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Wellington scores a major coup in its drive to attract leading arts events Wellington Shire Council has helped score a major success in the area’s drive to be one of Victoria’s top tour venues for leading arts acts, as Sale is picked to host Le Bal Moderne as part of the 2003 Melbourne Festival. By Wellington Shire Council - 2nd June 2003 - Back to News The announcement by Regional Arts Victoria bears testimony to the strong joint bid to host the event, submitted by the Shire’s Esso BHP Billiton Wellington Entertainment Centre, Gippsland Regional Arts – Sale, Gippsland Centre Sale and arts community groups. This bid stressed how such a high profile event would stimulate greater local community awareness of the arts and participation in arts-related activities.
Coming just weeks before a festival in November to mark the official opening of the $5.9 million Esso BHP Billiton Entertainment Centre, La Bal Moderne is an example of the sort of high quality acts the community can expect from this major new regional arts venue.
The act, which is essentially a contemporary ball with a high community participation element, has already taken Europe by storm. It comes to the Sale Memorial Hall on 17 October, one of just four tour stops in regional Victoria, before concluding at the Royal Exhibition Building in the state capital itself as part of the grand finale for the Melbourne Festival.
Over the coming weeks budding local dancers will be recruited by Le Bal Moderne to work with some of Australia’s leading contemporary dance choreographers on the development of three contemporary pieces. These will be showcased to the Sale audience, who will all be encouraged to participate and learn the steps in a fun evening of dance. Everyone, whatever their age or ability is encouraged to take part.
The pieces will take centre stage again in Melbourne itself.
Said Wellington’s acting Mayor Lorraine MacGillvray: "It’s a real coup for Wellington to be hosting a Melbourne Festival event and it owes much to the hard work of all those involved in pulling the successful bid together. The timing of the event couldn’t be better, coming in the lead up to the opening of the community’s new entertainment centre, Gippsland’s new focal point for the performing arts."
Staying with the arts, Jim Pennell, a Sale retailer and leading figure with Gippsland Regional Arts – Sale, has scooped an award from Regional Arts Victoria for his contribution to the Wellington community in the field of arts and culture.
Cr MacGillivray said: "This is a great reward for all the work Jim has been doing in Wellington, not least in helping the Shire, along with many others, to realise its dream for the entertainment centre itself."
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com

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