CIRCUMPOLAR
SUPPORTING MATERIAL
1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
What is Circumpolar?
CIRCUMPOLAR is an installation that runs parallel to the opera, ANTARCTICA. Lead by Mary Finsterer, composer and University of Tasmania CALE Creative Fellow, a team of scientists from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) will work alongside specialists from the arts and creative industries to showcase research in the context of the opera. Comprising music, visual displays and publications both physical and online, CIRCUMPOLAR functions as a prism which dissects and reflects on the content of the opera including artistic inspiration, scientific data, storytelling & historical perspective.
2 PROJECT VISION
Science states meanings; art expresses them.
~ John Dewey, educational philosopher
There is a deep correlation to how scientists and artists think and respond to the world. Traditionally, the outcomes present differently, but the level of investigation, analysis and motivations align. The searching and researching for new ideas and ways to explain complex phenomena is continually present, the ultimate aspiration being to illuminate through innovation.
Project outline HERE
3 PROJECT SCHEDULE
CIRCUMPOLAR will premiere at The Hedberg Building in January 2021. A showcase preview of the installation will be presented at the launch of The Hedberg building in May 2020, followed by The Scar symposium in Hobart, August 2020.
02/01/2020 Commencement of creative work: showcase
07/04/2020 Completion of creative work: showcase
01/05/2020 Presentation of showcase at The Hedberg, May 2020
31/07/2020 Presentation of of showcase at the The 2020 SCAR Conference
15/08/2020 Commencement of creative work: CIRCUMPOLAR
30/11/2020 Completion of creative work: CIRCUMPOLAR in readiness for presentation in January 2021
4 LIST OF CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS
KEY PERSONNEL
Mary Finsterer – Composer, Director
Dean Golja – Visual Artist, Curator
Tom Wright – Writer
Guy Williams – IMAS Scientist Coordinator
Geraldine Barlow – Creative Consultant
Partner Organisations
Asko Schönberg, The Netherlands
Sydney Chamber Opera
The Hedberg, University of Tasmania
Dr Felicity McCormack
Researcher and Ice Sheet Modeller
Antarctic Gateway Partnership
Dr Amelie Meyer
Research Associate
ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes
Dr Kerrie Swadling
Research Fellow and Plankton-Biologist
Centre for Ecology and Biodiversity, IMAS
Associate Professor Guy Williams
Opera Antarctic Symposium: First Light – Co-ordination Autonomous Maritime Systems Laboratory University of Tasmania
TEAM
Dr Sophie Bestley
DECRA Fellow
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
Dr Jacqueline Halpin
Research Fellow
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
Professor Craig Johnson
Head – Ecology and Biodiversity
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Stu
Dr Vanessa Lucieer
Deputy Head- Ecology and Biodiversity
Senior Research Scientist & Lecturer, IMAS
Dr Taryn Noble
John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellow
Antarctic Gateway Partnership
Dr Christine Schallenberg
Antarctic Climate and Ecosystem CRC
University of Tasmania
Associate Professor Patti Virtue
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
ARTS & SCIENCE TEAM (alphabetical order)
Troy Beer MA
Digital Strategist, Wilderness Society
Dr Joel Crotty
Affiliate, Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music
Monash University
Professor Mary Finsterer
Composer
Creative Fellow | College of Arts, Law and Education
University Associate | Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
Adjunct Professor | Conservatorium of Music
University of Tasmania
Dean Golja MA
Video / Image Artist, Image United
Associate Professor Elizabeth Leane
English, Humanities and ARC Future Fellow
School of Humanities, CALE & IMAS
Jack Symonds
Music Director – Sydney Chamber Opera
Sydney, Australia
Fedor Teunisse
Artistic Director – Asko|Schönberg
The Netherlands
Tom Wright
Librettist, Playwright
SCIENCE TEAM (alphabetical order)
Science Steering Committee
Associate Professor Zanna Chase
ARC Future Fellow
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
Associate Professor Mary-Anne Lea
Marine Predator Ecology
Centre for Ecology and Biodiversity, IMAS
5 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE VENUE
The Hedberg Recital Hall
With a seating capacity of just under 300, the Recital Hall is a bespoke and beautiful contemporary performance venue. Designed by ARUP and Liminal, international experts in music acoustics and concert hall design, it is equipped with both traditional and state of the art technologies including engineered variable acoustics (0.6-2.4 seconds natural reverberation variation), designed exclusively for the Hedberg. The RH will be as at home with classical quartets, gospel choirs and bug bands, through to cutting edge mixed media immersive sound and vision creative works. The RH is itself one of the creative tools available to the creative artists, and discreetly boasts some mind-blowing digital technologies. MORE
6 ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
7 SUPPORT LETTERS
i) Professor Kate Darian-Smith, FASSA Executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor – The Hedberg, Tasmania
ii) Fedor Teunisse – Artistic Director, Asko|Schönberg, The Netherlands
iii) Jack Symonds – Artistic Director, The Sydney Chamber Opera
iv) Associate Professor Guy Williams – Co-ordinator of IMAS scientists