Bambina Borracha Productions Inc.

MEET SOME OF THE EMERGING ARTISTS
These artists, unearthed by Bambina Borracha Productions, share their experiences of the Australian arts scene

ROSLYN HELPER

I heard about Bambina Borracha Productions through...
Friends and whilst doing other work in the arts industry.

What creative projects have you worked on?
I have been an artist and publicist for the show Persephone's Wolf which played at Carriageworks then toured to the Adelaide Fringe Festival. I have performed regularly at the monthly Babaret concerts. I have written the music for the company's show called Then We Had Adventures at the Underbelly Festival.

I have learned...
About the importance of having a great team of people to work with.

Emerging artists need...
A supportive, creative environment. A collection of people to bounce ideas off, get feedback from and give feedback to. Portholes that provide artists with opportunities to realise ideas that require funding and publicity that is hard to coordinate individually.

MARK SUTTON

I heard about Bambina Borracha Productions through...
When I heard about Bambina Borracha Productions I was already a fan of the work of the individual members, so I was excited to see what they would do. I did my best to ingratiate myself to them and tried to weasel my way into their shows..

I have learned...
In particular I have learnt a lot about how to establish a stable, productive and practical environment for creative works. Too often creativity can be stifled in amateur theatrical companies by poor work ethics or disorganisation. Bambina Borracha is at once extremely professional on the administration/business front, as well as being a truly talented and creative group of outstanding emerging artists.

Emerging artists need...
Emerging artists need firstly encouragement, to develop their ideas and original concepts and (sometimes more importantly) to finish their work. In addition they need to understand the administrative side of business. It's easy to say 'I'm an artist I don't have to worry about that' but that attitude will rarely get you anywhere. Being conscientious about that side does not mean you are sacrificing your artistic/creative side, being adept at both will only improve your chances of success.

DANIKA ARMYTAGE

I heard about Bambina Borracha Productions through...
My involvement in the Sydney University Drama Society (SUDS).

What creative projects have you worked on?
I have been involved with Bambina as a performer. In the production of Persephone's Wolf, I acted and sang and in the devising process we, as the cast, workshopped characters, scripts, physicalisation and music, which was then threaded together by the creative team. Since then, I regularly perform at the Babaret nights, using the opportunity to experiment with new material. Bambina Borracha Productions continues to offer me opportunities to grow and expand myself as a performer.

I have learned...
What it is be a professional performer. Our run of Persephone's Wolf at Sydney's CarriageWorks Theatre and our tour to the Adelaide Fringe Festival forced me to grow new performance muscles. My confidence increased, and I learnt so much from the brilliant people who I was able to work with. I was thrown in the deep end - and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Emerging artists need...
A community of other artists - for collaboration, for support, for starting projects, for pushing each other. Bambina Borracha Productions has provided me with a creative community which has been invaluable to me. I think it is through these relationships that an artist can push the bounds of their potential - that's certainly been my experience. The network expands, new blends of people and outlooks cross-pollinate and, BAM, you have a thriving arts scene!

BLAKE BOWDEN

I heard about Bambina Borracha Productions through...
I heard about Bambina Borracha Productions through University. I had come back to Sydney University to complete my Bachelor of Arts in Performance Studies and whilst there heard about auditions for their flagship production 'Persephone's Wolf. I auditioned and was fortunate enough to gain a part in that production.

What creative projects have you worked on?
I was involved in Persephone's Wolf at CarriageWorks and at the 2008 Adelaide Fringe Festival. I have also been a regular performer and host at Moonshine Babaret.

I have learned...
The wonderful thing about being involved with Bambina Borracha is the freedom with which they allow your own creativity to flourish. They provide a platform on which to build my creative interests and through their professional approach to producing works, have allowed my skill base to grow.

Emerging artists need...
Emerging artists need space, time and support. Not only financial support but an environment within which they feel comfortable to create, with access to the resources that they need.

MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
These donations will go to funding the company's 2009 Season

Bambina Borracha Productions is seeking donations to fund its 2009 season.

Donations will go directly to helping truly promising artists realise their ideas in professional productions in live performance, visual and media arts.

Productions involve sets, costumes, equipment, research, airfares, accommodation, studio rental and much, much more. You can help Bambina Borracha Productions facilitate quality emerging arts by making a tax deductible donation either online or through the Australian Cultural Fund's website.

The ACF is free to use and the donation is paid to Bambina Borracha Productions in full as a grant.

Bambina Borracha Productions is a non-profit organisation.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Bambina Borracha Productions formed in August 2007 to produce works by exciting emerging artists across a variety of creative forms. Working with emerging artists, to enhance their knowledge and experience and create works of a professional standard is the key aim of the company.

The company’s premiere show Persephone’s Wolf debuted at the CarriageWorks Arts Centre in 2008 before touring to critical success at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. This show was a new Australian work combining theatre, live music, film and an accompanying cross-media installation created by local artists.

In total, Persephone’s Wolf involved over 30 emerging creators and was a sparkling incarnation of the company’s key aim – to propel exciting emerging artists into the professional arena.

Since then, Bambina Borracha Productions has put the call out to find emerging artists with great projects and skills to become a part of our 2009 Season. After an overwhelming response, the company has selected six works to develop and produce through a combination of production work and the Creative Development Program.

The company continues to work with emerging artists and provide them with infinite creative opportunities, be their interests in directing, writing, producing, performing or creating of any kind.

Bambina Borracha Productions’ regular cabaret night Moonshine Babaret continues to garner new audiences and offers emerging artists a great place to perform. Go to babaret.com for more information.

WHY CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT?

Bambina Borracha Productions thrives on the creativity and imagination of the many artists that it befriends. The Creative Development Program is the perfect opportunity for this group to find new inspiration and discover different directions for their beautiful ideas.

The flexibility of the program is designed to appeal to a wide variety of artists and the journey these ideas take is often surprising and always rewarding. Some Creative Development projects will build towards a fully fledged production while others will greatly enhance an artist’s experience and skillset. Providing a forum for new artists is an integral aspect of Bambina Borracha Productions’ aims. The program offers creative and business mentorship and partnership to this fresh talent. It recognises that in artistic endeavour the creation process is as crucial the final product.

The program was initiated in 2008 with Jesse Cox’s Darlington project. This very special Creative Development will continue in 2009 and will involve showcases and workshops open to the general public. Jesse Cox’s initial concepts for Darlington have been transformed into a performance through collaboration with writers Cait Harris and Zoe Norton Lodge. This team was guided by production coordinators Vanessa Hughes and Bryony Weiss.

Bambina Borracha Productions looks forward to a vibrant and eclectic Creative Development Program in 2009. Forging relationships between like-minded artists is important, and it’s also a lot of fun.