Speech
Shanghai, 11 November 2002
The Symposium on Art, Technology and the New Performer
Thank you David [David Irvine, Australian Ambassador to China],
Chairman, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Dr Zhang (JARNG),President
of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Professor Rong (WRONG),Party Secretary,
Shanghai Theatre Academy, Professor Dai (DIE), President, Centre for
the Shanghai International Arts Festival, Mr Chen (CHURN), Assistant
Director General, Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, Madam Xia (SHAR),
Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir,
the Hon Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia,Senator Tsebin Tchen,
the Rt Hon Alfred Huang, the Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Consul General,
Sam Gerovich, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure to be here. I particularly want to welcome
Dr John Yu, Chairman of the Australia-China Council and other Council
members, as well as representatives from the Flinders University of
South Australia.
I should say at the outset how delighted Australia was to be the
first country to be invited as guest nation at the prestigious China
Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Particularly as this year is a very special year: we are celebrating
the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Australia and China.
This symposium on art, technology and the new performer is one of
the highlights of a week-long celebration of Australian culture.
As Australia and China mark the past 30 years of diplomatic ties,
today's symposium focuses on the future and on innovation.
The symposium will introduce Chinese performing arts practitioners,
academics, critics and students to Australian artists who are integrating
live performance and digital technology.
This innovative approach to new technology reflects the fact that
Australia is one of the most wired societies in the world.
Australians all across the country are experiencing the benefits
of the on-line economy.
The speed of change in the digital world is unlike anything we have
seen before – and our artists working in multi-media are experiencing
their own revolution.
Australian artists are thinking in entirely new ways to express themselves
in the digital medium.
And this symposium will break new ground by focusing on how the performance
artist – so we are talking about real time performance
- can use digital technology to enhance his art.
Some of Australia's pre-eminent artists, including performance artist
Stelarc, Mary Mooreand photographer and performance artist William
Yang, will showcase their talent and technical innovation to an international
audience.
They will also work with Chinese leading and emerging artists and
academics in a series of forums, workshops and presentations.
The workshops will provide an opportunity for students from the Shanghai
Theatre Academy to have direct contact with Australian artists and
students in a spirit of genuine intercultural exchange.
This encounter will set the scene for ongoing collaboration between
the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Drama Centre at Flinders University
in South Australia.
I thank Professor Rong (WRONG) for his hospitality and support.
I particularly want to acknowledge the joint convenors of the Symposium,
Professor Julie Holledge of Flinders University of South Australia,
and Professor Gu, (GOO) of Shanghai Theatre Academy, for their
foresight, dedication and hard work.
I am also grateful to the Australia-China Council, for sponsoring
the symposium and for working so very hard over the last few years
to promote understanding and foster people-to-people links between
our two nations.
Thanks are also due to the NSW Government for supporting William
Yang's visit to Shanghai.
I wish you well in the staging of the symposium and in subsequent
exchanges between the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Drama Centre
at Flinders University in South Australia.
Such creative exchanges and people-to people links will ensure that
the next 30 years of Australia-China relations remain as dynamic and
fruitful as the last 30 years.
Thank you.
This page last modified:
Wednesday, 27-Nov-2002 16:39:22 EST
Local Date:
Sunday, 07-Sep-2008 16:15:55 EST
