Festival Hub @ NAISDA Dance College, Mt Penang Parklands, NSW

Sun 8th - Sat 14th April 2012

AusdanceNSW would like to hear from youth companies, performance groups and schools interested in attending AYDF 2012.

Please email Ausdance NSW to express your interest and advise anticipated numbers:

e| projects@dance.net.au     or    p|  02 9256 4803

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for more information on NAISDA click here

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AusdanceNSW will present the 2012 Australian Youth Dance Festival, hosted at NAISDA, Australia’s national Indigenous dance training institution, situated at Mt Penang Parklands, near Gosford, NSW.  The Festival will be presented during the NSW Easter school holiday period from 8^th April to 14th April.

Please find below some information about the Australian Youth Dance Festival that should support your early planning. Please be aware that some details are still to be confirmed. The Festival Program will be launched on Sunday evening 6pm at NAISDA Dance College and conclude with an outdoor site specific dance performance in Mt Penang Gardens on Saturday the 14^th April followed by a closing function at dusk.  Festival programming and event information will be confirmed and communicated to the dance sector regularly leading up to the Australian Youth Dance Festival 2012 at www.ausdancensw.com.au or join us on FACEBOOK or TWITTER.

Festival Background

The Australian Youth Dance Festival is the nation’s first dance-specific festival for youth. There have been six Australian Youth Dance Festivals—held in Mandurah, WA (2009) Horsham, VIC (2006), Armidale, NSW (2004 and 2001), Townsville QLD (1999) and Darwin NT (1997). 

The Australian Youth Dance Festival program provides new opportunities for young people to have access to some of the finest dance experiences available in Australia. The Festival's emphasis is on creative development for all skill levels.   The Australian Youth Dance Festival travels between regional centres approximately every 2 years, the festival retains a core structure and purpose at each location, inherent in this is engagement with the local community that hosts the event.  The festival attracts approx 230 - 300 young people (15 - 26 yrs), from a variety of cultural and dance backgrounds.

The AYDF is unique in its structure, and the way in which it allows young people to engage in creative exchange with professional dancers and choreographers, and their peers.  The AYDF takes place in a supportive, non-competitive environment that encourages participation and learning.  The AYDF program includes dance classes in a wide variety of styles, forums, choreographic activities and performances led by significant Australian professional dance artists.  The program also includes opportunities for informal exchange, through the social program included within the Festival program.

Participants include pre-professional and emerging dance artists, youth dance company members, full time dance students and relative beginners in dance, as well as dance teachers, choreographers and Australia's youth dance leaders. The Australian Youth Dance Festival attracts quality tutors and performers from the Australian dance community.

The Australian Youth Dance Festival aims to:

• Focus on the dance culture of young people from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, particularly in regional Australia.
• Communicate cross-cultural issues.
• Employ young professional Australian artists to work with youth dance participants.
• Share information and a vision for dance and dance education.
• Provide networking opportunities for the youth dance community in Australia, UK, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
• Develop and refine youth dance policy for Ausdance, funding and education bodies and community arts networks.
• To energise, inspire and broaden the horizons of young dancers.
• To encourage young people to be active through dance and to promote the health benefits of such activity.
• To provide skills development for young people and the professional artists that work with them.
• To work with the local regional community so that the AYDF makes a lasting contribution to the lives of the young people living in the region. 
• Present a performance season that showcases the excellence and breadth of Australian youth dance practice.

Location

NAISDA dance studios are located in the beautiful Mt Penang Parklands, 10mins drive from central Gosford. Gosford is a rapidly expanding regional centre and is located 80km north of Sydney on the Central Coast of NSW. Current population is approximately 155,000 and it is the third largest urban centre after Sydney and Newcastle. Easily accessed with a short drive off the Newcastle-Sydney F3 freeway, or a centrally located train station, Gosford is the major commercial and administrative centre of the Central Coast.

Festival Participants

Festival participants need to be aged 15-26 years. Due to the nature of the event, it is expected that participants have dance experience. The Festival is not designed for beginners or very new dancers. The week is intensive and participants need to be able to cope with and complete all aspects of the program. It is expected that dance teachers/group leaders will ensure that only young people who meet these criteria are registered.

Registrations

The 2012 registration forms will be available to download at ausdancensw.com.au from late September 2011. Groups and individuals will need to complete and return the form with their Registration Fee. Groups will need to attach a list of participants with their form. Money to cover additional costs to Festival participants for things such as meals, tickets, airport transfers etc will not be requested until closer to the festival.  The Registration fee for youth participants is $270 per person. This registration fee does not attract GST. Adult registration fee to be advised once the Festival Program is confirmed. There will be a limit of 250 participants for the festival, so registrations will be accepted on a first come basis.

Evening Performance

A performance evening has been scheduled for performance groups on Wednesday 11^th April at the Laycock Street Theatre in Gosford.  The registration form for group performances will be distributed with the release of all registration information in late September 2011. Groups will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the Gosford evening performance and these and other ticketing options will be available in the registration packs sent to participants and group leaders once registrations are processed.

Accommodation

Central Coast Tourism will be assisting Ausdance NSW with accommodation enquiries. Budget accommodation and travel options will be released with the registration information late September 2012.  If you have any enquiries please email projects@dance.net.au with your groups numbers and configurations to assist us in providing discounted packaging options. Our festival project manager commences September 2nd 2011.

 
Transport

There will be a cost associated with transport between Sydney airport and Gosford. Transport from Gosford to Mt Penang Parklands will be provided by the event organisers throughout the Festival 8^th – 14^th April and inclusive in the registration fee for all participants.

Other Costs

Tickets for the Sydney performance season will be offered at a reduced cost for all registered participants; however the closing performance at Mt Penang Parklands will be free for participants. There may be an associated professional development program for teachers and industry forums alongside the youth program and these costs will be inclusive in the adult registration fee soon to be announced.

Membership

All participants must be Ausdance financial members. Speak to your local Ausdance office on how to apply:

• Ausdance ACT: 02 6247 9103
• Ausdance NSW: 02 9256 4800
• Ausdance Northern Territory: 08 8981 7002
• Ausdance Queensland: 07 3852 3655
• Ausdance South Australia: 08 8212 0825
• Ausdance Victoria: 03 9417 1200
• Ausdance WA: 08 9322 6101