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🏆 The AFCM All Abilities Festival Garden is a finalist in the 2023 Townsville Enterprise (TEL) Excellence in Accessible Tourism Award!

This award aims to recognise an individual or business that has shown continued steps toward delivering an inclusive, all-abilities visitor experience. The category celebrates innovation and commitment towards an inclusive future for Townsville North Queensland's tourism industry and broader society.

🌴In 2023 we were proud to partner with the Endeavour Foundation and Townsville City Council to break down barriers and make music accessible to everyone through an inclusive and sensory friendly experience in the AFCM Festival Garden.

All Festival Garden stages, spaces and amenities were equipped for ALL ABILITIES with performances and entertainment that were sensory friendly and accessible, catering for a range of abilities and sensitivities. The Festival Garden performances were designed carefully to complement the existing program while being accessible to the general public. 💕

The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Event on 10 November 2023. Keep your fingers crossed!

#EndeavourFoundation #TownsvilleEnterprise #AFCM #AustralianFestivalofChamberMusic #TownsvilleCityCouncil #FestivalGarden

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Queer Stalwarts

knaap.substack.com

In South African gay language (Gail or moffietaal), moffie=queer

The visual companion piece is by Theo Sonnekus, Ph.D., a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the SARChI Chair in South African Art and Visual Culture at the University of Johannesburg

https://www.tandfonline.com/.../10.../00918369.2023.2221761

#queer #moffie

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#Krotoa #south africa #australia #first nations #Youtube

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Part 2

Avril Joffe, Coordinator of the Cultural and Policy Management (CPM) Postgraduate, Programme

‘The decision to host an International Summer School in Johannesburg in March 2021 in conversation with our Chinese partners, the Institute of Cultural Industries and Peking University, Beijing (PKU), was prompted by my participation at the 10th International Summer School hosted by the School of Arts at Peking University in Beijing on arts management and cultural industries in 2019… I wanted to provide a similar ‘induction’ into the world of culture, creativity and the economy for our new CPM postgraduate cohort.’

Thank you Avril for publishing my article ‘Creating the Worlds We Want: The Vrystaat Kunstefees and cultural self-agency in global networks.’ It was great to be part of the sessions in 2021.

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Avril Joffe, Coordinator of the Cultural and Policy Management (CPM) Postgraduate, Programme

‘The decision to host an International Summer School in Johannesburg in March 2021 in conversation with our Chinese partners, the Institute of Cultural Industries and Peking University, Beijing (PKU), was prompted by my participation at the 10th International Summer School hosted by the School of Arts at Peking University in Beijing on arts management and cultural industries in 2019… I wanted to provide a similar ‘induction’ into the world of culture, creativity and the economy for our new CPM postgraduate cohort.’

Thank you for publishing my article ‘Creating the Worlds We Want: The Vrystaat Kunstefees and cultural self-agency in global networks.’ It was great to be part of the sessions in 2021.

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“Fit-for-purpose” concert hall for Townsville off to slow start

A lack of suitable venues in northern Australia is stifling audience and musical development, argues Australian Festival of Chamber Music's Ricardo Peach.

by Jason Blake on 12 April, 2023

During World War II, there was, according to some sources, the so-called Brisbane Line: a crow-flies dividing of the map of Australia from Brisbane to Melbourne, separating what was considered defensible against invasion from what was not.

A similar line exists today, argues Ricardo Peach, Executive Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music; a line separating audiences and musicians with access to dedicated, acoustically optimal concert hall facilities and those without.

According to Peach, there isn’t a single fit-for-purpose venue for unamplified music north of Brisbane. Everything that currently exists is ageing, multipurpose infrastructure, with much of it dating back to the 1980s.

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Instrumental Learning

https://lnkd.in/gsZPXfhs

A small opinion piece I wrote explaining the importance of a North Australian Concert in Hall in Townsville-Gurambilbarra for Australia and our regional neighbors:

...On a recent trip to Melbourne, Australian Festival of Chamber Music  Board member Lin Bender AM took me on a tour of the Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC), which she played a key role in building... The tour was an eye opener.

AFCM’s Artistic Director helped make the penny drop. Jack Liebeck mentioned that for a musician a concert hall is like an instrument itself, that musicians come from all over the world to play this instrument, and if the instrument is brilliant – audiences too will come from all over the world to hear it played by talented musicians.

A space such as a concert hall is meticulously designed: from the seat covers that have custom made material to reflect sound that mimics human bodies (whether you have 50 or 1000 people in the hall the sound quality is the same), to intricate and delicate wood paneling that allows the sound waves in the space to be amplified not dampened, to the shape of the hall that vibrates just like that of a violin. In fact, the wood paneling at MRC in the concert hall is designed to reference the inside surface of a violin, to highlight the fact that a concert hall is fundamentally an instrument. 

... what became clear to me is that this concert hall is not only of regional importance, but a national priority. There is no – read no – acoustically suitable space in the entire northern Australia upwards of Brisbane. Across the entire north of Australia. Given the incredible musical talent in the regions, this is the gap recognised by the Federal Government when they commissioned the scoping study and business plan for a concert hall with federal money of $2m, with further federal funds of $98m set aside through the Cities deal. 

Townsville-Gurambilbarra will benefit considerably when this concert hall is built in our city, given the history of the AFCM and the musical and other talent that exists in our region- from school bands, to military bands, theatre performances, city orchestras, literature and dance.... 

AFCM on its own generated a total spend of more than $11.39m, and an Economic Impact for Queensland of $3.39m. 87%  of that impact was felt in Townsville-Gurambilbarra. Imagine what this could be when we have year-long opportunities. 

This North Australian Concert Hall will benefit us not only locally but will also be an enormous asset for our nation: helping to expand the musical ecosystem of our country and our regional neighbours, and bringing the joy and healing of music to so many more people in this incredible place we call home. Having such an extraordinary and unique instrument built here in northern Australia, will put us on the world map...

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https://email.limelightmagazine.com.au/t/i-e-qhuilhd-kiijtltrt-jl/

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music has launched its 2023 Festival program with a superb line-up of 39 international and Australian musicians, 30 concerts, five world premieres, four Australian debuts, two island concerts and 10 days of winter warmth and friendly atmosphere. Tickets are on sale now.

"AFCM has such a unique atmosphere and I have endeavoured to build even more upon this in the 2023 Festival." – Jack Liebeck, Artistic Director

Held from 28 July to 6 August in Townsville-Gurambilbarra, the program is diverse, innovative, stimulating and entertaining. It features concerts that show us that romance is not dead yet, that music can become famous even if its premiere falls flat, that it’s exciting to travel to the mysterious forest and that the joy of hearing world premieres, Indigenous works and musicians performing together in one-off exclusive performances is incredibly special!

What’s also special is the artist line-up, which includes 14 exceptional international musicians, four of whom are making their Australian debut at AFCM. So your only chance to see Dutch violinist Rosanne Phillipens, Taiwan’s Ting-Ru Lai (viola), UK viola player and AFCM’s Composer-in-Residence Sally Beamish and fellow Brit Stephen Johnson (composer and presenter) is at AFCM this winter. The artist line-up also includes Australia’s finest: William Barton (didgeridoo), Kees Boersma (double bass), James Crabb (accordion), Joseph Havlat (piano), Claire Edwardes (percussion), Lorina Gore (soprano), the Goldner String Quartet and more. Talented young stars also feature, including Australia’s Charlotte Miles (cello) and Emily Sun (violin).

If it’s mental stimulation you seek, then attend AFCM Illuminates and be guided through the music of Messiaen, the psychological power of Shostakovich, the life of a composer and explore the brain of a musician.

Festival favourites return, including the hugely entertaining Concert Conversations in the mornings, one-hour Sunset Series concerts in the afternoons and full-length Evening concerts that present a wide repertoire of music. Two very special island concerts return including the Orpheus-Goolboddi Island Concert and the AFCM After Party on Magnetic Island-Yunbenun. The enjoyable Guilty Pleasures segments also return in 2023 with much surprise and delight on offer.

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music delivers a truly unique holiday experience that combines some of the best musicians and chamber music in the world with a stunning location filled with beautiful sights and things to do. Make the most of your time in the region and explore further afield to uncover wonderful experiences in the rainforest, the outback and on tropical islands. Discover more here.

Of course, the weather is also a huge attraction with the average temperature in Townsville-Gurambilbarra in July being a very pleasant 24 degrees, with blue skies and sunshine in abundance!

Book your piece of paradise now.

A variety of ticket options are available including:

Full festival subscriptions – Gold and Gold Plus

Five and 10 concert passes

Three-night holiday packages

Single concert tickets

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Be moved by the music Simon Oswell is performing at Australian Festival of Chamber Music 2022. He performs in 12 concerts over 10 days including Baroque Magnifico and The Silver Screen. 

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We are thrilled that cellist Elina Faskhi will perform at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville this year. Come join us!

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Kristian Chong is a truly amazing pianist, his skill on the keys is insane, and you can see him perform in 7 concerts at this year’s Festival. 

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Join us for the World Premiere of ‘Nginda Ngarrini Bi Ngya’ by Yorta Yorta composer and singer Prof. Deborah Cheetham AO, sung in Wulgurugaba, a local Indigenous language thanks to translation by Aunty Virginia Wyles, on Festival Opening Night. With more than 30 international and Australian musicians performing at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music this winter, it really does sounds like paradise! 

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From our family to yours.... Season's Greetings from the Australian Festival of Chamber Music's Artistic Director,  Jack Liebeck. Let the festivities begin!

#afcm #australianfestivalofchambermusic #chambermusic #soundslikeparadise #tropics #townsville #music #festival #jackliebeck #merrychristmas #happyhanuka #happynewyear #2022 #seasonsgreetings

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Join us in welcoming Alexis Vaughan to the team as Communications and Development Executive.  Alexis has a wealth of experience gained through working in the arts and entertainment industry.#townsville #chambermusic  #thisisqueensland

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In November, the AFCM team welcomed aboard our new Administration & Production Assistant, Jacqui Bekker. Jacqui is a life-long Townsville local who has worked with the media and in the arts for over 20 years. We are thrilled to have her join the AFCM Festival Family. Welcome, Jacqui! #townsville #chambermusic  #thisisqueensland