Profile
| Profile |
Establishment Initially established by founder and CEO Peter Mousaferiadis as the educational arm of PAN Event Entertainment, Cultural Infusion has delivered quality, culturally diverse school and community based arts and education programs in Victoria since 2003. In July 2005, Cultural Infusion Ltd became a not-for-profit organisation. Today Cultural Infusion operates as a national organisation. It is governed by a Board of Directors with considerable experience in culturally diverse programming and curriculum development in the arts and education sectors. Cultural Infusion also draws on advice from experienced educators and arts consultants and has 18 full and part-time contracted administrative staff with a wide range of arts qualifications and experience. Cultural Infusion operates within a hybrid organisational structure with the PAN Orama Group of Companies. Both entities draw upon the strength of each other through cross sector partnerships and assist to achieve social goals within the framework of a strong business model. Cultural Infusion relationship with PAN has allowed for sources of capital as well as assistance in the areas of administration, ICT support, financial & business management, shared human resources, production and marketing expertise for Cultural Infusion. The relationship between Cultural Infusion and PAN is one of interdependence rather than dependence. Cultural Infusion reaches a national audience of more than 300,000 annually through a diverse range of co-ordinated programs including: school incursions, touring artists, workshops, youth and concert programs. In 2006 Cultural Infusion was awarded funding by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for two programs under the Strategic Partnerships Program (SPP) for the triennium 2006-2008. It was also appointed as the SPP Performing Arts & Media Network Convener. Cultural Infusion has been awarded a second triennium of funding (2009-2011). The Cultural Infusion Schools Program is valued by teachers as both highly educational and creatively stimulating, comprising authentic performances with interesting narrative and scope for interaction and participation by students of all ages. Cultural Infusion’s artists are from diverse cultural backgrounds and are skilled in various creative disciplines such as dance, music, drama, visual arts, storytelling and new media.In collaboration with teachers, the program enriches and extends school-based curriculum through personal experience and access to informative presentations and stimulus activities. The program has a range of format options that can be tailored to suit individual school requirements. Cultural Infusion is actively engaged in dialogues regarding culture and the arts - hosting a pre-2020 summit in March entitled “Cultural Diversity in Australia: to 2020 and Beyond”. More than 30 leading thinkers attended, the results of the forum were reported in a paper delivered to the respective 2020 committee outlining recommendations. Cultural Infusion is also an active producer of new performances and regularly produces projects that excel in regards to artistic and cultural content. Cultural Infusion collaborates with artists and other arts professionals to regularly produce events such as the City of Yarra’s Fairfield Amphitheatre Summer Concert Series (2006-2008); Fed Square: Freestyle @ Fed Square (since 2006); ZULU SUPA JAM TOUR: Celebrating 32 years of Hip Hop culture; 2007 Victorian National Youth Week Launch; WA ‘Freestyle’ Hip Hop Festival and the official closing party of National Youth Week. In 2008 Cultural Infusion received funding from Playing Australia to produce a new show to tour- INDO Bboy Fusion – this innovative production which fuses hip hop dance with the traditions of Balinese masked dance and storytelling is currently touring nationally. Cultural Infusion is constantly nurturing new artists on their journey to professional practice by opening up the arts and cultural industries as an exciting possibility for young people both as a potential profession and an important part of their educational and personal development. Cultural Infusion Schools’ Program The Cultural Infusion Schools’ Program is a multi-disciplinary incursion program specifically designed for Australian schools. This program incorporates arts and cultural presenters from diverse cultures and backgrounds presenting an array of interactive and engaging performance-workshops to enhance the school curriculum. All Day programs & half day programs, including the Multicultural All Day Program National/Regional Tours School Incursions (50-mins) The Multicultural-All-Day program (MCAD) is a unique program designed to teach about a number of different cultures through an entire school-day of multicultural performances. Schools select five artists and/or groups, meeting their curriculum needs, or to celebrate particular calendar events such as Harmony Day, Diversity Week and Education Week, or a special event at their school. The five groups are rotated throughout the day to ensure that every student has the opportunity to experience and learn from all participating artists. Activities relate across the curriculum including: LOTE, Humanities (History & Geography), the Arts (Music, Drama & the Creative Arts), and Physical Education (through movement, dance and acrobatics). ‘ICTIYS’ presents students and educators with new ways of thinking about the world around them, integrating live cultural experience with multimedia technology across disciplines within the school curriculum.Students work with a facilitator to create digital presentations, movies or wiki-based websites, that can be assessed as part of their personal development, social and cultural studies. After a successful pilot in 2007, this program is being made generally available for the first time in 2008. ‘Reprezent’ in schools – Artist Residency The ‘Reprezent’ program focuses on building face to face relationships between artists and young people, moving away from single sessions of 50 minute sessions, to a long-term Artist in Residence model. The semester long program aims to promote self-confidence and deal with specific issues related to socio-economic disadvantage, cultural diversity and at-risk behaviour amongst young people by engaging them through the arts. The ‘Reprezent’ program complements existing school curriculum in the areas of: event management, marketing & publicity, graphic design, visual arts, multimedia, culture, journalism, theatre, language skills, music, and VCAL. Cultural Infusion Youth Program Events Freestyle @ Fed Square: an all ages, free, annual celebration of Hip Hop culture incorporating ‘comps’, workshops and live performances. WA ‘Freestyle’ Hip Hop Festival: The sister event to Freestyle @ Fed Square, WA ‘Freestyle’ celebrates Perth’s Hip Hop scene with ‘comps’, workshops and live performances. Lottery West has made an annual commitment to this event in Perth seeing it as a hallmark event for the hip hop community of Western Australia. Freestyle NSW – a two week series of sister events and workshop which was supported by Coca Cola and formed part of the Royal Easter Show of Sydney ‘Free Your Style’ Workshop Program: Hip Hop workshops and performance opportunities for young people at risk. Freeza: Cultural Infusion is the Freeza provider for the City of Yarra and offers young people the opportunity to organise their own events. Generation Why: a component of the 2007 Australia Day VOYAGES Concert: Big Bang concert, produced by PAN Events incorporating a blend of traditional cultural performances with a range of Hip Hop elements such as dance and visual art, by experienced and up and coming artists from diverse communities. Reprezent – in the community - “Where you're from and where you're at" Reprezent: In partnership with schools across Melbourne, Hip Hop artists mentor a group of students to develop their own performance around the theme ‘Where you’re from and where you’re at.’ The performance outcome involves a tour whereby students perform at each partner school. Through this project young people have the opportunity to develop original performance outcomes utilising the various Hip Hop art forms including: Dance, Music, DJing, Street Art, and Rapping. In partnership with various Melbourne schools, this project engages young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enhance their connection with their community and encourage positive self development. Sonic Elevation is currently being funded by Wik Projects, Nth Qld for the community of Arukun. The Cultural Infusion Concert Series focuses on innovative cross-cultural works, contemporary composers and music groups, offering audiences music, dance and stage performances by exceptional Australian and international artists. This series is primarily available to audiences in capital cities and other metropolitan areas, in major venues. Our Concert Series includes the following events: Fairfield Amphitheatre Summer Concert Series (produced on behalf of the City of Yarra, 2006-2008) National Youth Week launch in Victoria (produced on behalf of the Victorian Office for Youth) Freestyle @ Fed Square (produced on behalf of Fed Square, 2006-2008) The annual WA ‘Freestyle’ Hip Hop Festival The Zulu Nation Super Jam – produced a national tour at leading venues across Australia with 3 leading hip hop artists from USA ‘She Got Game’: International B’girl Competition Included a component in the Australia Day VOYAGES Concert – through the ‘Generation Why’ project The Victorian B-Boy championship held at Cultural Infusion’s venue “The Crom” Cultural Infusion ‘Global Scope’ Touring Program Specifically tailored to tour regional, rural and remote Australian communities, the Cultural Infusion Global Scope program aims to provide communities access to authentic cultural and cross-cultural performances from some of Australia’s most talented performers. Since 2005 more than 100 tours have been organised throughout Australia. Past major tours have included: ‘Acrobatics Extraordinaire’ – a three week tour of regional Queensland supported by the Australian Government Department of Communications, Information Technology & the Arts (DCITA): Playing Australia Program. Indoboy Fusion – a fusion of International masked puppeteer from Indonesia with former Australian B-boy champion “Lamaroc. This national tour will include more than 50 remote centres across Australia. Ary – a six month, nationwide tour by Indonesian masked puppeteer. Western Australia – indigenous tour throughout Vic, NSW and SA These events have been supported by the Federal Government’s Playing Australia, Dept of Education (VIC), PAN Events, DFAT, and the Australian Indonesian Insitute. “Global Scope” World Wide Cultural infusion Workshop & Training Programs Cultural Infusion offers a range of workshops presented and facilitated by professional artists, local Indigenous and community elders and performers, and experienced educators. Indigenous workshops provide participants with an opportunity to experience, participate and gain a better understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through a progressive exposure to traditions, teachings and values. Hip Hop workshops enable participants to develop their creative skills, enhance their personal growth and give them a voice. Participants work with some of Australia’s most talented and respected Hip Hop artists to learn the crafts of MCing, DJing, Urban Art, and the various Hip Hop dance styles. Cultural Infusion also provides short and long term artist residencies whereby arts and cultural practitioners work with a particular community. For example, professional artists could collaborate with local groups to create a town mural, community performance or festival, or offer workshops which are extended and more involved versions of the workshops above. Cultural Infusion will also bring internationally acclaimed artists to Australia to present their works and collaborate with local artists. Building on pilot tours to the People’s Republic of China undertaken by hybrid partner PAN Event Entertainment in 2007, ‘Global Scope’ World Wide is slated for intensive development from 2009. Our ‘Global Scope’ World Wide program will take the best culturally diverse and Indigenous arts and cultural presenters from Australia to the world through concerts, workshops, school shows, master classes and professional seminars. The Global Scope program features many aspects of the performing arts including music, dance, drama, narrative, pantomime, and puppetry. In 2006, Cultural Infusion launched its national concert series in Victoria. The Cultural Infusion Concert Series offers audiences the opportunity to experience some of the best music, dance and stage performances that this country produces. Performed by exceptional Australian and international artists, this series focuses on innovative cross-cultural works, contemporary composers and music groups, and is primarily available to audiences in metropolitan areas, capital cities and major venues. Cultural Infusion Concert Series Sonic Elevation is an exchange program during schools holidays for Indigenous young people from regional and remote communities to participate in music and dance workshops in major urban centres. Sonic Elevation will contend with extreme geographic isolation by providing the youth with travel experience, skill development, education and entertainment. Combining acrobatics, hip hop dance and traditional dance, the program will build towards a final public performance after each holiday program, showcasing skills learned. Continuing the program throughout the following school holidays, Sonic Elevation will consistently develop participant’s skills and performance outcomes. Sonic Elevation aims to help bridge the gap and create awareness between Indigenous and non-Indigenous dancers and the public. ‘Reprezent’ has been supported by Arts Victoria, The Besen Family Foundation, School Focussed Youth Services, Moonee Valley City Council and Maribyrnong City Council. Through the Youth Program, Cultural Infusion has produced an array of large scale outdoor events. Recent examples are ‘Freestyle @ Fed Square’ (for Fed Square, 2006-2008), WA ‘Freestyle’ Hip Hop Festival and the ‘Generation Why’ component of the 2007 Australia Day VOYAGES: Big Bang Concert. Cultural Infusion’s Youth Program offers a variety of activities, workshops and events aimed at engaging young people aged 12-25 years from diverse backgrounds through the arts, encouraging their participation in community life and promoting healthy and active lifestyles. This program encourages them to utilise the arts as a means of enabling creative expression. ICTYS (Information & Communication Technology) in your school Schools often utilise the MCAD program to celebrate particular calendar events such as Harmony Day, Education Week, and other multicultural celebrations. Teacher feedback indicates that this program is an important resource, facilitating social cohesion and promoting pluralism by affording students the opportunity to gain an insight into the diversity of multicultural Australia, over the space of one day, in a fun and interactive manner. Diversity in your school Cultural Infusion also pursues its aims nationally and internationally through a variety of other activities and platforms - creating new and diverse artistic works and cultural experiences. Cultural Infusion works with governments at Federal, state, and local levels in partnership with communities, philanthropic and other organisations to create grass roots cultural and community development initiatives. In 2007 Cultural Infusion was commissioned by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to present Victorian Indigenous artists in a tour to China. Through its Youth Program, it helps link young people of culturally diverse backgrounds and low socio-economic backgrounds to their wider communities - and to learning and career pathways through formal and informal education and training initiatives. Young people are also encouraged to participate as performers and volunteers in Cultural Infusion’s public offer events, such as the Australia Day ‘Voyages’ concerts which attract audiences of 8,000 to 10,000 annually, building confidence and capacity in the participants. These activities in turn feed into the rest of the program, helping to build the skill base and careers of emerging artists from culturally diverse backgrounds that would probably not otherwise have access to professional work in the cultural industries. The practitioners employed by Cultural Infusion are generally leading performers in their particular artistic field, but also include these young and emerging performers skilled in both traditional and innovative cultural practices. Working with youth, including those not currently participating in school and other education and training programs is an important priority for Cultural Infusion, as seen for example in our participation in Hip Hop culture through the ‘Freeza’ program supported by the Office of Youth and our own youth-focused programs such as ‘Free Your Style’. |