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Punctum is a live art organisation based in central Victoria, Australia.
Established in August 2004, Punctum produces and creates small to large-scale performances and installations.
Punctum has an Artistic Director, currently its founder Jude Anderson and two coordinators, Emilie Collyer based in Melbourne and Bec Anderson based in Castlemaine, and a core group of 10 members – all practising arts professionals with national and international profiles working in a diverse range of art forms, from theatre to sound art, installations, dance, new media, experimental film, contemporary poetry and spoken word, sculpture, and exhibition design.
Each artist of Punctum creates works of art that continually push the boundaries and conventions of performance and installation.
Our work has a national profile for its contemporary themes, the strength and diversity of artists involved and unconventional, innovative exchanges with audiences, which often occur in the least expected places.
Punctum also manages an “arts incubator” – a place where artists working with contemporary forms can research, practise, and build works.
Punctum (pronounced pounctoum) rejoices in punctuating the cultural landscape.
Jude Anderson, Peter Anderson, Megan Beckwith, Emilie Collyer, Grant Davis, Rebecca Anderson, Paul Fletcher, Peter Freund, Penny Larkins, Jacques Soddell
Since 1994 Jude has directed over 30 productions and installations, many of which have been created and produced in Europe. Productions she has directed and co-directed have been produced by some of Europe’s major international festivals including Avignon in France, Nyon in Switzerland and Charleroi in Belgium. Since returning to Australia in 2001 she has had performance work commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Gasworks Arts Park and the City of Greater Bendigo and has produced and directed four major works - Golden Square, The Gas Connection, ‘SHED – The Morris Shed Collection’ and SHACK (endangered species), which received significant grant support through the Victorian and Federal Government arts grants programmes.
Peter Anderson is an independent writer, curator and arts researcher. He has been actively involved in writing and the visual arts since the late 1970s, publishing poetry, short fiction, art criticism, essays and cultural journalism for Australian arts publications, general magazines, and newspapers. He has worked as a consultant to artists, arts organisations, regional communities, and government agencies, working on projects ranging from policy research to conference co-ordination and strategic planning.
Since 2001 Megan Beckwith has developed several works for both the Melbourne Festival and Melbourne Fringe festival and is an integral member of two Central Victorian contemporary arts organisations – Punctum and Fourcast. Megan has choreographed and performed in 6 Punctum works since 2003, performed in the Castlemaine State Festival 2005/07, and is a freelance 3D digital animator whose work is now being commissioned nationally. Megan is currently teaching VCE and VET dance at Bendigo Senior Secondary School whilst developing a contemporary dance company in Central Victoria. Megan received her Masters from the Victorian College of the Arts in early 2005 and Punctum was proud to produced her thesis choreography for Commonwealth Games Festival in 2006. Megan is also a founding member of Punctum.
Emilie writes plays, performance text, poetry, fiction and is an actor and improvisor. Award winning plays include Argonauta (Young Playwright’s Award) and Promise (George Fairfax Award). She has been published in Torpedo, Voiceworks, The Australian Book Review, Viewpoint and with Binara Publishing. She has been affiliated with and produced by ABC Radio National, La Mama, Melbourne Theatre Company, Playbox, The Victorian Arts Centre and St Martins among others. You can visit her online at www.betweenthecracks.net.
Emilie is a founding member and board member of Punctum. She has co-written works with Jude Anderson since 2001. In 2009 she is the Project Coordinator for In Habit.
Prior to his move to regional Victoria in 2005, Grant was Technical Director for the Melbourne Arts Centre and Myer Music Bowl. He was Technical Director for the Cultural Centre at the National University of Singapore and for Anthill Theatre in the 1980’s. Grant was touring Technical Manager and lighting designer for Punctum’s SHACK (endangered species) and designed the lighting for the SHED (The Morris Shed Collection) tour. His innovative lighting design for SHACK was the subject of a recent industry publication - CX. Grant is currently a part time technical director at Girton College in Bendigo and is technical director and lights designer with Punctum since 2005.
Prior to becoming the Program Co-ordinator for Puctum Rebecca Anderson was employed as the Production Administrator at Chunky Move Dance Company. Rebecca has also been a Production Co-ordinator for numerous Adelaide Festivals and Come Out Youth Arts Festivals. Rebecca has also worked extensively in Stage Management for such companies as Company B Belvoir, Circus Oz, DV8 Physical Theatre, Performing Lines, Erth, Womadelaide, State Theatre Company of SA , Windmill and The State Opera of South Australia among others. Rebecca has been fortunate enough to tour extensively both nationally and internationally and is excited to lay her hat in Regional Victoria.
Paul is currently undertaking his Masters in Animated Film Research whilst teaching part time in the VCAs Film and Television Animation Department. He has his own production company, Digital Compost, and has produced and created films for local and international short film festivals. Paul’s early animation work was included in the NGV Popism exhibition in 1981. In May 2005 he received an award for his film Lake Qualm in the Darwin International film festival. Paul designed and created films for works for The Gas Connection, SHED and SHACK. Paul also regularly contributes audiovisual work to the Undue Noise performances, gallery exhibitions and artist in schools projects.
Peter is currently Marketing and Publicity Manager with the City of Ballarat. His role is attached to the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery and the Eureka Centre.
After Peter graduated from the V.C.A. drama school he acted with the innovative Melbourne theatre company Whistling in the Theatre, and in the occasional M.T.C. production. Since moving to Ballarat 15 years ago, Peter has had many works commissioned as a local writer and actor, particularly where historical context and events are explored and presented.
Peter is a founding executive committee member of Punctum and has been its Manager since 2005.
Penny graduated with Bachelor of Arts (musical theatre) from W.A.A.P.A. in 1998 and has a graduate diploma of Education from R.M.I.T. (2001). Penny has worked with Oz Opera, Dainty Consolidated Entertainment, Ben Gannon, and has studied with Kavisha Mazzella and Felicity Richardson in Italy.
Penny taught VCE Drama, English, and Theatre Studies at Bendigo Senior Secondary School between 2004/06 and devised and performed 2 works with Punctum in 2006/07. She has coordinated several regional music events and productions and joined the Punctum’s core committee in April 2007.
Jacques has been composing soundscapes and ‘experimental’ music for the past 25 years. He is presenter of Australia’s longest running radio programme of experimental music, Possible Musics that he instigated in 1983. Jacques is the founder of Undue Noise and informal collective of experimental/electronic musicians that present monthly concerts featuring musicians from local, national and international arenas. In 2003 he established a label for Australian sound art Cajid Media. Jacques lives in regional Victoria and has collaborated with Jude Anderson since 2001.
Vanessa Walker: Project Manager
Ian Scott: Actor
Paul Lum: Actor
Trevor Nesbitt: Actor
Michael Jewell: Actor
Chris Harris: Installation and Lighting Designer
Tammy McCarthy: Actor
Julie Millowick: Photographer
Jared Lewis: Sound Designer & Technician
Alison McNicol: Installation Designer
Keith Wiltshire: Sculptor
Myles Walsh: Actor
Carl Panuzzo: Musician /Singer
Damask Leary: Actor
Tara Gilbee: Artist
Workspace Castlemaine
Arts Victoria
Regional Arts Victoria
Australia Council for the Arts
The Capital - Bendigo's Preforming Arts Centre
Abbotsford Convent
Australian Latin American Foundation
Sutton Grange Winery
Trouble Magazine
Mount Alexander Shire
City of Greater Bendigo
City of Yarra