• To bring a rich program of community and professional development workshops to our local community with a focus on learning and experiencing diverse ways to explore creativity for everyone.

About Elizabeth Cameron Dalman AM

Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman is a pioneer of modern dance in Australia. Her current creative practice continues to create vibrant and powerful dance with a unique Australian perspective. She founded Australian Dance Theatre, in 1965. She was the Artistic Director of this company for 10 years building it from the ground up into an internationally renowned company with a varied repertoire exploring important social issues of the time. She has travelled widely teaching, performing and choreographing for companies, universities and festivals around the world. She founded Mirramu Creative Arts Centre in 1989 and then Mirramu Dance Company in 2000. Throughout her creative life nature has been a central inspiration for her work and Mirramu Creative Arts Centre is the perfect place for this inspiration to be realised for herself and all artists who visit.

ABOUT THE FACILITIES

Just out from Bungendore Mirramu is a rural property on 100 acres of virgin bushland with a 15 x 7m dance studio and 2 mud brick buildings that have accommodation, living spaces and a kitchen for residency participants. In the lower house there are 4 bedrooms that can host up to 9 artists at a time with 2 shared bathrooms. The upper house has the shared kitchen/living/dining space and Elizabeth’s private space. Across a 5 acre area, with views of Lake George/Weereewa, the grounds have multiple spaces for outdoor dancing, performing and filming.

Residencies

Residencies at Mirramu are open to all artforms and the process and structure is developed in consultation with Elizabeth Cameron Dalman prior to arrival. Residencies can focus on developing creative practice, creative development of new work, or simply for retreat and refocus of the creative mind. The unique aspects of Mirramu Creative Arts Centre are its natural landscape and Elizabeth herself who is one of Australia’s most well respected dance elders. Because of its relatively remote location it is a wonderful place to step out of daily work and enter what we call Mirramu Time… where everything slows down and the creative mind has time to expand.

Resources that Mirramu can provide (for a cost) in residencies are as follows.

Main Resources Available

• Use of the dance studio
• Accommodation
• Use of the outdoor spaces for development of work or creative process.
• You can involve Elizabeth in your residency if you feel it is appropriate. She is experienced at offering advice and feedback during the creative process and as part of all residencies she will spend a morning with you to introduce you to Mirramu and to her movement and site specific arts practice.

Residency Activities Available with Prior Arrangement

(We need at least 4 months notice for any of the below aspects of a residency)

• Networking. Mirramu Creative Arts Centre staff can assist residency participants to meet arts practitioners and organisations in Canberra and the surrounding regions. Mirramu has

been part of the arts landscape in Canberra and its surrounding regions for 37 years and has a broad network of organisations and individuals.

• Mirramu staff can help organise workshops and showings at Mirramu Creative Arts Centre, where appropriate.

Application Process

STEP 1

• Please email [email protected] a description of your work and what you want to achieve in your time at Mirramu Creative Arts Centre.
• Indicate which resources you would like to make use of.
• Indicate dates you would like to come.
• Send us a brief biography and a few images of your work.

Elizabeth will respond to your request within 3 weeks.

STEP 2

Online or in person meeting to discuss details of your residency and to request further information. This is an opportunity for you to decide if Mirramu is the right place for your creative development/idea/experience.

STEP 3

Finalising details and costs. This may involve you seeking outside support for your residency. We can offer letters of invitation for this process.

Costs

Mirramu Creative Arts Centre is a private arts centre and not supported by government funding. As such we cannot offer free residencies but we endeavour to keep the costs as low as possible. We can write letters of invitation and provide information about and images of Mirramu Creative Arts Centre for your own application processes.

Basic Costs

Accommodation – $550 per week per person or $85 per night for any stay less than 7 nights. (includes access to kitchen and cooking facilities).

Studio/grounds Use – $200 for an 8 hr day or $30 hr. Studio use will need to be worked out in advance as at times Mirramu Creative Arts Centre will have their own programs running.

Mentorship – If you wish to invite Elizabeth Cameron Dalman into your process as a mentor or for feedback it will cost $100 an hour.