From Lola Montez’s notorious Spider Dance to troupes of Chinese acrobats, Ballarat’s gold rush era performing arts history is widely celebrated. Entrepreneurs brought all manner of entertainment to the burgeoning community of fortune seekers. As Ballarat’s civic leaders sought greater cultural legitimacy for their new home city, theatre became a marker of social progress. Ballarat became home to the first permanent built theatre in inland Australia, The Theatre Royal, in 1858. It remains home to Australia’s oldest continuously operating theatre, Her Majesty’s, since 1871, and the longest running Eisteddfod, established in 1891.
While this formative period attracts justifiable attention, this discussion will focus on the evolution of Ballarat’s theatre scene during a fascinating period of social change from the 20th century to today. This was a time when companies were formed to both cultivate local talent and bring entertainment to the community. The first branch of the National Theatre movement outside of a metropolitan area was founded in Ballarat in 1938. BLOC Music Theatre debuted in 1957 with the operetta, ‘In Waltz Time’, and Lyric Theatre emerged in 1963 in response to the enormous popularity of the American musical.
The discussion will also explore Ballarat’s rich history of performing arts education, which continues today, notably at Federation University’s Art Academy. Today Ballarat boasts an alumnus of successful stage and screen performers, creatives and technicians, with several independent theatre companies continuing to provide a vital forum for the presentation of new work and the development of local talent. This discussion uncovers the history of community theatre and theatre education in Ballarat and reflects on its prospects in an increasingly global, fractured and digital world.
Ballarat-born creative leader and theatre maker, Bryce Ives, leads this discussion with musical director Vicki Jacobs, academic and theatre director Mary-Rose McLaren, and playwright and theatre historian Dr Robert Reid.
Chair:
Bryce Ives, creative leader, theatre maker and Principal Consultant, YouBou
Panel:
Vicki Jacobs, musical director
Mary-Rose McLaren, theatre director and Associate Professor, College of Arts & Education, Victoria University
Dr Robert Reid, playwright and theatre historian
A Ballarat Heritage Festival event presented by the Eureka Centre Ballarat.
Image: Say Who You Are. By Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. Directed by Julian Oldfield. Ballarat National Theatre, Courthouse Theatre, Ballarat, 2003
