Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre is pleased to announce Wiradjuri woman Amy Flannery and Leon Rodgers, a descendent of the Worimi nation, as the 2021 David Page Music Fellows.
The Fellowship program offers the opportunity, as well as financial support, for two First Nations composers to work and create with Bangarra in a culturally safe and collaborative work environment while being supported by highly experienced mentors.
The program will culminate in a production outcome with the Bangarra Dance Ensemble as part of a season of new short works premiering in early 2023.
The David Page Music Fellowship program was initiated in 2017, in honour of Roy David Page, Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Songman, Composer and Music Director. A proud Munaldjali and Nunukal man, his legacy lives on in perpetuity as the musical heartbeat of the company to which he dedicated so much of his life.
“David would be overjoyed that there are so many artists out there, hearing with the same ear and the same heart, and bringing First Nations Cultures forward so beautifully through contemporary Songlines,” said Bangarra Artistic Director, Stephen Page.
Amy Flannery’s journey as a young First Nations artist has taken in a great deal in a very short time. A Wiradjuri woman based on the NSW Central Coast, Amy studied dance and music simultaneously during high school and at NAISDA Dance College.
After graduating from NAISDA in 2018, Amy worked on a number of independent productions as choreographer and composer, building skills, and delving into a range of technologies to craft a personal creative voice.
“The David Page Music Fellowship is a meeting place for some of my greatest passions. I am grateful to be welcomed behind the scenes of Bangarra’s creative environment where these passions of Music, Dance, and Culture are woven together,” said Flannery.
Leon Rodgers is a descendent of the Worimi nation from the Myall Lakes region in NSW. Currently based in Melbourne, Leon has created sound composition for film and documentaries as well as for the commercial sector.
A graduate of the Australian Institute of Music and RMIT (VIC), Leon is not only a composer, but also a bassist and songwriter, and has collaborated with First Nations film producer John Harvey on a number of projects.
“I am honoured and humbled to be receiving this opportunity, and to be a part of David Page’s legacy and what it means to Bangarra. I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with the performers and everyone else involved,” said Rodgers.
The David Page Music Fellowship is generously supported by Robert Albert AO and Libby Albert. For more information, visit: www.bangarra.com.au for details.
Image: Amy Flannery and Leon Rodgers (supplied)