8 March - 11 April 2021
BackStage Music transforms a World Square shop front into a social and creative hub for playful and challenging musical experiences celebrating women. During the day, Now You Hear Her will host project developments and workshops alongside displays of creative art work. In the evening key artists will curate and host longer form programs of diverse music making including live performances, talks, movie nights and listening parties. These free flowing events will be relaxed and sociable and a chance to listen and learn from some of our most inspiring woman artists. Curated by Lamorna Nightingale, Bree van Reyk and Damian Barbeler Now You Hear Her will be a vibrant and joyful celebration of all the woman in our lives!
BackStage Music are sharing the World Square shopfront with our wonderful virtual tour partners ‘SheSaw’. Through their tours, get a new perspective on countries as you discover their inspiring and empowering women's stories.
All tickets to Now You Hear Her are FREE. Please consider making a donation to our Australian Cultural Fund campaign - every little bit will go towards supporting artists and organisers of the festival. If you are unable to attend please cancel your booking through EventBrite.
We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the un-ceded lands on which we live and work, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. Always was, always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
VENUE : All gigs are happening in a shopfront in World Square in the CBD. The shop is on the corner of George and Goulburn streets.
Love Letters to Great Women
Mon 8th March 5.30pm
Celebrate international Woman's Day at the launch of Now You Hear Her
5.30 Write a Love Letter to a Great Woman and check out Ripple Effect Band and Jodie Kell’s audio visual work Njárra-djorrka wíba (we carry our country with us)
At 7pm the live program starts featuring hiphop artist Z'eadala, Aunty Marlene Cummins, Rainbow Chan, Bree van Reyk, Freya Schack-Arnott and Lamorna Nightingale. We will also be joined by Sana Al-Ahmar, migrant and refugee settlement case worker who will tell stories about Iraqi women, food and culture all while making traditional Iraqi tea that she will share with a few lucky members of the audience.
Millions of Us Part I - Breaking Glass
Fri 12 March 7pm for 7.30pm start
Quadruple bill from Sydney Conservatorium of Music Composing Women Program 2020 with introductions by the composers:
Her Dark Marauder - Music Georgia Scott, Text Pierce Wilcox, Director Danielle Maas
Commute - Music & Text Peggy Polias, Director Clemence Williams
The Tent - Music & Text Josephine Macken, Director Danielle Maas
The Invisible Bird - Music & Text Bree van Reyk, Director Clemence Williams
Millions of Us Part II
Sat 13 Mar 4-10pm
Music by Del Lumanta, Bree van Reyk, Sumn Conduit, Megan Alice Clune
4-5pm Listening Club with Megan Alice Clune and Bree van Reyk
5-6:30 pm Del Lumanta live set
7:00pm Sumn Conduit (Sonya Holowell* + Ben Carey) live set
8:30pm Megan Alice Clune* Dream Opera lecture presentation
*supported by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music & Sculthorpe Chair of Australian Music
Millions of Us Part lll
Sun 14 Mar 4-10pm
4-5pm - Stumble Through the Forest of Abandoned Ideas - Bree van Reyk, Marcus Whale, Rainbow Chan
5-6:30pm - Laura Jean - Song Dedications song-writing workshop/performance lecture
7pm - Rainbow Chan* - Power, Love and Melancholy in the Ballads of Teresa Teng
8:30pm - Richard Fung screening ‘My Mother’s Place’ (1990) hosted by Marcus Whale
*supported by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music & Sculthorpe Chair of Australian Music
Millions of Us Part IV
Mon 15 Mar 3-10pm
Composing Woman Feature
3-5pm ‘Talk to a Composer’ workshop with Liza Lim, Ella Macens, May Lyon
7pm - Brenda Gifford + Dr Georgia Curran panel discussion on Aboriginal Music
8:30pm - Fiona Hill + Gary Daley electro-acoustic set
Millions of Us Part V
Tue 16 Mar 6.55am
6.55am Sunrise, ‘deep listening’ practice based on Pauline Oliveros’ The Witness (2014) [Liza Lim] + Bree Wall of Sound - one-on-one performance.
Scuptural Percussion
Fri 19 Mar 5.30pm
Hand crafted percussion instruments and repurposed household objects will be sculpturally arranged to form an art installation. This sculptural percussion installation will be assembled and activated in performance by Niki Johnson, who will be accompanied in sonic duet with flautist/composer/musician Josephine Macken.
Kotolin
Fri 19 Mar 7pm
Kotolin features striking, expressive Koto and Violin improvisation weaved through sensitively layered Japanese and Western musical styles. Véronique Serret is a genre defying violinist who loves creating sounds on her 6 string violin paired with electronics. Satsuki Odamura is a leading koto player, who has pioneered the teaching and performing of this ancient Japanese instrument in Australia, in collaboration with jazz, World Music and contemporary classical musicians. Program to include Cathy Milliken's Crie for solo violin and Chinkon by Mark Issacs for bass koto.
Yuwaalaraay Music
Sat 20 March 2-3pm
and Sun 21 March 3-4pm
Yuwaalaraay Music is a family collective of sisters Nardi, Jilda and Lucy Simpson and their daughters Hawaiiki Te Peeti, Muran Te Peeti and Corrella Andrews. Over the two days the family will be making a Yuwaalaraay women’s instrument- a possum skin cloak that is played as an accompaniment to traditional song. Possum numbers have dwindled in Yuwaalaraay country and as a result this instrument has been absent from country for over a century. Now You Hear Her will host the making and playing of this instrument again. Indigenous musician, dancer and cultural knowledge holder will join the women and girls at the beginning of their project to share knowledge and guidance around the cultural importance of possum as well as guide the performance and ceremonial singing practice that will inform the two day workshop.
*Nardi Simpson’s appearance has been supported by Musica Viva Australia in line with their strategic goals of encouraging a vibrant chamber music ecology and the work of First Nations artists.
Another Future
Tue 23 5.30pm
Ensemble Offspring’s 2020 Noisy Women Composer Eve Klein has created an in depth project inspired by climate change based on the book by Elaine Kelly “Dwelling in the Age of Climate Change” where Elaine argues for an orientation of care as the foundation for an ethical response to the climate change crisis. As part of the project Eve has gathered objects from communities effected by bushfire which will be used as musical instruments in the work.
En Masse
Tue 23 Mar 7pm
Offspring Bites celebrates the most stunning chamber works commissioned by Ensemble Offspring through it's Noisy Egg Creation Fund, recording them for release and pairing them with bespoke visual content. Offspring Bites 3: En Masse features new works by Australian composers Alex Pozniak, Holly Harrison and Thomas Meadowcroft with new video art by Cobie Orgers, Juan Withington and Andrew Morgan. Live performance by Freya Schack-Arnott of Alex Pozniak's 'Instructions for Improvisation'.
Canvas
Thu 25 Mar 12.30-1.30pm
Ever seen a new composition created from the ground up? Spiral's Will Hansen and Sarah Elise Thompson will be creating live loops and performing a lunch time recital of music composed on the spot!
I’ve Never Been So Old
Thu 25 Mar 5.30pm
Sian Lindsay explores themes of divorce, childhood, growing up and family renuion. I’ve Never Been So Old and Inside This House at the Same Time is a vivid radiophonic piece based on her sister's novel in verse. After reading her sister’s poetry, Sian aspired to create a sonic arrangement of the emotionally gripping novel that is based on her mother’s upbringing. Her sister, Kiara Lindsay, received the H.B. Higgins scholarship from the University of Melbourne to travel to the Kimberley in Western Australia to explore the relationships and stories from their mothers family. The end product was something that touched Sian, and she saw an opportunity to illustrate the story even further.
Music for Your Eyes
Thu 25 Mar 7pm
A mini-festival of visual music curated by Felicity Wilcox.
Gail Priest, Beebreath 6’
Jasmine Guffond, Vision Strategy Coordinators 6’
Yi Lui To, Fume in a Lapse 3.5’
Felicity Wilcox, Vivre Sa Vie Composer’s Cut 16’
Jasmine Guffond, Elephant 10’
Andree Greenwell, Chosen 5’
Yantra De Vilder, Way Down Below 7.5’
Interval
Jasmine Guffond, Forever Listening 9’
Yi Lui To, Hong Kong Trilogy 8.5’
Felicity Wilcox, Invalid Data W.E.S.T. 20’
Kate Moore, Fern 12’
In Landscape
Fri 26 Mar 7pm
A night of original music alongside complementary works by Liza Lim and Kaija Saariaho. Inspired by place and performed by family:
In landscape (cello + db), Freya Schack-Arnott + Ben Ward
Aure (violin + cello), Kaija Saariaho
Invisibility (solo cello), Liza Lim
Hesperus (solo db), Ben Ward
Philtre (solo violin), Liza Lim
Bonniesongs and Co.
Performers: Freya Schack-Arnott, Ben Ward, Bonnie Stewart, Harry Ward, Billy Ward and Jack Ward.
Water Pail I Quirky Room
Sat 27 March
Installations open for viewing 1-6pm
'Water Pail' is a sculpture and sound art installation about the artist's Donna Chang's intersectional Chinese-Australian identity and her mother's and her maternal grandmother's life in Hong Kong during the 1960s-80s. Monica, Donna's mother, lived during Hong Kong's water famine, and experienced significant hardship and poverty. As a young child Monica had to carry a pail of water up multiple flights of stairs everyday to get fresh water. In a video work, Monica's voice also recounts the story of a family inheritance in which men could only take over assets - leaving Donna's grandmother impoverished.
The music, by Daniel Portelli, is an immersive 8 channel haptic sound artwork responding to the stories and sculptural objects. Many of the water pails in Hong Kong during that time were repurposed cooking oil drums. The work explores their historical significance and sonic potential in an 8 channel array of these drums, each containing transducers that vibrates and distorts the surface of the metal. Donna performs a solo percussion piece on a bamboo/water pail structure in a composer/performer theatrical piece devised in collaboration with Daniel. The solo performance is accompanied by the 'oil drum chorus'.
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A peculiar take on the exhibition format, Quirky Room is an installation full of beauty, humour, exploration, experience and a LOT of QR codes! Each QR code grants access to a small work that might work with the art work it accompanies, another artwork in the room, or other QR pieces. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for hidden QR pieces - some may be harder to find than others! Artworks and music by Liam Mulligan, artwork descriptions by Gabrielle Cadenhead.
Singing With Ancestors
Sat 27 Mar 7pm
Join Genevieve Campbell on a musical journey around the Tiwi Islands, following Tiwi songwomen as they weave pandanus into baskets and stories into songs. Through a series of audiovisual pieces you’ll hear from the Elders in their own words as they explain how song is fundamental to who they are as custodians of country and ancient knowledge. The rediscovery of the voices of passed singers in the archives adds to the songlines – of crocodile, jungle fowl, rainbow serpent – in the waterholes, the mangroves, the pandanus and the skies. You’ll also see some highlights from a recent performance in Darwin which brought together several generations of Tiwi singers to continue the ancient traditions of creating new ways of singing, dancing and embodying culture and how connection to country is paramount, regardless of the performance venue.. Tiwi sung culture is alive and well, and as you’ll see, the old ladies are leading the way for emerging young Tiwi performers to continue the story.
Clothing Music
Sunday 28 Mar 2-3pm
A visit to the vacated active-wear store in George Street might give you a very different experience from behind the curtain of the dressing room. The only ensemble to “try on” is a loose musical interpretation of you, spurred on by the woman in red - Madame Lark, alongside a collective of musicians at your service. Try this brief ‘score’ on for size along the dressing room trail, peg it to the finishing score, and loop back to try more if you choose. Bring a two sentence fashion-confession for the finishing trim. The final performance will be when all the musicians perform the grand score. Join this extraordinary group of musicians and their instruments as they play your vibe.
Concept by Sonya Lifschitz and Christine Johnston Realised by: Christine Johnston - co-director/performer as Madame Lark, Damian Barbeler - co-director/ performer and Sonya Lifschitz - co-director/ performer with performers Cazzbo Johns, Lamorna Nightingale, Oliver Schermacher and Freya Schack-Arnott.
Rhythms of Change
Wed 31 Mar 7pm
Claire Edwardes teams up with emerging young drummer Chloe Kim to present an evening of percussive rhythms and new works by a smashing line up of Australian female composers.
The live performances will be followed by a Keychange panel focusing on woman's inclusion in the music industry with panelists including Olivia Ansell (director Sydney Festival), Nardi Simpson (Yuwaalaraay writer and composer) , Amanda Brown (composer and APRA ambassador), Emma Dunch (CEO Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Chloe Kim and Claire Edwardes (Keychange Ambassador). If you have a burning question or issues that you'd like included in this discussion please let us know.
Concert Frock
7pm Thu 1 - livestream HERE
7pm Fri 2 - livestream HERE
7pm Mon 5 - livestream HERE
7pm Tues 6 - book live concert tickets OR livestream HERE
Over multiple evenings, slow moving workers construct a mystery object out of paper. On the final evening a curious musical performance occurs. Life is full of strange rituals. Artists include Jane Sheldon, Niki Johnson, Damian Barbeler, Tim Jetis, Maria Skroza and Maggie Barbeler, Artemis Jetis.
Time for a Trim
Wednesday 7 April 5.30pm
Gabrielle Goodman presents a ritual performance featuring a children's toy box, fruit and various utensils. After a long day of work, we all need a pick-me-up to get through the rest of the week! So pop in for a smashing display of raw stress release this Wednesday!
ADSR Zine Launch and Exhibition
Wednesday 7 April 7pm exhibition launch and live show
Exhibition open Thursday 8 April 12-4pm, Friday 9 April 12-4pm and Saturday 10 April 11am-3pm.
ADSR Zine is an online quarterly publication that features diverse work from contributors who are, or who work with, contemporary practising artists in Australia. For the first time, we are going live with performances, readings and an exhibition of works by zine contributors.
ADSR ZINE: REVISITING THE ARCHIVE (2018:2021)
Through a re-visiting of the archive we have collated over the past two years, we will explore the physical actualisation of mixed-discipline works contributed from the broader Australian Arts community.
In addition, ADSR Zine will also present a panel-performance event - curated in relation to the latent exploration of personal mythology-in-practice. This will coincide with the launch of their next edition 013. Performers include artists/writers (and past zine contributors): Cleo Mees, Tina Stefanou, Terumi Narushima, Kraig Grady, Sam Gill and James Hazel.
![Cleo-3_[ADSR Zine (re)Visiting The Archive, photo by Elia Bosshard].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5815722de4fcb5fd59140ff2/1619156060462-KUV9M1FKCBBOBMJ9642D/Cleo-3_%5BADSR+Zine+%28re%29Visiting+The+Archive%2C+photo+by+Elia+Bosshard%5D.jpg)
![Clocks&Clouds-1_[ADSR Zine (re)Visiting The Archive, photo by Elia Bosshard].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5815722de4fcb5fd59140ff2/1619156120767-QTCBB38IXDPI6T14KCH9/Clocks%26Clouds-1_%5BADSR+Zine+%28re%29Visiting+The+Archive%2C+photo+by+Elia+Bosshard%5D.jpg)
![Clocks&Clouds-4_[ADSR Zine (re)Visiting The Archive, photo by Elia Bosshard].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5815722de4fcb5fd59140ff2/1619156185504-B7LSPAP18PBXTDQUZI6K/Clocks%26Clouds-4_%5BADSR+Zine+%28re%29Visiting+The+Archive%2C+photo+by+Elia+Bosshard%5D.jpg)
Window installation and spatial consultancy by Elia Bosshard
Now You Hear Her has been support by the City of Sydney, Musica Viva Australia, Sydney Conservatorium of Music - University of Sydney and the Australian Cultural Fund
