Soft Landing 2: ‘the choreographer in group-devised work’
with Brian Lucas - 16 August to 12 September 2010

Soft Landing is a unique opportunity for tertiary dance graduates to engage, collaborate and forge creative partnerships for the future.

"...completely re-focused my creative rationale in practice..."

Soft Landing is a collaborative professional development program at QL2 Centre for Youth Dance, Canberra.   This program has been developed over several years and has supported many recent graduates during the difficult transition from the tertiary course into the dance profession. All dance graduates within the first two years after completing their degree are eligible.

Each Soft Landing has a core period of 4 weeks in Canberra. You must make a clear commitment to the entire process and be available full-time for the period, concluding on the evening of the final day.

You should also be prepared to engage in online discussion and research prior to the studio development; and subject to funding, we will provide limited online and phone mentoring support after this.

Costs

There is no fee to participate, and QL2 will pay you an allowance of $500 towards your costs. You must make your own arrangements for your stay in Canberra. You may want to consider making your travel and accommodation costs part of an ArtStart application to the Australia Council.

Soft Landing 2 2010: the choreographer in group-devised work

Soft Landing 2 will be led independent dance artist Brian Lucas, assisted by Laura Boynes. It will involve 6-9 young graduates, some of whom may have also have been part of Soft Landing 1.

The core of Soft Landing 2 will be 16 August to 12 September 2010.

Over the four-week intensive period, Soft Landing 2 will focus on the group as choreographer/performers; in particular, on the choreographer in group-devised work. You will work in smaller collaborative groups towards a professional-level, flexible-site performance season of a work in a non-arts environment, which will be presented by NewActon through their public program. You will receive intensive mentorship from Brian, who will also work to maximise the creative capacity of group processes.

How to apply

If you would like to make an expression of interest for Soft Landing:

1) Send your CV including references, photo and brief cover letter expressing reasons for your interest, and which Soft Landing/s your are applying for, to: softlanding@ql2.org.au; and

2) Submit a video with up to 15 minutes of material demonstrating your dance experience and skill (and for Soft Landing 2, your choreography). This can be submitted by:

• mailing a DVD to QL2, or

• uploading it to Youtube or

• sending a .mov file (max 100Mb) by a free file transfer service such as yousendit.com or pando.com.

Selection

Prime selection criteria will be:

• a demonstrated desire to work in a mentored environment with the particular leader;

• potential benefit to the participant,

• potential contribution of that participant to Australian dance;

• consideration of availability, commitment, physical capacity and diversity.

Applications will be assessed by:

• Solon Ulbrich: Project Director (SL1)

• Brian Lucas: Project Director (SL2)

• Ruth Osborne: Artistic Director QL2

Dates

Soft Landing 2: ‘the choreographer in group-devised work’ with Brian Lucas

We have provided two closing dates, to gives you maximum opportunity to plan your year. You can apply in either round; some places will be held open for the second round.

• First round expressions of interest must be received by: 11 December 2009

• First round successful applicants will be advised by email by: 8 January, 2010

• Second round expressions of interest must be received by:  17 May 2010

• Second round successful applicants will be advised by email by:  21 June, 2010

• Core intensive: 16 August to 12 September 2010

Contact

If you have any further queries please contact softlanding@ql2.org.au

Previous Soft Landing projects