Hole in the Wall

About the artist/s:

Matt Prest is an artist working in contemporary performance, theatre and film primarily as a performer and theatre maker. He holds a B.F.A. in Sculpture, Performance and Installation, from COFA, UNSW where he studied installation and performance art. He was the recipient of a Spark mentorship in 2005 and has worked and trained with PACT Theatre and Urban Theatre Projects. In May 2008 he premiered The Tent, his first work as director, bringing together his interests in installation, performance and storytelling. Since its premiere at the Next Wave Festival, The Tent has been presented at Performance Space 2008, and Campbelltown Arts Centre 2009. In 2010 it will tour to Darwin Festival and Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. From The Tent has a emerged Mogo Zoo, a collaboration with Clare Britton and Danny Egger which continues with Hole in the Wall. In recent years he has collaborated as a performer with: video artist John Gillies on Road Movie, Part 1 (MCA, 2008); theatre maker Karen Therese on The Riot Act (Campbelltown and Blacktown Arts Centres); and My Darling Patricia on Africa (Malthouse Theatre 2009). He is a member of Sydney ensemble Whale Chorus.

Clare Britton works collaboratively as a designer, puppeteer and performer to create original, visual theatre. A founding member of theatre company My Darling Patricia, Clare plays a pivotal role in the creation of My Darling Patricia’s work and the ongoing practice of the company. My Darling Patricia’s most recent production, Africa , was created as Malthouse Theatre’s 2009 company in residence.

From 2000-03 Clare worked with Erth Visual and Physical Inc as a puppet maker, rigger and performer touring Australia, Singapore and Korea. During this time she also participated in training and mentorship initiatives at PACT Theatre in Sydney. In 2006 Clare received an Australia Council skills development grant and studied under Philippe Genty at the VCA. Clare’s freelance career sees her collaborate on projects as a designer and performance maker. Clare has worked freelance with organisations Urban Theatre Projects, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Performance Space, PACT, UNSW and Branch Nebula and with directors Ros Oades, Dean Walsh, Lee Wilson, Ben Winspear, Matt Prest and Joey Rugirok Van Der Werven. Following on from the success of The Tent (Next Wave, Pspace and Campbelltown arts Centre), Clare is collaborating with Matt Prest and Danny Egger under the name Mogo Zoo to create Hole in the Wall (for Campbelltown Arts Centre, Performance Space and Next Wave seasons in early 2010). Also in 2010, Clare is working on the development of Julianne Long’s The Invisiblility Project and new My Darling Patricia works Posts in the Paddock and Ted Head.

Danny Egger is a conceptual and relational artist, whose multi-disciplined practice draws on skills in photography, sculpture, ceramics, installation, drawing, video, and performance. Working in the context of contemporary visual arts practice, his work explores experiences of the self and is aesthetically functional and documentative. He holds a B.F.A. in sculpture/installation and a BA in Anthropology and Art. Prior to this he studied Avionics, and was Aircraft Maintenance Engineer with QANTAS. Danny was a key artist on The Tent, initiating the design and construction of the tent itself, which eventually developed into the show.

Hallie Shellam is a director, performer and writer across theatre, film and television in Australia. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies at Murdoch University in1998 and is a graduate of the NIDA acting course (2002). In 2004 she started Curious Bird Theatre Company, which staged the Australian Premiere of Vampirella at the Darlinghurst Theatre. In 2006 she studied directing at the VCA, receiving a graduate diploma with first class honours. In 2008 she had a residency as part of HotHouse Theatre’s A Month In The Country with the project ‘the lonely instrument’ for which she is the instigating artist, co-devisor and director. This project had a second development supported by Full Tilt at the 2008 Melbourne Fringe. Also in 2008, Hallie was selected for the graduate program at the National Script Conference. As an Assistant Director Hallie has worked with Ailsa Piper (Too Young For Ghosts VCA), Benedict Andrews (The Season at Sarsparilla, STC 2007, MTC 2008) and was a devisor and assistant director to Benedict Andrews and Marius Von Mayerberg in the rehearsal development and seasons of Moving Target for the Malthouse/Adelaide Festival and supervising director for it’s Sydney Opera House season. Hallie worked as outside eye on The Tent in 2008.

James Brown is a Sydney based sound designer, composer, photographer and animator. He has been working collaboratively with theater companies both locally and internationally for the past five years to produce soundtracks both recorded and improvised. After completing a bachelor of fine arts at Sydney College of the Arts, then went on to complete a Masters in Audio Design Science at Sydney University. In 2007 He won the Sony Design Science Scholarship, and his animation work has been featured in the Sydney film festival.

Halycon Macleod is an animateur, writer and performer who is a founding member of My Darling Patricia. Halcyon has focused her practice on creating devised multi-disciplinary performance, working with image-based performance and exploring the role of active audiences. While studying painting at College of Fine Arts UNSW (1998-2000), she participated in performance training and mentoring initiatives at PACT Theatre. From 2000-2003 Halcyon worked with Erth Visual & Physical Inc as maker and performer. As a founding member of My Darling Patricia, Halcyon has played a key role in the creation of the group’s innovative, multidisciplinary performance events since 2003 including Kissing The Mirror(2003), Dear Pat (2004), Politely Savage(PACT Theatre 2005, Performance Space 2006 & The Arts Centre & Vitalstatistix 2007), Night Garden (Arts House & Performance Space Carriageworks 2009) and Africa (Malthouse Theatre, Tower 2009). In 2006 Halcyon completed a Grad Dip in Animateuring at the VCA where she participated in Philippe Genty’s workshop Le Stage. In 2007 Halcyon received an Australia Council Skills Development Grant to travel to Quebec to observe Robert Lepage’s creative development process for his new work Lipsynch. Halcyon was the writer and performer for Please Hold a performance installation work at Next Wave Festival in 2008. In 2008, Halcyon worked as writer and performer on the development of The Lonely Instrument supported by FULLTILT and Melbourne Fringe Festival. With My Darling Patricia, Halcyon is currently developing Tedhead an immersive installation for children that will be developed throughout 2010 as a part of the Varcoe Foundry Residency program in Mt Gambier; and Posts in the Paddock, a family history project that is in collaboration with Indigenous Australian Artists.

Mirabelle Wouters is a Belgian set and lighting designer and contemporary dancer who has lived and worked in Sydney since 2002. She designed set and lights for The Football Diaries by Ahilan Ratnamohan, produced by UTP 2009, Urban Theatre Projects’ The Last Highway, Sydney Festival 2008; the set for Martin Del Amo’s dance solo Never Been This Far Away From Home, Performance Space 2007. A founding member of Branch Nebula she has worked as co creator and set and costume designer on works including Paradise City Australia, Brazil 2006, Plaza Real Sydney 2004. She has worked as performer, choreographer and co-designer for productions created from 1999-present in Australia and toured internationally.

Jenn Blake has worked as a freelance stage/production/venue and “creative” manager for a variety of theatre companies, projects and festivals across Australia, including; Carriageworks, Company B, Griffin Theatre Company, Marguerite Pepper Productions, Performance Space, Sculpture by the Sea, Strut’n’Fret Productions, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Darwin Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Festival and Sydney Festival. Blake is a graduate of the NIDA Technical Production course.

Alasdair Nicol is an installation based artist. His recent work includes installations forSydney Festival First Night, Underbelly Public Arts Lab & Festival, City of Sydney’s Art & About Festival, City Art’s Laneways Project and Peats Ridge Festival.

Peter Allott is an immigrant, fresh from English shores – who is ready and willing to get stuck into creative projects in order to reconnect to his artistic roots long neglected after five years of stuffy academia.

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