Classical culture of Brisbane

The classical culture of Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland, is relatively small for a city hovering around two million, though remarkably innovative, compared to cities of a similar size. It continues to exist in spite of a predominantly sporting culture. It has always been firmly centred in both theatre and music, as well as a strong cultural identity in art, sculpture, literature and poetry. Actors who began their careers in Brisbane include Geoffrey Rush, Sigrid Thornton, Diane Cilento, Judith McGrath, Carol Burns, Penny Downie, Kate Wilson, Bille Brown (who has a studio named after him at the home of the Queensland Theatre Company) and many others. Most have had to leave Brisbane due to limited professional opportunities. Queensland University of Technology and the University of Southern Queensland (based in Toowoomba) offer professional acting courses. A great debt is owed to those who through their sheer hard work and determination struggled to establish an artistic presence in Brisbane. Names such as Rhoda Felgate, Babette Stephens, Jean Trundell, Joan Whalley, Alan Edwards (theatre) and Harold Collins (dance) should never be forgotten. Brisbane owes such people a great debt of gratitude.

Queensland Cultural Centre

* The Queensland Cultural Centre is located at South Bank, within the suburb of South Brisbane. The Queensland Cultural Centre contains the Queensland Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, the State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

Queensland Museum

* The Queensland Museum was established in 1862, and has had many homes, including The Windmill (1862-1869) — Parliament House (1869-1873) — General Post Office (1873-1879) — followed by being based at a building on William Street, which was later home to John Oxley State Library (1879-1899) — the Exhibition Hall, now called the Old Museum (1899-1986) — the Museum Building in the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank (1986-present).

Queensland Art Gallery

* The Queensland Art Gallery (formerly Queensland National Art Gallery, and home to the Asia Pacific Triennial), which was established in 1895, has a small European Art collection (including Pablo Picasso's famous 'La Belle Hollandaise') and a good representative Australian and Aboriginal art collection. It is located in front of the Queensland Museum. The Queensland Art Gallery has also had many homes. For many years it was located in the Old Museum Building on Bowen Bridge Road before locating temporarily to the 5th floor of the then MIM Building in Anne Street before finally moving to its present location at the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank during 1982. The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art has been built near the William Jolly Bridge, and opened in December 2006. The universities based in Brisbane also contain art galleries. The University of Queensland has a purpose built gallery on its St.Lucia campus. The Queensland College of Art (a part of Griffith University), is based on the former Expo 88 site at South Bank, and the QUT Art Museum (a part of the Queensland University of Technology) is based at the QUT Gardens Point campus.

tate Library of Queensland

* The State Library of Queensland (originally called the Public Library of Queensland), was established in 1896. The library (later renamed the State Library of Queensland in 1902), had many homes, including occupying the building in William Street 1899-1988 — following which the State Library moved to its present location near the Queensland Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery, as part of the Queensland Cultural Centre. The State Library has recently been greatly enlarged and reopened in December 2006.

Queensland Performing Arts Centre

* The Queensland Performing Arts Centre is also located at South Bank. It is also part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and contains Brisbane’s main theatres (Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall, Cremorne Theatre, and the Playhouse). The Australian Ballet and other touring companies visit Brisbane each year. Large scale visiting musicals make up the majority of offerings at the Lyric Theatre.

Before the Queensland Performing Arts Centre was built, major performing arts theatres included Her Majesty's Theatre in Queen Street, which was demolished. It was replaced by a modern building without a theatre. Artists such as Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Robert Helpmann and Dame Nellie Melba and numerous other famous international and Australian performances had graced the stage. The Suncorp Theatre (originally called the SGIO Theatre), a purpose built drama theatre for the Queensland Theatre Company, was also demolished in 2007. Brisbane has a long history of demolishing theatres. The historic Regent Theatre in Queen Street was also demolished. All that now remains of this once great lady is the foyer. It is now a cinema complex. The purpose built Twelfth Night Theatre building still survives at Bowen Hills.

Other theatres and venues

Brisbane also held Expo '88 at South Bank, from April-October, 1988, on land adjacent to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Many of the sculptures commissioned for the Expo remain around parts of the city, including at King George Square. The Expo site was converted into the South Bank Parklands following Expo 88 .

outh Bank Parklands theatre venues

The Queensland Conservatorium and Queensland College of Art (both of which are part of Griffith University) were subsequently built within the South Bank Parklands, along with many other buildings, including the rarely used Suncorp Piazza.

Other city and suburban theatre venues

Other theatres located in Brisbane include the Brisbane Arts Theatre, Twelfth Night Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Metro Arts Theatre and the Brisbane Powerhouse. There are also several theatres located at the universities, including the QUT Gardens Theatre & the QUT Creative Industries Precinct (both of which are at the Queensland University of Technology), and Cement Box Theatre & Schonell Theatre (both of which are at the University of Queensland), and also the outdoor Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre. There are two professional theatre companies in Brisbane. Queensland Theatre Company provides most of the offerings.

Professional Performing Arts companies

Brisbane has a small number of professional performing arts companies. These include: Queensland Theatre Company, The Queensland Orchestra, Grin and Tonic Theatre Company, Operatif!, LaBoite Theatre Company, Opera Queensland, Queensland Ballet and Expressions Dance Company.

Amateur and University performing arts groups

Most cultural organisations in Brisbane run on an amateur or university basis. There are also many community choirs and bands including the Imogen Children's Chorale, Queensland Philharmonic Chorale, the Brisbane Chorale, the Queensland University Musical Society (QUMS),the Queensland Choir.Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Queensland University Musical Society (QUMS), CIP, Queensland Musical Society, Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Wind and Brass, St Lucia Orchestra, Brisbane Symphonic Band, Brisbane Municipal Concert Band, Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band, Queensland Youth Orchestras, Brisbane Regional Youth Orchestra, Queensland Wind Orchestra, Centenary Theatre Group, Villanova Players, Ignatians Musical Society, Queensland Musical Theatre, Savoyards Musical Comedy Society and Springboard Theatre Company. The Brisbane Musical Theatre Competition, which was founded in 1997, showcases and promotes local talent The Queensland Pops Orchestra make a positive contribution.

"To visit the websites of the above performing arts companies, please check the 'External links' section below"

City Public sculptures

Brisbane has a range of public sculptures ranging from the large impressive statue of Queen Victoria in front of the Old Executive building to the more innovative "City Roos" sculptures made by sculptor Christopher Trotter, during 1999 from scrapmetal from a broad cross-section of industries. Each of the City Roos sculptures is unique. The "City Roos" sculptures take a look at the creative and classic Australian culture of 'making do', and symbolizes the importance of sharing space and communication. The City Roos, which have proven to be a popular tourist attraction, are in not far from the Law Courts Complex, in George Street, Brisbane. Also close by are the Brisbane City Hall and King George Square with its impressive sculpture of King George V and a special sculptural grouping paying tribute to Queensland's early pioneers.

* Kangaroos, on which the city roos sculptures are based, are among Australia's best known wildlife icons.

Some time during late December 2005, the upper half of the city roos sculpture closest to the traffic sign near the edge of the footpath (which is shown in the 'upper left' image) was broken off by vandals or thieves, or it might have perhaps been accidentally destroyed by being run over by a car because of the sculpture's close proximity to the edge of the footpath — and hence close to the road and traffic.

The destroyed sculpture was removed following the damage to it, and it has now been replaced by another unique City Roo sculpture (which is shown in the two 'lower' images).

Notable Brisbane people

Writers

Brisbane has produced a number of significant Australian authors, among them: Thea Astley, David Malouf, Nick Earls, Hugh Lunn, Kath Walker, Jill Morris, Jill Shearer and Judith Wright.

culptors, artists and photographers

There are also notable Brisbane-born people in the creative arts (sculpture, painting and photography), including: Daphne Mayo (sculptor of the Pediment above the entrance to the King George Square entrance to Brisbane City Hall), Leonard and Kathleen Schillam, Vida Lahey, Melville Haysom and more recently Christopher Trotter (sculptor of the Brisbane City Roos — Kangaroo sculptures in George Street), as well as Mina Young (painter and photographer). Numerous others have made major contributions.

tage and screen

Brisbane is also the birthplace of many well-known and famous actors and actresses, and other stage and film personnel, including: Ray Barrett (actor), Diane Cilento (actress), Barry Creyton (actor), Clarence Evans (playwright/producer), Janet Fielding (actress), Elise Goodrich (performance artist), Barry Otto (actor), Miranda Otto (actress), Bruce Redman (film producer), John Stanton (actor), Leonard Teale (actor), Rowena Wallace (actress) and Geraldine Turner (actress).

ingers, dancers and musicians

Brisbane is also the birthplace of internationally acclaimed opera singers, including: Jason Barry-Smith (opera singer), Jeffrey Black (opera singer), Diana Doherty (classical musician), Lisa Gasteen (opera singer and winner of Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1991), Donald Shanks (opera singer), Judi Connelli (singer and actress), Christopher Wrench (organist), Garth Welch (principal dancer) and Rebecca Yates (ballerina). It is the home of New Zealand-born Stewart Cameron (opera singer)and Melbourne-born Jennifer Parish (opera singer),from Operatif!, and composers including Gerard Brophy, Robert Davidson, Liza Lim and Stephen Leek.

External links

* [http://www.operaqueensland.com.au Opera Queensland] ,
* [http://www.popsorchestra.com.au Queensland Pops Orchestra]
* [http://www.brisbanephil.org.au Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra]
* [http://www.operatif.com.au Operatif!]
* [http://www.qwab.com.au Queensland Wind and Brass Orchestra]
* [http://www.slo.org.au St Lucia Orchestra]
* [http://www.brisbanesymphonicband.com Brisbane Symphonic Band]
* [http://www.bcmc.org.au Brisbane Municipal Concert Band]
* [http://www.brisbane-xlcr.com Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band]
* [http://www.imogen.com.au Imogen Children's Chorale]
* [http://www.imogen.com.au Queensland Philharmonic Chorale]
* [http://www.qums.aicsa.org.au/ Queensland University Musical Society] - (QUMS)
* [http://www.qsmc.com.au Queensland Choir]
* [http://www.bmtc.org.au Brisbane Musical Theatre Competition]
* [http://www.ignatians.com.au Ignatians Musical Society]
* [http://www.savoyards.com.au Savoyards Musical Comedy Society]
* [http://www.operatif.com.au/jennifer.htm Jennifer Parish]
* [http://www.operatif.com.au/stewartcameron Stewart Cameron]