Event Type: Salamanca Arts Curated

John McCormick

John McCormick is a technology based artist with a major interest in movement. John is a lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Transformative Media Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology where he investigates artistic practice in mixed reality environments, robotics, artificial intelligence and human movement. John has collaborated on works worldwide, including at ISEA, SIGGRAPH, Melbourne Festival, SIGGRAPH Asia, Ars Electronica Futurelab and Art Science Museum Singapore.

Adam Nash

Adam Nash is an artist, composer, programmer, performer and writer working in virtual environments and generative platforms. His work has been presented all over the world, including SIGGRAPH, ISEA, ZERO1SJ, the National Portrait Gallery and Venice Biennale. He is Associate Professor (Virtual Interior) in the Interior Design discipline, School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University. 

Alethea Coombe

A diverse musician, Alethea plays casually with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Van Diemen’s Band, has programmed multiple concerts at the Moonah Arts Centre (Hobart), and has featured as soloist with the Melbourne Metropolitan Sinfonietta premiering Michael Mathieson-Sandars’ violin concerto, Jongleur Histories, which was written for her. She collaborates with a number of sound artists and visual artists, exploring technology and improvisation. Their collaborative work has been featured at a number of Hobarts galleries and museums. She has been the recipient of a number of federal and state grants for development and residencies in Australia and abroad. Alethea has performed with internationally acclaimed ensembles ELISION, eighth blackbird and Ensemble Interface, and has performed at soundSCAPE (Italy), Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (Finland), the International Summer Course for New Music at Darmstadt (Germany) the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (Townsville), The

Unconformity (Queenstown), Dark Mofo (Hobart) and MONA FOMA (Hobart and Launceston).

Jem Nicholas
Jem Nicholas is a facilitator, actress and mover who has recently relocated to Hobart from Melbourne. She has a Bachelor of Performing Arts at Monash University, and has appeared several productions, including as Sylvia in Australian premier of ‘You are the Blood,’ by Ashley Rose Welman. Directed by Peter Blackburn, Carrie in ‘Rules for Living,’ Red Stitch Actors Theatre, directed by Kim Farrant, and Florence in ‘Dr Blake Murder Mysteries, Season 5,’ ABC, directed by Diana Read. She received critical acclaim for her work ‘Child’s Play,’ a one-woman show written and performed by Jem, directed by Jessica Stanley.  She has done further training with Peter Kalos – The Melbourne Actors Lab, Patsy Rodenburg – Voice Master Class, Carl Ford and Susan Batson at the Susan Batson Studio – New York, and is currently training in the Alexander Technique with Penny McDonald.

Tom Robb
Tom Robb is a Hobart-based freelance drummer, electronic musician and educator currently engaged in many musical projects, ranging from free improvisation, jazz, noise music, and music therapy. As a performer, Robb has been fortunate enough to work with some of the most accomplished musicians and ensembles in Australia, including Greg Kingston, John Hoffman, Tim Green, Rugcutters Quartet, Eugene Ball, Zac Hurren, and Scott Tinkler.  Robb’s recorded work has been released on Chemical Imbalance (SYD), Supersonic (BRIS) and Green Chimneys Records (BRIS), as well as being involved in numerous independent releases.

Lachlan Johnson | Cello

​Lachie is a Hobart-based cellist and teacher, performing regularly in a wide variety of local ensembles, including stints as principal cellist with the Hobart Chamber Orchestra, the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the Tasmanian Discovery Orchestra.  He undertook a Bachelor of Music studying under Markus Stocker at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, and continued studies with Sue-Ellen Paulsen at UTas, where he received the university medal in 2016.

Michael Fortescue | Double Bass
Michael’s early musical training was in Canberra, playing with Canberra Youth Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, and Australian Youth Orchestra. After a year with Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, he moved to Tasmania to study with Jan Sedivka at UTAS. He commenced work with TSO in 1976. He undertook studies in 1988-89 with Francois Rabbath at Conservatoire Lili et Nadia Boulanger Paris IX. He left TSO in 2013. He is former board member of TSO, deputy chair Music Fund of Australia Council, chair of Music Panel of TAAB, president of Hobart branch of Musicians Union and lecturer in double bass and improvised music at UTAS. Currently chair of Kickstart Arts and freelance specialist in whiskers and kicks.

Michael Mathieson-Sandars | Creative Consultant
Michael Mathieson-Sandars is a Hobart-based Australian composer. He is a co-founding member of new music ensemble Kupka’s Piano, alongside whom he has collaborated with Ensemble Interface (Germany), Makeshift Dance Collective (Brisbane) and received funding through Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts. He completed his Honours in Music at the University of Tasmania Conservatorium in 2016, and his Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium in 2013, studying with Gerado Dirie, Maria Grenfell and Don Kay. Michael has attended a number of international music festivals and conferences, including soundSCAPE (Italy – 2013) highSCORE (Italy – 2013) CoMA (UK – 2013) International Summer Course for New Music at Darmstadt (Germany 2014, 2016). For these courses he was awarded PPCA Performers Trust Award for overseas study (2016), Ian Potter Cultural Trust for overseas study (2014) and had lessons with Rebecca Saunders (Germany) Brian Fernyhough (US) Liza Lim (Aus/UK) Michael Finnissy (UK). Michael and Alethea have collaborated on new musical works since 2011; recent major works include “For Reza Berati” for violin, flute and dancer, as well as Jongleur Histories – a violin concerto commissioned by the Melbourne Metropolitan Sinfonietta.

Dummies Corp

Dummies Corp are the Australian circus-comedy specialists, recognised for creations of quality that are intelligent, theatrical, inventive and resonate across generations. Their productions transcend language barriers and their unique brand of dum and delightful has created treasured experiences for audiences across the globe.

Tash Parker
Tash Parker (PARKER)  is a multidisciplinary artist and musician born in Western Australia and raised on a tropical fruit farm in the North East Kimberley, now based in Launceston Tasmania.  Her music is a powerhouse of retro-futurist electronica that soars with glossy synths and commanding vocals.

Her artistic practice is centred around reactionary works in collaboration with musicians, visual artists and technology artists to curate multi-sensory experiences:

“I write about what is real and happening whether that be about my own relationships and experience in my body or an imagined reality of a space travelling future ancestor.” –PARKER

Briony Law
Briony Law is a visual artist currently based in Brisbane, Australia who works primarily with sculpture, moving image and installation. Her practice explores aspects of human ecology, urbanisation and the complex systems of mediation at play in parks, reserves and conservation areas. Her work observes social practices in these places and notions of nature connectedness
www.brionylaw.com

Gina Thorstensen
Gina Thorstensen is an artist, illustrator, animator based in Oslo, Norway. She holds a masters in VR filmmaking and has worked on award winning animated films and music videos (Gotye – Giving Me A Chance).  Gina has exhibited in Barcelona, Berlin & Copenhagen and has a strong practice in collaboration with fashion designers, musicians, artists and filmmakers.
www.ginathorstensen.com

Hans Van Vliet
Long time collaborator with Tash Parker, Hans Van Vliet is a live musician (Wafia, PARKER, Hunz & 7 Bit Hero) a music producer (PARKER, Hunz & 7bit Hero) and an animator/game designer based in Brisbane. He is the creator of 7bit Hero, an interactive live performance video game, the Creative Director for Kids psychology game, Rumbles Quest and Game Director for Children’s book app Kindergo.

Jacob Collings
Jacob is a Nipaluna based filmmaker who is driven by conveying the internal feelings of life and telling the stories of those around him. He has engaged in projects with National Geographic, ABC, Channel 7 and STAN, He got his start as a freelancer, working on music and Arts projects across Australia.

Jaymis Loveday 
Jaymis is a video director and creative technologist. He pushes the dimensions of video and live performances by mixing VR, robots, cameras, 3D printers, drones, music, electronics, computer gaming, programming, lighting, animation, and explosions.  He is a live VJ performer for bands 7bit Hero, Tim Shiel and Nonsemble, and the creator of Cinema Swarm: the Autonomous Subject Tracking Robotic Camera System.
www.jaymis.com

Lillian Bell
Lillian Bell is an offgrid artist based in regional Victoria.  Lillian uses drawing, sculpture, ceramics, light, found objects and stop motion animation to tell imagined histories of women.  She shines a light on possible hidden and untold stories buried by the patriarchy.

Ursula Woods
Ursula Woods is a filmmaker based in southern Tasmania. She is a current member of the Australian Directors Guild (ADG), Women in Film and Television (WIFT) and Wide Angle Tasmania. Ursula is best known for her short film Clockumentary, which was selected and shown at a variety of festivals including the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020 and Far South Film Festival 2021.
www.ursulawoods.com

Emma Anglesey
Emma’s songs have been playlisted by Double J and ABC Radio and used by Triple J to advertise Unearthed. Emma has performed at Woodford Folk Festival, A festival called Panama, Falls Festival, Party in the Paddock, Dark Mofo and Mona Foma, and toured with Guy Pearce, The Waifs and JUNO award winning Canadian band The East Pointers. In 2018 she showcased at Australia’s SXSW BIGSOUND.

Emi Doi
Emi Doi is a 23-year-old keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, currently creating and working in her hometown of nipaluna, Hobart. A local music enthusiast and current member of local indie-pop four-piece ‘ACRES’, she has performed across a range of venues and festivals throughout Tasmania, including the Falls Festival and Party in the Paddock, supporting the likes of the Rubens and the Creases. She has recently jumped on board as a keyboardist for Hobart-based artist CELESTE and Launceston-based artist PARKER.

Michelle Boyde – Costume Design
Michelle is a freelance Tasmanian designer working across costume, fashion, stage and film.   Her work has been commissioned by numerous high profile cultural organisations including Chunky Move Dance Co., Melbourne Fashion Week, Mona, Dark Mofo and Design Tasmania and her designs have graced the backs of a plethora of independent artists locally and abroad.
www.boyde.com.au

Allison Bell
Award winning Soprano Allison Bell is one of the leading and most exciting performers of 20th and 21st century music of her generation. Allison is also a celebrated voice teacher and peak performance coach, teaching both privately and within young artist programs and universities. Allison is a mentor and coach to the next generation of singing stars – from professional opera and classical singers to cross-over performers such as Kate Miller-Heidke, Allison’s students are leaders in their genres, internationally.
www.allisonbellsoprano.com

VR equipment provided by Soma Lumia
www.somalumia.art

Tash Parker (PARKER)  is a multidisciplinary artist and musician born in Western Australia and raised on a tropical fruit farm in the North East Kimberley, now based in Launceston Tasmania.  Her music is a powerhouse of retro-futurist electronica that soars with glossy synths and commanding vocals.

Her artistic practice is centred around reactionary works in collaboration with musicians, visual artists and technology artists to curate multi-sensory experiences:

“I write about what is real and happening whether that be about my own relationships and experience in my body or an imagined reality of a space travelling future ancestor.” –PARKER

Briony Law
Briony Law is a visual artist currently based in Brisbane, Australia who works primarily with sculpture, moving image and installation. Her practice explores aspects of human ecology, urbanisation and the complex systems of mediation at play in parks, reserves and conservation areas. Her work observes social practices in these places and notions of nature connectedness
www.brionylaw.com

Gina Thorstensen
Gina Thorstensen is an artist, illustrator, animator based in Oslo, Norway. She holds a masters in VR filmmaking and has worked on award winning animated films and music videos (Gotye – Giving Me A Chance).  Gina has exhibited in Barcelona, Berlin & Copenhagen and has a strong practice in collaboration with fashion designers, musicians, artists and filmmakers.
www.ginathorstensen.com

Hans Van Vliet
Long time collaborator with Tash Parker, Hans Van Vliet is a live musician (Wafia, PARKER, Hunz & 7 Bit Hero) a music producer (PARKER, Hunz & 7bit Hero) and an animator/game designer based in Brisbane. He is the creator of 7bit Hero, an interactive live performance video game, the Creative Director for Kids psychology game, Rumbles Quest and Game Director for Children’s book app Kindergo.

Jacob Collings
Jacob is a nipaluna based filmmaker who is driven by conveying the internal feelings of life and telling the stories of those around him. He has engaged in projects with National Geographic, ABC, Channel 7 and STAN, He got his start as a freelancer, working on music and Arts projects across Australia.

Jaymis Loveday 
Jaymis is a video director and creative technologist. He pushes the dimensions of video and live performances by mixing VR, robots, cameras, 3D printers, drones, music, electronics, computer gaming, programming, lighting, animation, and explosions.  He is a live VJ performer for bands 7bit Hero, Tim Shiel and Nonsemble, and the creator of Cinema Swarm: the Autonomous Subject Tracking Robotic Camera System.
www.jaymis.com

Lillian Bell
Lillian Bell is an offgrid artist based in regional Victoria.  Lillian uses drawing, sculpture, ceramics, light, found objects and stop motion animation to tell imagined histories of women.  She shines a light on possible hidden and untold stories buried by the patriarchy.

Ursula Woods
Ursula Woods is a filmmaker based in southern Tasmania. She is a current member of the Australian Directors Guild (ADG), Women in Film and Television (WIFT) and Wide Angle Tasmania. Ursula is best known for her short film Clockumentary, which was selected and shown at a variety of festivals including the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020 and Far South Film Festival 2021.
www.ursulawoods.com

Emma Anglesey
Emma’s songs have been playlisted by Double J and ABC Radio and used by Triple J to advertise Unearthed. Emma has performed at Woodford Folk Festival, A festival called Panama, Falls Festival, Party in the Paddock, Dark Mofo and Mona Foma, and toured with Guy Pearce, The Waifs and JUNO award winning Canadian band The East Pointers. In 2018 she showcased at Australia’s SXSW BIGSOUND.

Emi Doi
Emi Doi is a 23-year-old keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, currently creating and working in her hometown of nipaluna, Hobart. A local music enthusiast and current member of local indie-pop four-piece ‘ACRES’, she has performed across a range of venues and festivals throughout Tasmania, including the Falls Festival and Party in the Paddock, supporting the likes of the Rubens and the Creases. She has recently jumped on board as a keyboardist for Hobart-based artist CELESTE and Launceston-based artist PARKER.

Michelle Boyde – Costume Design
Michelle is a freelance Tasmanian designer working across costume, fashion, stage and film.   Her work has been commissioned by numerous high profile cultural organisations including Chunky Move Dance Co., Melbourne Fashion Week, Mona, Dark Mofo and Design Tasmania and her designs have graced the backs of a plethora of independent artists locally and abroad.
www.boyde.com.au

Allison Bell
Award winning Soprano Allison Bell is one of the leading and most exciting performers of 20th and 21st century music of her generation. Allison is also a celebrated voice teacher and peak performance coach, teaching both privately and within young artist programs and universities. Allison is a mentor and coach to the next generation of singing stars – from professional opera and classical singers to cross-over performers such as Kate Miller-Heidke, Allison’s students are leaders in their genres, internationally.
www.allisonbellsoprano.com

VR equipment provided by Soma Lumia
www.somalumia.art

King B-Fine 

Afrikaya’s unique & lively Rastafarian front man. King lives by the Rastafarian philosophy & the tradition of honouring that everyone is born royal. Originally from war torn Sierra Leone, King B-Fine now calls Australia home and resides in West Hobart with his Tasmanian wife & young family. King B-Fine’s passion for performing started early, his musical influences include the legends of reggae & afro beat such as Marley, Tosh & Fela Kuti. King’s musical achievements are impressive, as is his list of musical awards. He has toured Europe, shared the stage with international reggae musicians, headlined an Australian music festival in Qld and was an Australia Day Award Finalist in Sydney.

What is equally impressive is that King composes and produces his own music under his labels, Fine Records & Royal Movement Records. He has released numerous albums and singles with accompanying music videos.

Quin Thomson and David Malone

 Members of the early and modern music group Sequenza, and have come together for a duo concert to explore some of the rich repertoire of music for voice and guitar. It is an alluring combination; a pairing that is centuries old and perfectly matched today. Quin and David will bring together seguidillas from Spain by Fernando Sor, lieder by Brahms, and music from South America by Villa-Lobos and Jorge Morel. A highlight of this concert will be the premiere of a new work by Maria Grenfell who has been commissioned to compose a piece for voice and guitar to celebrate Gustav Weindorfer, whose vision established the Cradle Mountain wilderness area as a national park.

Peter Tanfield 

Born in England in 1961 and started the violin aged four. He studied in Germany, Israel, Switzerland and Holland where his teachers were Igor Ozim, Felix Andrievski, Alberto Lysy, Herman Krebbers and Yehudi Menuhin. He was a prize-winner at The Carl Flesch International Competition, International Mozart Competition, International Bach Competition amongst others. As soloist and chamber musician he has played throughout Europe, China, Japan, India, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, USA, and USSR. He has recorded numerous solo and chamber works for television and radio as well as CD. He has played for Chairman Deng in China and the Sultan of Oman. As soloist he has appeared with many major orchestras; the Philharmonia, City of London Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, West German Radio Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra of the RAI in Rome. As concertmaster, he has had extensive experience working with BBC Philharmonic, RSO RAI Roma, West German Radio Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Martin Penicka 

TitleMartin Penicka studied with Lois Simpson and Julian Smiles at the Australian Institute of Music. He graduated in 2002 with the degree of Bachelor of Music (Performance) with first class honours. During his studies, he played in many chamber ensembles, most notably with the award-winning Con Brio Trio. In 1999 Martin took part in a tour to the USA organised by the Performing Arts Unit to complement the Art Express exhibition in the Corcoran Gallery, Washington DC. A solo artist in the Symphony Australia Conducting Program in 2001, Martin has been a casual member of the Sydney, Melbourne and WA Symphony Orchestras. He was a semi-finalist in the 2004 Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards and the 2MBS FM Young Performers Award. Martin has been an ANAM Academy Musician at the Australian National Academy of Music. In 2006 and 2007 he was involved in the Sydney Symphony fellowship program. Martin joined the TSO in August 2008 and regularly plays in chamber music ensembles around Tasmania including the newly formed baroque ensemble Van Diemen’s Band. He has appeared on several ABC classic FM Sunday Live Broadcasts.

Rachel Meyers & Dave McNamara

Rachel Meyers and Dave McNamara have been playing klezmer music for more than 20 years. Rachel’s violin playing draws out unimaginable emotion from this music of the Jewish people of Eastern Europe. Ably supported by Dave, on accordion, Rachel will be taking the audience on a journey through klezmer dances and songs, with and without words.

Alf Jackson

Is a musician from Hobart, who began his studies in percussion at the age of ten. At the age of 12 Alf gained third place in Drumtek Australia’s Best Up & Coming Junior Drummer Competition. Since then Alf’s drumming has resulted in collaborations with Julius Schwing, Branford Marsalis, Tom Vincent, Brian Ritchie, Peter Knight (Australian Art Orchestra), Paul Capsis, Ava Mendoza, Sam Anning and Julien Wilson – to name but a few. These engagements have varied from album recordings to national & international tours and to television & radio appearances. In 2010 Alf was awarded first place in Young Jazz Players Competition at the Clarence Jazz Festival. Other festivals performances include MONA FOMA, Dark MOFO, Devonport Jazz Festival, Ten Days on the Island, Festival of Voices, Mornington Peninsular Music Festival and Falls Festival. In 2020 Alf was accepted into BANFF contemporary music intensive with a full scholarship which was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Jake Walker

Jake Walker was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 2000. His practice is inextricably linked to the natural and cultural landscapes of New Zealand. Walker admits that as a child he ‘didn’t really know there were too many other kinds of painting’ aside from landscapes. His works are constantly shifting and revisited after some time, with chance and instinct at the core of his working practice. Sometimes this results in works of ‘weightlessness of accident and incident.’ Exploring themes of modernist architecture and abstract perspectives, Walker’s free and loose sense of play embraces material forms. Walker sees paintings as objects, not flat two-dimensional images. This openness to experimental processes has led to a series of works using clay- painterly forms and stoneware frames that lead from one thing, to another.

He is represented by Station (Melbourne), Gallery 9 (Sydney), Hamish McKay Gallery (Wellington NZ), Ivan Anthony (Auckland) and Dutton (NYC).