Beyond Borders:
Sydney International Congress
June 12-15, 2001
About
the Program
Rather than relying on the usual speaker, panel, question/answer sessions
of standard conferences, Sydney 2001 was conducted - in part at least
- as a series of keynote conversations. The organising committee invited
specialists in fields outside the arts: technology, economics, politics,
social policy and business to give their views "from the wings"
on how the performing arts are faring in today's world.
At various points, we invited artists and arts managers to debate or challenge these views.
To lead and stir us along this path, we had three outstanding intellectual gadflies from the Asia/Pacific region. The careers of Marion Pastor Roces from the Philippines, Marilyn Waring from Aotearoa/New Zealand and Barry Jones from Australia could not in some ways be less alike or in others more congruent. Each, however, brought a burning passion for analysis to our task and an acute sense of what is happening in the world today, how it has been shaped by yesterday and what lessons and prospects it holds for tomorrow. We were privileged to have them as our guides.
Tuesday June 12
Sydney 2001 opened at the intimate 400 seat Playhouse in Joern Utzon's fabled Sydney Opera House. The Opera House is ISPA's official host for the Congress and Chairperson, Joseph Skrzynski AM, formally welcomed delegates to it. The Hon Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales and Minister for the Arts launched our deliberations. This was followed by the first of our dialogues to set the scene for the next three days.
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION - Beyond Borders
What divides us, what brings us together?
The day closed with a Welcoming Cocktail on a magic twilight cruise on Sydney Harbour generously sponsored by Musical America.
Wednesday
June 13Day two at the Playhouse began with the second of our dialogues.
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION
Virtual Culture Can the Arts survive technology?
It was followed by a wider debate in which leading artists share their views in an area which is increasingly challenging and troubling practitioners and managers alike: what if there is no future for live performance as we know it?
After vigorously exercising our minds, we took a leisurely stroll from the Opera House to a buffet lunch at Government House. En route we passed through part of Sydney's superb Botanic Gardens which feature one of the great collections of Australia's unique and fascinating plant life. Government House with its spectacular views of Sydney Harbour has been, since colonial times and until recently, the official residence of the State Governor. It is now part of the Historic Houses Trust and is used primarily for cultural purposes.
After lunch, delegates passed through the newly refurbished and rebuilt Sydney Conservatorium of Music next to the Gardens. This features the restored historic Greenway Building constructed at the beginning of the 19th century by the colonial architect as the stables of Government House.
Five minutes more brought us to the afternoon's venue - the new purpose-built City Recital Hall in downtown Angel Place opened in 1999.
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION -
The Global Consequence
Will the world economy produce only world culture?
A wider debate followed in which artists challenged the assumptions that individual and regional arts practice cannot compete with the international economic juggernaut.
To bring us back to reality and remind us of what really matters, the afternoon concluded with a brief recital by acclaimed young guitarist, Slava Grigoryan.
In the early evening, we returned to the Northern Foyer of the Opera House for cocktails prior to attending in the Concert Hall a performance by artists and ensembles from all over Australia.
This event was produced as a special tribute to ISPA members by the Sydney Opera House Trust and hosted by Robyn Archer, singer, writer, ISPA board member and director of Australia's newest festival, Ten Days on the Island.
Thursday June 14
Engagement with the dramatically changing and diversifying nations of Asia is a prime challenge to the countries which border the Pacific. It is as well the greatest challenge worldwide to traditional borders both intellectual and geographic. As artists and arts managers it is also one of our most exciting opportunities.
ISPA was privileged to be holding its Congress in Sydney in tandem with a meeting of the Board of Governors of the influential Federation of Asian Cultural Presenters. We took this opportunity to engage them in our opening dialogue for day three of the Congress.
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION
The Challenge of Asia How to cross the borders?
This was examined by a panel of artists active in the region, and was followed by a Networking lunch between ISPA and FACP governors at the Sydney Opera House.
The afternoon introduced another key crucial question. Artists in "western" cultures have long been held to exercise a crucial leadership role in society: asking the awkward questions, probing sensibilities, and setting the trends. Our dialogue in this session asks if this is still true? Or have others taken on this mantle in today's technologically driven world?
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION -
Change Makers Are artists still the vanguard?
Friday June 15
On Day 4 we moved our site to the magnificent Wharf complex on Sydney Harbour which houses the Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company, Australian Theatre for Young People, Sydney Philharmonic Choirs and Bangarra, Australia's national indigenous dance company.
In this last working session, hosted by the Sydney Dance Company, with the help of a panel of eminent artists and a selection of our earlier speakers we aimed to draw together the threads of the previous days' discussions and looked at some of the ideas our distinguished outside observers have opened up for us.
The session was followed by an (optional) guided walk through the historic Rocks area of Sydney to the precinct of the Museum of Contemporary Arts on Circular Quay. There, in the American Express Hall of the Museum, we held the traditional open mic. "wind up" session before proceeding to the Awards lunch and Congress close.
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