On the Brink of a new era

Brink Productions artistic director Chris Drummond will step down from the role at the end of next month after almost 20 years at the helm of the highly regarded Adelaide theatre company.

Drummond joined Brink in 2004 and has collaborated with other creatives to create and present works ranging from one-person shows like this year’s Symphonie de la Bicyclette to large-scale productions that have toured nationally and internationally.

His personal highlights from more than 20 productions include When the Rain Stops Falling, which premiered at the 2008 Adelaide Festival and was written by Andrew Bovell with design by visual artist Hossein Valamanesh; The Aspirations of Daisy Morrow, an adaptation of a Patrick White story; and The Hypochondriac, which featured a cast led by the late Paul Blackwell.

“I’ve been extremely fortunate to be the custodian of a tenacious and ambitious theatre company committed to telling new stories in new ways,” Drummond says.

“I’m so proud of the work we’ve made and all the artists we’ve worked with. However, I’m also incredibly excited to be heading into this new phase of my own career, with all the amazing opportunities that are now opening up.”

Drummond will continue to work with Brink part time on specific projects for the next six to 12 months, with a recruitment process set to begin for a new artistic director.

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Chair Trish Hansen says it will be the start of a new era for the company, which was formed in 1996 by seven young actors seeking to fill a gap in SA’s cultural landscape. However, she says Brink will “continue our legacy of telling important stories that engage, inspire, enchant and shift audiences in deeply meaningful ways”.

Writers (and readers) wanted

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Writers SA has launched a drive to attract new members, offering a range of prizes ­for those who join or renew their membership before July 7.

The not-for-profit organisation, which is now in its 38th year of operation, describes itself as the country’s oldest – and boldest – writers’ centre.

“In 2022, we paid over $400,000 to South Australian writers to undertake writing residencies and fellowships, deliver mentorships, workshops and manuscript assessments, and present their work at festivals and events,” CEO Jessica Alice says in a statement on the Writers SA website.

“At the heart of all of this is our members. Through this community we support and develop each other’s work, we gather together in quarterly celebrations, and we make available transformative creative development opportunities. For the non-writers and the literary-adjacent, membership is a wonderful way to show solidarity and stay connected with literature.”

Writers of all forms and experience levels are invited to join, with those who sign up or renew before July 7 going in the draw for prize packs including book vouchers, stationery, and Adelaide Festival Centre and Illuminate Adelaide tickets. Details here.

Launchpad for young musicians

Five emerging artists will receive a career boost after being selected for the fourth edition of a music development and training program run by WOMADelaide and youth-focussed music hub Northern Sound System (NSS).

Electro-pop artist ALITA, East African singer-songwriter Nestor Again, Ngarrindjeri woman Nimpala Rose, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Rob Edwards and Filipino singer-songwriter Sofia Menguita will take part in a professional development program of events and masterclasses at NSS’s Elizabeth facility. They will each be mentored by high-profile Australian music industry artists, producers and managers.

The WOMADelaide x NSS Academy aims to provide “real-world pathways” for its graduates, who have previously included 2022 J Award Unearthed Artist of the Year Elsy Wameyo, who is currently touring with the Hilltop Hoods, and APY Lands hip-hop group DEM MOB, who performed at WOMAD this year.

“I’m super excited to work with this year’s artists,” says NSS creative industries project officer Ben Smith. “The raw talent I see in them and the potential for growth through the Academy is crazy.”

Music SA shindig

Musicians, venues and others involved in the South Australian music sector are invited to attend Music SA’s strategy launch and industry catch-up this Tuesday, July 4.

The organisation says the event will be an opportunity to meet the Music SA team, check out its new office at 4 Cinema Place in the East End, and learn about what it does and what it has planned for the rest of 2023.

Tickets are free but you need to register (here). As a sweetener, there will be drinks available from Music SA’s new neighbour The Howling Owl and “local music spun on the decks”.

Green Room is a regular column for InReview, providing quick news for people interested, or involved, in South Australian arts and culture.

Get in touch by emailing us at editorial@solsticemedia.com.au