Punctum Artists

PUNCTUM

Punctum is a live arts 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 a core group of 9 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 with Punctum is involved in creating works where the conventions of performance and installations are investigated.

Our work has a national profile for its contemporary themes, the strength and diversity of artistic input, and unconventional, innovative exchange with audiences.

It is often placed where people least expect to find it.

Punctum also manages an “arts incubator” – : a place where artists working with contemporary form can research, practise, and build works.

Punctum (pronounced pounctoum) rejoices in punctuating the cultural landscape.

Biog Print Versions || Punctum Home |

Jude Anderson, Megan Beckwith,Emilie Collyer, Grant Davis, Paul Fletcher, Peter Freund, Penny Larkins, Jacques Soddell, Helena Read , Associates.

Jude Anderson : Artistic Director – Punctum Inc.

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.

Jacques Soddell : Sound Designer

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.

Emilie Collyer : Writer

In 1997, Emilie won a Playworks Award for female writers, and the Young Playwrights Award for her play Argonauta. In 2001 her play Promise won the George Fairfax playwriting Award and was staged at the Castlemaine State Festival. She has since received numerous grants and commissions and been affiliated with Playbox, Belvoir St., Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Writers Theatre and St. Matins. In 2005 she was engaged by the Arts Centre as part of their outreach programme linked to Melbourne schools and institutions.

Emilie has co – written works with Jude Anderson since 2001.

Helena Read : Production Assistant

For the past 20 years Helena has worked in cross art form productions that draw on her experience in industrial art., She co-ordinated construction, rigging, lighting and pyrotechnics for productions in England, France and Russia prior to her move to regional Victoria in 1996.

Helena has been a member of Punctum and its production and technical team since 2005.

Grant Davis: Technical Director and Lights Designer

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.

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Megan Beckwith : Choreographer/3D digital animator

Megan received her Masters from the Victorian College of the Arts in early 2005.

Since 2001 she 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 5 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. Punctum produced Megan’s Masters thesis choreography for Commonwealth Games Festival in 2006 and she is a founding member of Punctum.

Penny Larkins : Actor/singer

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.

Peter Freund: Manager

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 most 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.

Paul Fletcher : Film Designer

Paul is currently undertaking his Masters in Animated Film Research whilst teaching part time in the V.C.A.’s Film and Television Animation Department. He has his own production company,Digital Compost, and has produced and created films for local and internatonal short film festivals. Pauls' early animated film work was included in the NGV Popism exhibitionin 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 Undue Noise performances , gallery exhibitions and artist in schools projects.

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Associates.

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

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