Melbourne Theatre Company today marked the beginning of NAIDOC week and the first day of its 2018 Indigenous Scholarship Program with a welcome to country and smoking ceremony at MTC Headquarters in Southbank, performed by Janet Galpin and William Pepper on behalf of the Boon Wurrung Foundation.
Nine participants from across the country have been selected to take part in the Company’s Indigenous Scholarship Program this year, with recipients hailing from Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and regional Victorian towns Stawell, Kinglake and Bendigo.
Now in its fourth year, MTC’s Indigenous Scholarship Program offers a unique learning opportunity for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people interested in a career in the performing arts.
Running from July to December, the participants will take part in a series of workshops that explore performance skills, writing for the stage, technical and design aspects of creating a production and how to develop a marketing campaign. The program culminates in the presentation of a short work devised by the group at Southbank Theatre.
MTC Executive Director Virginia Lovett said, ‘Our Indigenous Scholarship Program is a key program in our education portfolio and this program has grown from strength to strength. It is wonderful to welcome another nine scholarship recipients to MTC. This program is all about opening up opportunities, breaking down barriers and offering insight into the wide range of career options in the performance industry. We are passionate about supporting young people in their education and career pursuits and grateful to the donors who enable us to do so in such a meaningful way.’
Over the course of the program, the participants will experience a variety of live performances including comedy, dance, musical and theatre shows and have the opportunity to meet a range of industry professionals to learn more about potential career pathways.
Program participants are supported by Indigenous teaching artists, mentors and the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the Victorian College of the Arts. The Wilin Centre also offers the group cultural support and assistance in making an application to the Victorian College of the Arts if they wish to explore further study.
MTC’s Indigenous Scholarship Program is part of the Company’s Sharing the Light initiative, supported by the Crown Resorts Foundation and Packer Family Foundation, designed to reduce barriers some young people face in access to arts education and learning opportunities.
For more information about Sharing the Light visit mtc.com.au/sharingthelight
Indigenous Scholarship Program dates
Week 1: 9-13 July
Week 2: 1-5 October
Week 3: 3-7 December
Published on 9 July 2018