Few would disagree that art is now about much, much more than painting, sculpture, theatre, literature and music. That’s not least because technology has enabled new forms of expression and provided new enablers and platforms for creativity – allowing new ways of devising and delivering dynamic, culturally rich and even multi-sensory experiences.
Further evidence of the growing multi-dimensionality of art can be found at the 24th edition of the Communicating the Arts conference which, for the first time, sees participants from the performing arts join those from the visual arts. The theme of this edition is “Cultural Leadership”.
‘’An example of great leadership is when in the face of challenges, people can stick to the values of inclusion, rigour, honesty, respect and courage.’’ This is an example of what the participants may learn from attending as explained by Wesley Enoch, Artistic Director at Sydney Festival who will also hold the opening keynote.
Taking place at multiple cultural venues in Sydney from 12-14 November, some 250 Australian and international cultural leaders, senior arts professionals and innovators will gather in Sydney for three days of immersive learning, masterclasses and exhibits – including Anthony Bastic, Founder and CEO and Todd Seversen, Chief Operation Officer of Sydney-based creators, AGB Events, who will be talking frankly about the company’s experience in curating and producing iconic celebrations.
“Our approach is to reimagine ways to honour art, history, and culture,” said Anthony, “inspiring audiences with deeply engaging story-telling. Our process begins with extensive research to bring a fresh perspective to our projects, finding our clients’ stories and reinterpreting those narratives visually. We work extensively with renowned artists to craft and deliver creative concepts that resonate deeply and that give their work new dimensions and scope, using digital animation and 3D projection to create content that is impactful and rich in meaning.”
AGB Events will participate in two talks during Communicating the Arts.
At 11:30am on Tuesday, 12 November, Anthony Bastic at AGB Events and Elaine Chia at City Recital Hall will jointly present a case study, Make a U-turn. The Paradoxes of Artistic Leadership that focuses on sharing their experiences, leadership stories and learning.
On Wednesday, 13 November at 11:00am Todd Seversen, Chief Operating Officer at AGB Events will chair a panel discussion exploring Connecting: how do contemporary digital practices lead audiences today?. Panellists include Angie Abdilla (Old Ways), Eric Longo (Museum Computer Network USA),
Tim Girling-Butcher (Sydney Living Museum), and VR artist Debra Keenahan (Western Sydney University and UNSW). It is aimed at inspiring arts leaders in the digital realm to discover new ways to use digital strategies to connect people to ideas and places and explores the implications of being in a post-digital world for organisations and audiences.
AGB Events’ recent successes have included Vivid Sydney, an annual festival of light, music and ideas; Parrtjima - A Festival in Light, which the company produces on behalf of the Northern Territory Major Events Company; the HALO Sound and Light Show in Townsville, part of the inaugural North Australian Festival of Arts and Strand Ephemera; and the Cairns Festival, where AGB Events acted as creative consultants to the Cairns Regional Council. AGB Events has also undertaken numerous international projects.
The Communicating the Arts conference provides the professional opportunity – via presentations and workshops - for participants to explore best practices from all over the world and share ideas of how to engage with the community, tell new stories and grapple with the big issues of the day.
“I’m really looking forward to being there,” concluded Anthony. “We rely on being up to date with the latest developments in the arts and in working with cultural organisations, and on understanding how others are helping audiences to celebrate humanity and the joy of life and to enjoy collective cultural experiences. Communicating the Arts is the ideal opportunity to do that.”
