We recently talked about our decision to close The Odeon down for the remainder of March and into April, and how the company is responding to the current public health concerns around COVID-19.
After further discussions with staff, dancers and the Board, as well as our colleagues and partners locally, nationally and internationally, we can now update on what the rest of 2020 looks like for ADT.
As previously detailed, we will no longer be performing our newest work, Colony, as part of the Art Gallery of South Australia’s 2020 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. However we will be filming a closed performance of this at The Odeon this week and have this online for a special screening as soon as possible. We will also work with the team at AGSA about how this film can be incorporated into the Biennial, so that this new work can be seen by as many people as possible during the exhibition.
ADT has a long history of international touring, and this year our Helpmann Award-winning production, The Beginning of Nature, was scheduled to have premiere seasons in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. After discussions with our European presenters, we will be rescheduling the majority of the dates into an expanded tour in 2021, with the potential of taking another of ADT’s works to audiences in Europe along with The Beginning of Nature.
Working with the team at Co:3 Australia we were in advanced planning to perform Garry Stewart’s Objekt for audiences in Adelaide and Perth this June and July. After many discussions both of our companies felt that we couldn’t proceed with the seasons and face the prospect of last minute cancellations even if limits on public gatherings were lifted. We are now both working with our respective presenting partners, Adelaide Festival Centre and State Theatre Centre of WA, on finding dates in mid-2021 to perform this fantastic work.
Even with uncertainty around the second half of 2020 we are still very committed to:
- Rough Draft, our annual choreographic showcase of new works and space for critical thinking and public debate around dance, in August
- Taking part in UKARIA 24, with new works developed by ADT dancers, Gabrielle Nankivell and Tom Fonua, in September
- Providing ADT training for tertiary dance students with Secondment Week, in September
- Keir Choreographic Award finalist Alison Currie’s new major commission, Of all things, in November
- Reopening The Odeon with a refreshed program of public dance classes
But we will only proceed with these activities when this is safe to do so.
A note from ADT's Executive Director, Nick Hays.
“Even though the current situation is incredibly stressful and disruptive, all of us at ADT believe wholeheartedly that this is not insurmountable. We will work with our colleagues, partners and supporters to ensure that when we can open the doors to our theatres, galleries and performance spaces there will be opportunities for artists.
“Our main priority at ADT is the health and wellbeing of everyone in and around the company – our dancers and staff at The Odeon, and the many independent artists and creative professionals we collaborate with. This is not limited to physical health, although that is particularly important at present, but extends to supporting mental wellbeing and resilience, and providing employment at a time when the sector is facing incredible stress. If some parts of the business have to be curtailed in order to fulfuil every contract that we have with performers and creatives, then this is what we will do.”
- Nick
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