordinator Deirdree Wallace – Ticketing Officer Jeff Warnick – Technical Manager MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Lauren Flint – Marketing Executive Natania Hinwood – Senior Digital Marketing Executive Alex Komarowski – Marketing Coordinator Yuverina Shewpersad – Marketing Executive SGC Media – Media Relations The M Agency – Festival Identity & Design Nude Agency – Creative Agency BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Danielle Bentley – Development Manager Jacqui Grinzi – Partnership Manager Wendy Mansell – Philanthropy & Grants Consultant YOUTH TOURING Laura Bonner – Youth Touring Manager Katy Holmes-Brown - Touring Administrator Lizzie Moore – Touring Administrator STATE CO-ORDINATION OFFICE Jess Cuddihy – Communications & Events Coordinator Madonna Davies – Regional Arts Officer Amber Lenoy – Digital Marketing Coordinator
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