University of Melbourne to host inaugural Music Theatre Futures conference
The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music is proud to host the inaugural Music Theatre Futures conference next month — the first in-person conference for music theatre in Australia.
The two-day conference will take place from 15-16 July 2024, featuring a keynote presentation from award-winning Broadway music director, arranger, supervisor, and composer Carmel Dean.
The conference will also feature conversations, workshops and panel discussions from Australia’s leaders and innovators in music theatre, including:
- writer and director Dean Bryant
- marketing and specialist advisory company Anthem
- Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director Stuart Maunder
- Artistic Director of Australian Music Theatre Festival and Head of VCA Music Theatre Tyran Parke
- Melbourne Theatre Company’s Head of New Work Jennifer Medway
- Sydney Theatre Company’s New Work Development Producer Jonathan Ware
- Australia-US producer Neil Gooding
- Glenn McGuinness from the Michael Cassel Group
- music director James Simpson
- writer and director Jean Tong
- composer and academic Dr Erin Mckellar
- performer and VCA Music Theatre dance specialist Ross Hannaford
- performer and counsellor Sophie Carter
- producer and casting consultant Benjamin Samuel.
Topics covered will include Australia’s place in the international music theatre landscape, the future of mental health care on shows, the creative potential of conscious casting, and more.
VCA Lecturer in Music Theatre Jayde Kirchert says the conference offers a rare opportunity for leaders, creatives, teachers and researchers to come together and discuss the future of music theatre, to help ensure it remains relevant, impactful and able to adapt to an ever-changing world.
“The conference theme ‘connect’ is all about exploring ways we can work together and learn from each other across the industry, research and education and training sectors,” says Jayde.
“We’re very proud to host the first in-person conference for music theatre in Australia, which will present exciting research in pedagogy and creating new innovative music theatre, alongside compelling industry panels and insightful conversations.”
View the full conference program on the Music Theatre Futures website.
ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Carmel Dean is an award-winning and multi-faceted musician working in the theatre industry across Broadway/New York, the UK and Australia. As a Musical Supervisor and Arranger, her projects include the new Broadway musical The Notebook, with music by Ingrid Michaelson, and the recent Broadway revival of Funny Girl starring Lea Michele. Carmel was also Musical Director for the Broadway musical If/Then, starring Idina Menzel, and was Music Supervisor of the subsequent National Tour. She is also a noted composer whose award-winning works have premiered Off-Broadway in New York and in Sydney, Australia.
REGISTRATION
Cost: $40
Tickets include two-day conference and morning tea.
Financial assistance is available to BIPOC folks and those experiencing financial difficulties via a Music Theatre Futures supported place. Please get in touch with us at fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au to enquire.