When the Greek messenger Pheidippides was sent to Athens to announce the Persian’s defeat in the battle of Marathon, he ran the entire distance without stopping, burst into the Athenian assembly, declared success, and then collapsed and died on the spot.
These days every Tom, Dick and Harry is giving the cruel 42kms a go.Oprah’s done it, P. Diddy crossed the line in four hours 15 minutes, and even Katie Holmes took a break from Broadway to waddle through in just under five and a half hours. It’s not uncommon for marathon runners to suffer everything from: dramatic fatigue; hyponatremia; jogger’s nipple; blisters; cardiac arrest; kidney failure; sinus issues; physiological damage; death or at the very least a cheeky coma. And we love it. It takes us back to when we sat front row during French Revolution executions or bought a ticket to Houdini in the hope he would drown.
With performances from the very talented folk of Gymnastics Victoria, Bodyelectric Dance Studios, Melbourne Cheerleading Academy, and National Bodybuilding Champions from around Australia.
Supporters: The Keir Foundation, Body electric, Gymnastics Victoria, Melbourne Cheer Academy, Rose Chong Costumes
About the artist/s:
Tristan Meecham graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Distinction) and the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts (Acting). At VCA, he was awarded the Richard Pratt Scholarship for Outstanding Acting Student. He has also studied performing arts at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatrical Arts in London.
Tristan’s theatre credits include The Skriker, The Lower Depths, Bright Room Called Day, Nana, As You Like It, Saved, Three Sisters, Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, The Grace of Mary Traverse for VCA (2004-2006). Cleansed for VCA Masters Project (2008), Godspell and Christmas Gala for Italia Conti London (1996) Two Weeks With the Queen and Ubu for Briboco Theatre (1999) In Other Words for the Proyekto 34’ Festival Argentina (2009). He regularly works X:Machine’s including their development of Court at Hot House Theatre in September 2009. Tristan’s television credits include City Homicide for Channel 7 (2009), Backup (1995) and Blue Peter (1996) for BBC TV and The Wayne Manifesto for ABC TV (1998).
Tristan has been a regular Acting Tutor for the Queensland Theatre Company and created and implemented the Acting program for the QTC Westfarmers and Lighthouse Regional Acting Tours in 2009. He also is a regular Acting Tutor at Drama with a Difference and Performance with Confidence and the SONGROOM in Melbourne.
His performance and artwork has been exhibited at the Queensland Art Gallery (Fluxless Flights 2002), The Farm (Credit Clowns 2004), Metro Arts (re 2002-2004), and Palace Gallery (Chinese No Broom, Yoko’s Leaves 2001-2004) Headquaters (Lady and the Tiger 2009) and Tiny Stadiums Festival at PACT (BTHT 2010). He also worked as the Palace Gallery Manager for a year (2003) and as the co-convener of Datum (a small Brisbane network for emerging artists) (2003).
For the last three years, Tristan has also worked as the General (and Marketing) Manager of the Kino Dendy Cinemas in Melbourne. During this time, he secured the Kino Dendy as a major venue for the 2008 Melbourne International Film Festival. He has also worked as the Events Manager for Great Union Hoyts Cinemas in Queensland.
Jarrod Factor is a director, editor, sound designer and composer. He was a dual graduate of Victorian College of the Arts: School of Film & Television; and Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne. Since then he has won a number of awards for his work, including a Gold Medal for Excellence at the 2008 Park City Film Festival (USA), a Cinevex Script Award and Best Sound Design at St Kilda Film Festival 2007. His work has screened at various international festivals, including Edmonton International, Interfilm Berlin, Fresh Film in Karlovy Vary and Filmstock International (UK). He was shortlisted for the 2007 SOYA Awards.
Jarrod’s most recent project, created in partnership with Olivia Crang, was Straight to the ‘Art, an interactive art work that responded to SMS text messages for Federation Square’s Big Screen.
Jarrod’s works are characterised by a strong sense of cohesion between various artistic components. This can be cross-form, such as the meeting of theatre & film, film & visual art or music & film, or within the form itself – for example, blurring the boundaries between music & sound design, editing & visual effects or even stylistically, where the avant-garde meets the mainstream. Jarrod’s ultimate aim is in fusing these various elements into a single entity where the stitches are seamless.
Austin Hall has a background in industrial design, property valuation and electronic music. Collects various highly specific genres of late 20th century central American dance music. Experienced in on the spot repair of European high end home stereo amplifiers and speaker systems manufactured mainly between 1970-1980 including Harman/Kardon and Marantz. Freelance Mobile Dj specializing in upper-middle class house party production and logistics management throughout the bellarine peninsula and Melbourne inner suburban regions. Involved in artistic development and technical consultation for a diverse range of Melbourne art clientele. Developed ‘hi nrg’ soundscapes and musical direction for ‘Fun Run’ – Tristan Meecham 2010 Next Wave Festival.
Danny Pettingill is a Graduate of the VCA Bachelor of Production (2006), he was the recipient of the 2006 Orloff Family Trust Scholarship Award on completion of his degree, and also has a Diploma of Small Companies and Community theatre (2003). In 2008 Danny was awarded the Besen Family Scholarship with Malthouse theatre. Danny’s design credits include; Ashes to Ashes for 45 downstairs, the Australian Premier of Mercury Fur in Melbourne and Sydney for little death productions (2007), Chekhov RE – CUT: Platonov (2008) for The Hayloft Project, premieres of Pool (no water) and Red Sky Morning (2009) for Red Stitch Actors Theatre, The Zombie State (2007) for Melbourne Workers Theatre and Union House Theatre, Helena Bugosi and the Journey of the Hello for Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Hobart and Care Instructions (2009) for Aphids and LaMama at the Carlton Courthouse. In 2009 Danny has designed Jerker with Milky Way for the 2009 MidSumma festival.
Away from Theatre Danny’s credits include Production Designer, Blood Ballad (2006) Written and Directed by Mathew Rich and an entrant into MIFF 2007 shorts, he was also a participating artist in the InHouse installation (2007) at Platform 2, Flinders street curated by Christina Hayes. Danny is currently working with RoundAngle on their production of In The Dark as part of the Art of Difference Festival, The Hayloft Project on 3 Times Sisters and TAS Theatre on their production of I Am My Own Wife in Hobart and Launceston.
Willoh S.Weiland (Grad. Dip. Hons, Performance Making, Victorian College of the Arts) is an artist/writer/curator concerned with new ways for text to inhabit contemporary art.
She has made work for the Next Wave Festival, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and the Centre for Contemporary Art in Glasgow, the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University and in Beijing on an Asialink grant as part of Deadpan. Recent commissions include Antidote (Melbourne Fringe, Highly Commended Best Performance, 6 Green Room award nominations, Rough Draft Development Sydney Theatre Company 2009), Underwhere for Lucy Who Productions (APAM, Adelaide Fringe) and The Outside, using machinima puppets with integrated wireless screens for puppetry/new media company Blood Policy.
Currently she is the Artistic Director of Aphids, co-directs the art lab and presentation space, Head Quarters in Melbourne and is a member of the Greenroom panel for hybrid arts.
Martyn Coutts has been employed as producer, video artist, performer, mentor, teacher, dramaturg, director and VJ. His work includes Deadpan (a research and art collaboration, with Willoh S.Weiland. Willoh) Wayfarer (an iterative project with Sydney based media artist and producer Kate Richards). Martyn’s collaboration with Sam Routledge as Blood Policy has produced the critically acclaimed work Operation and has two works in development – The Outside and Onlooker.
Martyn has created media content and systems for the following companies and creators; Brian Lipson (King Lear, VCA), James Saunders (Harry Harlow, Full Tilt), Tasdance (Ten Days On The Island), Stuck Pigs Squealing (Apocalypse Bear, Melbourne Festival), Arena Theatre Company (House of Dreaming), Is Theatre (Passport to Happiness, Ten Days on the Island), Kelly Ryall (Disappearing Acts, Storeroom Theatre), Luke George (LIFE SIZE, Dancehouse and PICA), Dancehouse (24 HOURS).
Martyn was the recipient of Green Room award for his video design on The Harry Harlow Project in 2009. Martyn is an active member of the Australian performance scene – he collates the resource blog – lala (live art list australia), is a member of the Alternative and Hybrid Green Room Awards panel in Melbourne and was a Melbourne Fringe Festival judge in 2008. He has been a board member on both the Hobart Fringe Festival and Is Theatre.
Growing up in Brisbane, Jess Hynd studied Visual Arts and became heavily involved with the industry early on; establishing a small artist’s network called Datum in 1999. Over the years she has sustained a visual arts practice consisting of various types of applications including text, drawing, photography, sculpture, installation and performance. Her most recent project is an investigation into technical drawing and the development of an experimental craft practice
Her artwork has been exhibited at Metro Arts Gallery, Palace Gallery, The Farm and FlipBook Galley in Brisbane (2000-2004) and has a Bachelor of Visual Arts from QUT.
Mike Steel grew up on the sporting fields of Melbourne enjoying a variety of team sports. after being accepted into V.C.A. in 2007 his passion for the arts grew. Since then a large part of his life has been dedicated to exploring the craft of acting. His stage roles at V.C.A. have included Astrov in “Uncle Vanya” , Macbeth in “Manbeth”, The Monster in “red black and ignorant”, Jack in “Vinegar Tom”, Aslak in “Peer Gynt”, Mr Jourdain in “The Bourgeois Gentleman” and various roles in “Invisible stains”
A WAAPA graduate, Bec Reid was Artistic Director of Stompin, between 2001 and 2006. Bec has studied at the Hogeschool Voor De Kunsten in Holland.
Bec directed seven Stompin works with, by and for young people in Tasmania – Underground, Joyride, SYNC (Ten Days on the Island 2003), Creative Workshop(2004 Next Wave Festival), the epic, Citizen (Ten Days on the Island 2005), Special Mention (Sydney Opera House) and HOME (Meat Market, Melbourne).
In 2003, Bec was a guest artist on the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Bec has worked with Tracks in the Northern Territory and choreographed for Back2Back Theatre and NICA. In 2005 Bec directed MINE a dance and bmx work in regional Queensland and facilitated the Australian Youth Dance Festival.
In 2006, Bec was an Associate Producer for the Next Wave Festival, guest artist at the Taipei International Artist Village and Culture Lab artist in residence at Arts House.
Bec returned as Associate Producer on the 2008 Next Wave Festival creating a dance program and curating performance events, 180 Seconds in Heaven or Hell for Arts House. Currently, Producer, Arts and Community at the Footscray Community Arts Centre, Bec is a Board Member of Ausdance Vic, Lucy Guerin Inc and Stompin. Bec has a long history of community based arts practice and regularly facilitates large scale participatory arts projects. Bec is passionate about people, place and the role of art within society.
Madeleine Phenomenon is an artist whose work encompasses illustration, costume design, special FX make-up and performance. Her practice is concerned with concepts of nature and artifice, the sacred and profane, and the psychic evolution of Earthlyhood. She is interested in the representation of gender and sexuality in art, advertising and fashion.
Over the last five years Madeleine Phenomenon has exhibited at The Farm Space ARI in Brisbane, Firstdraft Gallery in Sydney, as part of Nextwave Festival 2006 in Melbourne, and ‘The Last Vestige’ Asialink project in Ho Chi Minh City in 2007. Her work has been reviewed in The Sydney Morning Herald, Eyeline Contemporary Arts Magazine, Unmagazine and The Program. She was also co-director of The White House artist-run-initiative and curiosity chamber in Brisbane from 2004 – 2006. She is currently co-director of SPUNK AGENCY (www.spunkagency.com).
Annie Last has worked professionally in theatre, film and dance both in Australia and Europe. She holds a BA in History and Diploma in Creative Arts (Theatre) from the University of Melbourne, which she completed on scholarship at the Humboldt University Berlin.
In 2009 she graduated with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art from the Victorian College of the Arts, where she was the recipient of the Orloff Scholarship for outstanding work. Roles at the VCA included Brutus in Julius Caesar, Sonya in Uncle Vanya various in Peer Gynt and Philaminte in Moliere’s Les Precieuses.
Susan Miller’s love of learning and performing led her to study a BA and Diploma of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne, followed by a Bachelor of Performing Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts. Since graduating in 2006, Susan has performed on stage in Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker for The Preferred Play Company and Man 40 Seeks Woman With Good Legs by Michelle St. Anne for The Living Room Theatre. Her screen work includes the feature film Knowing and the short films Antigone and Open Doors. She has also worked extensively in Theatre in Education, touring Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello, The Word Superb and All The World’s A Stage around Victoria for Complete Works Theatre Company and touring Love Drunk by Gerard Veltre in Victoria and Queensland for Phunktional Theatre.
Janine Watson undertook Professional Actor Training at The National Theatre Drama School in Melbourne from 2000 – 2002. Since then Janine has performed for some of Melbourne’s most respected theatre companies including Polyglot Puppet Theatre (Muckheap 2008), La Mama (Three Oaks – 2006, Toby – 2004), and A is for Atlas (Duets – 2008, I Start Again – 2006). In 2007, Janine relocated to Brisbane to undertake Physical Theatre Training and Performance with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, training at an advanced level in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, Butoh and Viewpoints. Performance credits for Zen Zen Zo include Dracula (2007) and Zeitgeist (2008). In May 2009 Janine travelled to New York where she completed one month’s intensive theatre study and training with the internationally renowned SITI Company. Janine recently returned from Stockholm where she began developing her first solo performance work ‘The Telling’’
Stefan Bramble holds a Bachelor of Education and Performing Arts (Monash University ’04) and a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (VCA ’08). Stefan is an accomplished actor, theatre maker and autre. Stefan has been a featured performer in operas including De Rosen Cavalier and Turandot. He was a founding member of Super High Intensity Theatre House, which toured to Edinburgh Fringe in 2001. While at VCA, Stefan performed in productions of Night School (Pinter), Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare) and The Mask of the Red Death (Self-devised). Most recently Stefan appeared in John Safran’s Race Relations.
Claire Best is an artist whose work spans drawing, collage, and installation. She graduated with a Fine Arts degree in Drawing at RMIT, and completed her Honours, majoring in stop-motion animation, in 2008. She has been involved in numerous group shows and collaborative projects, including an animated music video The Rum Song (2008), and was the lead actor in Jonathan Kable’s new short film, Bit (2010).
Recent exhibitions of work include Welcome (2008, Seventh Gallery), an animation for Exquisite Creature Totem Pole (2008, Tape Projects), and As you were saying (2010, Journal Café), collaborative drawings with Jessica Crowe and Melissa Deerson.
Claire completed a shoe making course at RMIT Tafe in 2009 and is currently setting up a footwear design studio and workshop in North Melbourne.
Jess Keepence is a relatively recent graduate of the Bachelor of Production at the Victorian College of the Arts where she specialised in Stage Management and Costume Making.
Since graduating, some the productions that Jess has worked on include Ranters Theatre Company’s Holiday, little death production’s Mercury Fur, Sydney Theatre Company’s Riflemind, Priscilla the Musical, Kids Can Get Lost in the 2008 Next Wave Festival, Roundangle’s Deceased Estate & In the Dark, South Korean Tour of Eurobeat- Almost Eurovision, St Martin’s Big Sky Town, Melbourne Theatre Company’s Poor Boy, The Birthday Party & The Drowsy Chaperone and Victorian Opera’s The Bear / Angelique. Before VCA, Jess completed a Bachelor of Arts in Indonesian and Theatre & Drama studies at Latrobe University.
