Music research

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See also the separate page on musicology, accessible through the sidebar.

Links to MCA’s research pages

By Hans Hoegh-Guldberg (Economic Strategies)
Last updated: 7 May 2007

The MCA website lists a broad range of music research projects and reports. MCA’s board took the initiative in 2005 to bring together over thirty web-based resources for Australian music research since 2000. The entries are grouped into four broad categories: national, university-based, music education organisations, and the music industry. The Director of the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University, Associate Professor Huib Schippers was the main person responsible for the initiative. He currently chairs MCA’s research committee. The list was compiled by the Research Centre’s Leah Coutts. See Huib’s paper below.

MCA itself is responsible for some very important research projects, listed here. The report on a statistical framework for the music sector (2005) provided the structure for this knowledge base, as discussed in The music sector defined, and elsewhere. Two reports by Richard Letts for the International Music Council (from 2003 and 2006, respectively) address the crucial issue of preserving musical diversity which is one of the most prominent themes in the knowledge base. Trends in the provision of music education in schools (2003), known as the Stevens report after its author, brought together fundamentally important information on the school systems in each State and Territory. Other MCA research reports deal with the extent of government funding of new classical music, assessing the impact of Australian music requirements in radio, and Michael Hannan’s Careers in Music from 2003, which contains job descriptions for nearly 200 work categories.

The last MCA page, on other research, summarises Australians’ Attitudes to Music, a survey of 1,000 Australian households commissioned by the Australian Music Association in 2001.

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The Marriage of Art and Academia – Challenges and opportunities for music research in practice-based environments

By Huib Schippers (Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University)

Entered into knowledge base: 7 May 2007. From Dutch Journal for Music Theory, Vol 12/1, 2007, pp. 34-40. The paper is reproduced here with the kind permission of the publishers.

The odd notion that an artist does not think and a scientific enquirer does nothing else is the result of converting a difference of tempo and emphasis into a difference in kind. (John Dewey, 1934, p. 15)

Many would regard the union of conservatoires (or schools of music) and universities as a marriage of convenience: the bride beautiful, artistic, but without means; the groom perhaps a little dull, but a stable provider. The sacrifices within this arrangement are significant. There are considerable tensions between approaches to educating practicing artists and those appropriate to, say, nurturing the next generation of accountants. The demands on compliance to sets of rules based on science and technology rather than arts and humanities can be stifling and time-consuming. In addition, and perhaps even more challenging, there are the monumental efforts to justify and secure appropriate levels of funding to maintain quality teaching and learning which require a substantial component of one-on-one instruction.

However, bringing together high-level artistic practice and rigorous reflection in somewhat forced cohabitation for the first time since Von Humboldt separated them in the 1820s (Krebs, Siouti, Apitzsch & Wenk, 2005, p. 3) has also created new and exciting avenues, for example in the area of research. In Australia, where all conservatoires have amalgamated with universities during the past two decades, the desire to bring practice and research closer is evident in activities indicated by universities. In a 2004 survey of tertiary music education by the Australian Music Centre, 79% of universities indicated that they engaged in practice-based research, action research scored 46% in the university sector, research into artistic practice 83%, and artistic practice as research 71% (Schippers, 2004).

This would appear to paint a picture of a uniquely forward-looking university practice in terms of music research. On critical reflection, however, the trends above are hardly reflected in the current academic output of music departments, the topics of presentations at major conferences, journal articles, and music projects funded by the Australian Research Council over the past eight years (Australian Research Council, 2006). In each of these, traditional musicological research dominates, focusing almost exclusively on analytical, social and historical aspects of music, rather than on contemporary practice.

One way of interpreting this is that we are dealing with a very recent development, of which we will only see evidence in the coming years. But perhaps there is also some confusion as to what constitutes each of the categories of research mentioned above. In Australia, Dennis Strand has made major inroads into this matter with his report Research in the Creative Arts (1998). More recently, the discussion has continued through the work of CHASS, the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (2005).

A recurring issue in these discussions in Australia and overseas is the distinction (or continuum) between research into practice on one hand, which implies an outsider’s perspective, and on the other practice as research, where a reflective artistic practice is explored as a process akin to experimental forms of research. Although much music making involves research, the latter does not necessarily qualify all music making as research. Not every rehearsal is a research project, and not all performances are research outcomes. If we follow the OECD definition that research and experimental development comprises “creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including the knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications,” (OECD Factbook, 2006, p. 42) then much of what musicians do may certainly be high-level professional practice, but all does not necessarily constitute research.

In this context, confusion arises on the relationship between artistic or aesthetic value and recognition as research. I would argue that this is quite loose. One can imagine a deeply moving rendition of a work from the classical canon or a brilliant jazz solo in a manner that would not require much research, and a very deeply conceived and well constructed new work that utterly fails to communicate with an audience. This is not very different from research in other areas. Many years of highly structured research has failed to date in finding cures for cancer and AIDS, while penicillin was discovered by chance after someone forgot to do the Petri dishes.

Having said that, we can easily identify research methods and patterns in almost any progression towards a performance, from defining the general idea or concept (this can be an individual or group process), to the initial choice of repertoire/material, to research into books, scores, records, or memory, to final choices on approach, repertoire, and material. In processes commonly identified as research, these stages would correspond to defining the research question, literature review, and choice of methodology.

Next, the musician typically moves to the studio. This is the lab or experimental phase of the research. Here, thousands of deeply considered and split-second decisions are made using music notation or memory; ideas from publications about music (structure, history); consulted or remembered recordings in private collection and libraries and performances; learned, acquired and developed values; experience and assessment of audience reactions; and probably most importantly an aural library, which, for a mature musician, would typically consist of 20,000 to 50,000 hours of listening, learning and playing. The research output often takes the form of a performance and/or recording.

Here arises a challenge in locating data: performances represent outcomes, but do not necessarily elucidate the process, which is widely seen as a major problem in recognising artistic processes as research (e.g. Arts and Humanities Research Board, 2003, p.3). However, there is much that can be learned from other settings during the process, such as rehearsals and practice sessions; biographies, interviews and reviews; historical sources, stories and myths about music; as well as settings for music transmission. Particularly master classes offer a rich source of insight in musical process.

Another way of demonstrating the research process is to strive for specific formats of presenting research that do not only highlight the outcomes, but also elucidate the processes leading to these results. These can be presented in traditional, linear, written formats, but non-linear, multidisciplinary formats may be more appropriate in many cases. A DVD-ROM, for example, can represent and almost reproduce the research trajectory of a musician, with all the cross references that typically characterise the artistic process. This will work equally well for processes leading to new creative work, and for interpretation, where the ‘new knowledge’ component of research is under greater scrutiny (cf. UK Council for Graduate Education, 2001, p. 17).

Various DVDs and DVD-ROMs that highlight aspects of such artistic processes have been published over the past decade, including Duchable’s interpretations of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos (2002). Probably the most advanced example of such an approach to date has recently been realised by pianist Stephen Emmerson (2006). With research assistant Angela Turner, he spent three years dissecting his approaches and motivations for choices in interpreting Mozart’s Rondo in a minor (KV 511), including an extensive literature review, comparisons with close to 100 years of other recordings, analytical and technical considerations, and a personal log. On the DVD-ROM, this is a presented in a manner where the artistic process can be followed in the inevitably non-linear manner it progresses, clicking from technical challenges to aesthetic deliberations based on contemporary sources, and references of recent sources of inspiration. Around a Rondo – The art of interpretation contains a dozen video and audio recordings, scores, facsimiles, images, and some 50,000 words of text in over 5,000 interconnected files. It meets all demands of academic rigour, but remains true to the essence of the artistic process.

Although some (e.g. Candlin, 2000, pp. 99-101) will argue against the need to elucidate artistic process with the help of words (and who indeed would deny J.S. Bach a doctorate purely on the basis of the score of Die Kunst der Fuge?), it is expected that the format developed for Around a Rondo will serve as a model for alternative submissions for professional doctorates that have emerged at various Australian universities (as Doctor of Musical Arts, Doctor of Creative Arts, or Doctor of Creative Industries – see list at the end of his article). While it has been possible for several decades to obtain a PhD in Australia through submitting a portfolio of compositions with an exegesis, the professional doctorate is widely considered the most appropriate pathway to apply practical artistic experience to doctoral work, and create ample room for alternative submissions with significant artistic components. These degrees are already drawing substantial numbers of high level students, no doubt partly fuelled by increasing pressure from universities to only employ teaching staff with doctoral qualifications.

Quite oddly, research projects such as Around a Rondo, which very clearly meet the criteria of “creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge” do not ‘score’ on current Australian government criteria for research output. In that context, these are interesting times for Australian conservatoires. From 2008, university-based research will be judged by a new Research Quality Framework (RQF; similar to the British Research Assessment Exercise and its New Zealand counterpart), which has a chance of broadening the definitions of research quality (beyond journal articles and other conventional outputs), and will look at research impact as well. As a sector, the arts have much to gain from an RQF. It will enable it to make the case for academic excellence on its own terms, recognising diverse outputs instead of measuring research quality by the number of papers and citations and associated metrics.

At the same time, music has much to bring to research in other disciplines, which increasingly acknowledge creativity as a key force, and often find contemporary, digital or web-based research outputs more appropriate than paper-based ones. Integration of image, sound and text is becoming the norm in an increasing number of innovative research projects and doctoral submissions, and not only in the arts: research outputs on DVD-ROMs or WIKIs are rapidly gaining ground. At worst, these new formats take advantage of a lack of an established tradition of academic rigour. At best, they integrate image, sound and words into inspiring narratives and convincing arguments, leading to significant insights into creative processes and their relationship to the outside world.

It is perhaps in this relationship with the outside world that the creative and performing arts have the greatest potential to shine in the RQF. The arts offer back a great deal to the community in return for its investment. These dividends (or ‘payback’ as RAND Europe calls them) can take many forms. They can contribute to the academic discipline in the form of journal articles, to the profession in creative product and ideas, to education in inspiring new material for learning and teaching, to policy by forging new insights and ways to implement these, to communities by contributing to social cohesion, or to the economy by increasing employment or sales. Various forms of ‘payback’ more often than not represent different stages of impact realised by research in the arts (as it does in many other disciplines), and can be spread out over years or even decades. Consequently, capturing these effects in their considerable diversity is a major challenge, but one that should not be avoided when striving for a stimulating and equitable system, which also does justice to collaborative efforts and interdisciplinary teams.

The basic model proposed under the Australian RQF, based on cases made by research groupings which are subsequently peer reviewed, will be labour-intensive, but probably as close to fair as it is ever going to get. A key question in these cases is the role of metrics. Some aspects of quality and impact are easily counted and expressed in terms of numbers, while others are more elusive. Various aspects should be interpreted carefully: fabulous ticket sales for an event or circulation of a film may not be evidence of its research quality (it would probably make Kylie Minogue the greatest musicologist in Australia), while presentations in prestigious venues or by prestigious organisations are already a little more dependable, as they suggest some form of peer review.

Several universities have started developing frameworks to consider what aspects can usefully be quantified, and are beginning to exchange ideas and experiences. For now, they are carefully open to the changes of the research landscape that are being suggested. Some university have adopted research indicators for creative output as equivalent to traditional research in principle. However, in attributing prestige and funding, there remains a strong sense of “All research is equal, but some is more equal.” Hopefully, however, the current efforts will lead to considerable self-imposed rigour in reporting by artist-researchers within universities, which will be crucial to the success of the exercise.

Looking at the dynamics in the field, there are several options for conservatoires (all of which occur in Australia): they can continue to conform optimally to science-based research-output criteria in order to demonstrate validity of music research; they can keep claiming defiantly “We are artists, and what artists do is research without any need to prove it”; or they can define their own agenda, and develop strategies that convince in academic rigour while retaining artistic integrity. Such an agenda can take the form of a research menu, which may consist of any variation of mixes of traditional musicological research; research into teaching and learning; professional survival and well-being; research into practice (outsider’s perspective); and practice as research (insider’s perspective).

Exploring the depths of musical creativity by mapping out the tangible and intangible elements of various musical practices is a very profound and specific pursuit. It is difficult, exciting, relevant, and long overdue. By making strategic choices of research foci with regards to this area, it is possible to set up research programmes within the context of higher music education that are not at the margin, but at the core of musical life in an academic context, with pro-active links to students, staff, management, other faculties and the outside world through curriculum development, creative practice, community activities and performance.

In this context, a conservatoire is one of the greatest resources for research in music. Musicians in the process of learning, teaching, performing and creating music provide a unique opportunity to study the essence of the art. That which flashes before our ears in performance as the end-result of complex physiological, technical, conceptual, aesthetic and social processes is laid out in all of its component parts in the learning process at a conservatoire, as musical practice in slow-motion. That is a promising basis for renewed dialogues on widening perceptions and formats of academic rigour and artistic practice.

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The author

Associate Professor Huib Schippers is Director of the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University. He has a long and varied history in music practice and research across Europe. He has worked as a performing musician, a teacher, a concert promoter, a journalist, and in the record trade. Over the past ten years, he has run major action-research projects in music and music education, lectured and published across the world, and served in a variety of capacities on numerous forums, boards and commissions, including the Netherlands National Arts Council, the Music Council of Australia, and the International Society for Music Education. This paper is based on a number of shorter articles and presentations in the magazine Sounds Australian, newspaper The Australian, the University of Queensland, Griffith University, the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), and the National Association of Tertiary Music Institutions NACTMUS.

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Examples of arts/music-focused professional doctorates at Australian Universities

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References

Arts and Humanities Research Board. (2003). Research in the creative and performing arts. Retrieved November 23, 2006 from www.ahrc.ac.uk/images/4_92883.pdf

Australian Research Council. (2006). National Competitive Grants Program Dataset. Retrieved November 30, 2006 from www.arc.gov.au.

Candlin, Fiona. (2000). Practice-based doctorates and questions of academic legitimacy. In: The International Journal of Art and Design Education, 19(1), 96-101.

Council for the Humanities, Arts and social Sciences (CHASS). (2005). Measures of quality and impact of publicly funded research in the humanities, arts and social sciences. Canberra: CHASS.

Dewey, John (1934). Art as Experience (1958 ed.). New York: Capricorn Books.

Duchable, Francois-Rene. (2002). Beethoven Concertos (with Ensemble Orchestral de Paris) [DVD-video]. Paris: Ambroisie.

Elliott, David. (2002). Philosophical Perspectives on Research. In Colwell, R. & Richardson, C. (eds), The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning, pp. 85-102. New York: Oxford University Press.

Emmerson, Stephen. (2006). The art of interpretation: Around a Rondo [DVD-DVD-ROM set]. Brisbane: Griffith University.

Kors, N., Saraber, L., Schippers, H. (2003). Sound Links – cultural diversity, mobility and employability in music education. Rotterdam: Academy of Music and Dance.

Krebs, R., Siouti, I., Apitzsch, U. & Wenk, S. (2005, January). Disciplinary Barriers between the Social Sciences and Humanities: National Report on Germany. Retrieved November 29, 2006, from www.hull.ac.uk/researchintegration/National%20Report%20Germany.pdf

OECD Factbook 2006. Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics. Research and development (R&D). Retrieved November 29, 2006, from http://puck.sourceoecd.org/

Schippers, Huib. (2004). Musical practice in slow-motion – Emerging directions for Australian research in music. In: Sounds Australian, 64, 26-27.

Schippers, Huib. (2005, 25 May). Marriage arrangement works: The forced union of music and education appears to be staying in tune. In: The Australian – Higher Education Supplement, p.37.

Strand, Dennis. (1998). Research in the Creative Arts. Canberra: Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

UK Council for Graduate Education. (2001). Research training in the creative & performing arts & design. Dudley: UK Council for Graduate Education.

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The Ballets Russes Project: A working model for Australian interdisciplinary performing arts research.

By Dr Mark Carroll, University of Adelaide

Last updated: 20 May 2007

Huib Schippers’ erudite study above offers realistic solutions to the challenge of aligning research with practical, performance based outcomes to the mutual benefit of the stakeholders. I would suggest that his findings can be applied not solely to music research per se, but to the performing arts in general. The case study I outline here offers, I believe, a model for interdisciplinary research collaboration that goes some way to satisfying the needs of academia and industry alike. The model is by no means perfect, but it is a step in the right direction. Its outcomes correspond with the benefits that Schippers quite rightly suggests should flow to academe, industry, education, public policy, and the community at large.

I am currently Chief Investigator for a large Australian Research Council Linkage Grant that is looking at the impact and legacy of tours to Australia during 1936-40 by the acclaimed Ballets Russes. The project brings together The Australian Ballet, the National Library of Australia and the University of Adelaide in a collaboration that framing an integrated series of activities timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the first Ballets Russes Australian tour (2006) and the centenary of the Ballets Russes (2009). The Partner Investigators are Nicolette Fraillon, Music Director and Chief Conductor for The Australian Ballet, Lee Christofis, Curator of Dance at the National Library, and Robyn Holmes, Curator of Music at the same institution. ARC-funded research assistants include Richard Stone and John Thomson (NLA), and Debra Howlett (The Australian Ballet). The project is underpinned by an interactive research methodology that is helping to establish a vital nexus between scholarly research and Australian performance practice.

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Historical Background

The Ballets Russes was established in 1909 by the legendary Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929), who envisioned a ‘total’ work of art, one in which dance, music, dramaturgy and décor would combine to create a spectacle greater than the sum of its parts. Diaghilev’s artistic vision, which has its origins in the Wagnerian ideal of gesamtkunstwerk, became the hallmark of the company. The result were artistic collaborations between some of the world’s great composers, choreographers, dancers, and visual artists, including Igor Stravinsky, Michel Fokine, Léonide Massine, Nijinsky, and Pablo Picasso, to name but a few.

Diaghilev’s collaborative ideal was taken up by his successor at the Ballets Russes, fellow countryman Colonel Wassily de Basil (1880-1951). De Basil, under the auspices of the theatrical agents J. C. Williamson Ltd, brought to Australia three Ballets Russes companies (under various names) in 1936-7, 1938-9, and 1939-40. The tours had a profound impact on Australian cultural life, in that they introduced to the Australian public choreographies, set designs and scores the likes of which had never been seen or heard here before. The collaborative ideals and interdisciplinary dynamics exemplified in balletic and musical masterpieces such as Petrouchka, The Firebird and Scheherazade, and Massine’s symphonic ballets Les Présages, Choreartium and Symphonie Fantastique, inspired a generation of Australian artists. A number of these artists worked closely with key members of the Ballets Russes touring parties. A 23 year-old Sidney Nolan created the set and costume designs for Serge Lifar’s Icare (February 1940), Loudon Sainthill received a commission to design Nina Verchinina’s Etude, and Donald Friend won a competition sponsored by de Basil with the view to producing a ballet on an Australian theme. While Max Dupain busied himself creating a remarkable photographic record of the dancers, Daryl Lindsay, Thea Proctor and Sainthill sketched and painted their portraits, and Margaret Sutherland composed for gala performances.

The Ballets Russes project is evaluating the immediate and long term impact of the tours on the Australian public in general, and Australian creative artists in particular. A March 1940 editorial in The Argus (Melbourne) recognised the present and potential future impact of the visits: ‘The ballet has already left appreciable traces on the artistic life of the community. They are to be found not only in the growth of local ballet schools and in art, where Daryl Lindsay and others have found new inspiration, but in the wide circle of those who, from attending performances, have gained fresh interest in music . . .’. In an interview with the then Curator of Dance at the National Library of Australia, Dr Michelle Potter, Dupain described the Ballets Russes in Australia as an ‘avalanche of dancing . . . and the Australians just wallowed in it. Full houses every night . . . and they were very interesting people, very interesting for Australia at that stage’.

In addition to re-evaluating the content and impact of the Ballets Russes tours, research is being undertaken into their financial, diplomatic and political circumstances. Employment opportunities afforded young turks such as Nolan appear to have been insufficient to shield the Ballets Russes from a 1939 Actors’ Equity resolution protesting at the number of ‘foreign’ artists employed during the tour, at the expense of local talent. The industrial and historical significance of this is being scrutinised, as is the level of diplomatic and political engagement surrounding the tours. Certainly, the subsequent choice of dancers, and the ease with which a number of them were awarded refugee status during the Second World War by an otherwise xenophobic Australian government, suggests that the company was well-connected in government and diplomatic circles. We are also looking at Australian concerts and charity galas given by the Ballets Russes in support of the War effort, the Red Cross, and Czech and Polish relief funds. To understand how these and other events came about is to gain a window into the politics of Australian culture, and the culture of Australian politics prior to and during the War.

The Ballets Russes tours led ultimately to the establishment of the Australian and West Australian Ballets, courtesy of those dancers who elected to remain in Australia. Kira Bousloff, Helene Kirsova and Edouard Borovansky established ballet schools in Australia, and worked with Australian artists and composers during the 1940s and 1950s to finally realise de Basil’s goal of creating ballets on Australian themes.

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An Overview of Primary Resources

Historical narratives relating to the visits were produced initially by those travelling with the ballet itself. The distinguished English dance critic Arnold Haskell in Dancing Round the World (1937) gave his personal recollections of the 1936-1937 tour. Haskell and others also published didactic articles about the ballet companies and their repertoire in Australian magazines such as The Home and Table Talk (1936-1940), and there was some material published during the 1940s in scholarly journals such as Art in Australia.

Of pivotal importance in tracing and bringing to life the cultural history of the period are a series of untapped archival collections spread across several national and international institutions. These primary resources include archival film and newsreel, most notably cinematic records held at SSA of the Ballets Russes touring parties in performance and recreation. Extensive photographic, ephemera, music, manuscript and oral history records are held at the NLA; textiles and costumes at the National Gallery of Australia; drawings at the National Portrait Gallery; set designs, works on paper, photographs and ephemera (such as posters, scrapbooks and programs) and memorabilia are held at The Australian Ballet, Performing Arts Collections in Melbourne and Adelaide, and at the University of Adelaide’s Barr Smith Library Special Collections. ASIO and immigration records at the National Archives of Australia, and Musicians Union and Actors Equity records at the Noel Butlin Archives (Australian National University) are being consulted.

The Ballets Russes project draws upon these and other primary sources in order to situate the tours within the broader scholarly discourse concerning Australia’s cultural heritage. In so doing the research expands our understanding of the European view of Australian culture at the time and, conversely, the Australian perception of European high art – a perception that was struggling to balance a Eurocentric artistic worldview with a burgeoning sense of national identity.

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Methodology

The aims of the Ballets Russes Linkage project are as follows:

  1. to establish, investigate and interpret the artistic content and broader context of the de Basil Ballets Russes tours to Australia during the 1930s, with the view to expanding our knowledge of the European view of Australian culture at the time and, conversely, the Australian perception of European high art;
  2. to critically evaluate the immediate and long term impact of the tours on the Australian public in general, and creative artists in particular;
  3. to explore the multidisciplinary collaborative ethos at the heart of the Ballets Russes, and to realise its implications through contemporary Australian artistic and cross-institutional practices.

The project research structure and timeframe interface with The Australian Ballet’s 2006-09 programmes in such a way as to allow research to inform performance, and vice-versa. Knowledge and insights gained in applying the research to rehearsal, performance and in touring displays will inform subsequent research and performance outcomes.

The project methodology centres on two complementary research thrusts. The first of these activities concerns the evaluation and analysis of documentary material in order to fashion a broader critique of the tours in their historical, cultural and social contexts. A key tenet of the research process is the use of digital technology to reproduce, share, document, and expose archival resources to facilitate appropriate scholarly modes of communication. The NLA’s expertise in developing large digital information systems is essential in initiating the technical mechanisms to support this aspect of the research process.

The second of the two principal research activities concerns the interface between the scholarly enquiry and performance. Here archival research into the choreography, décor, music, and historical background of the Ballets Russes works has helped to inform recreations of them by The Australian Ballet – in 2006 the Revolutions programme (a tribute to Fokine), and in 2007 the Destiny programme (a Massine tribute). These resources have also provided the scholarly and material basis of touring displays accompanying regional tours by The Australian Ballet’s Dancers Company.

The project exploits the key strengths of the Linkage partners. In employing an integrated and collaborative approach, the project’s fundamental research process and outcomes meet the important applied research objectives of the industry partners, as well as providing knowledge and expertise to further core business needs. For The Australian Ballet, this means more historically informed and socially relevant performances, which alert the public to the value of contemporary artistic activity within the context of Australia’s cultural heritage. For the National Library, the project supports high level research use of its collections to further knowledge about Australia’s cultural, artistic and social life, and will serve to demonstrate the potential for embodying dance, music and related archival sources in a range of performance as well as scholarly outcomes.

The project confronts two of the more intractable challenges facing research into the performing arts in their social and cultural contexts, challenges that need to be met if the performing arts are to remain historically well-grounded and culturally vibrant. The first challenge turns on the need to achieve a closer interface between research and actual performance outcomes; the second, to bring to life historical research, its aspirations and findings in ways that are relevant not only to artists, cultural planners, and academics, but also to the community at large. To these ends the project makes a contribution in three key areas:

  1. Its integrated research methodology, which offsets the perennial demarcation between performing arts research and practical outcomes. The project is uniquely placed to offer an integrated, high impact model for performing arts research, by virtue of the fact that the core activity of The Australian Ballet is performance (to be understood here as a synthesis of dance, music and décor). Performance here serves simultaneously as a vehicle for disseminating the research outcomes and as part of the research process itself. Research will, for example, shed light on the nature of the creative dynamics between the artists themselves – for instance, between Stravinsky, Fokine and Benois on Petrouchka – and between the artists and the impresario. This will in turn allow for an evaluation of the impact of these dynamics on the idea of interdisciplinary equality, and commission briefs and timelines. The research-performance paradigm is being applied specifically to works presented by de Basil’s Ballets Russes during the Australian tours – including Petrouchka, Les Présages, Choreartium and Symphonie Fantastique. The significance of this integrated research model is therefore that it allows performance outcomes to mediate between an historical past and a creative present.
  2. The interdisciplinary model of collaborative practice which the project offers to Australian cultural institutions, and the broader applications of this model in arts planning, programming, public education, and market development. The project brings together a number of organisations for whom performing arts research is not their primary business, and the pooling of their expertise and materials ensures that maximum benefit is extracted from the range of primary archival resources. An increased community awareness of the de Basil tours and their significance to Australia’s cultural heritage will arise from associated activities, and through enhanced online access to primary materials.
  3. Its capacity for public dissemination, and the smart use of digital technology through the online delivery of primary and interpreted resources, physical and virtual exhibitions, and in performance. Used in conjunction with more traditional modes of dissemination, these technologies are facilitating a dialogic approach, in which the documentary material upon which interpretations are based are presented as the research develops, rather than at the conclusion of the project. In this way, the delivery of primary resources becomes an integral part of the research process and will draw the public further into the research field. The touring displays accompanying the Dancers Company regional tours across three years of the project include digitised silent film footage, set to music composed and arranged by the Elder Conservatorium’s Stephen Whittington. The national infrastructure afforded by the National Library’s innovative online services, notably Australia Dancing and MusicAustralia, is exposing Australian and international consumers the project’s research materials and outcomes as they emerge, in ways that preserve their original integrity at the same time as enriching their broader context.

An Advisory Committee is providing an outside referential process through which the partners can critically monitor and evaluate their work in a larger artistic and scholarly context. The committee includes Professor Malcolm Gillies; Emeritus Professor Dick Denton (Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, the University of Melbourne); Andrew Sayers (Director, National Portrait Gallery); John Davis (Chair, The Australian Music Centre); and Michael Kantor (Artistic Director, Malthouse Theatre).


Outcomes: A Summary

The results of the research project are disseminated more widely than is usual because of the diverse core activities, national leadership roles and capacity for public outreach represented by the Linkage partners. Aside from performances by The Australian Ballet and the Dancers Company, the project is producing refereed articles, a short film for the Dancers Company tours, commemorative and performance programmes, and exhibition catalogues. A project website is currently under construction. A volume of essays dealing with the impact of the Ballets Russes on Australian visual art is also being prepared. A symposium on the Ballets Russes collaborative ideal and its implications for contemporary performance is currently in the planning stages, and is scheduled for May 2008 at the Elder Conservatorium. An image-rich high quality publication is proposed and funding is being sought.

The research partners are confident that the project will serve as a template for future collaborations between Australian cultural and tertiary institutions in two ways: the sharing of resources and expertise of the Linkage partners and associated institutions, and the development of a symbiotic relationship between historical research and contemporary performance. It achieves these outcomes in ways that satisfy the needs of the stakeholders. The University of Adelaide (the Elder Conservatorium in particular) benefits from traditional research outputs and from a high profile synergy with two peak Australian cultural institutions. The National Library is increasing its holdings of important archival materials (the Hugh P Hall photographic collection and oral histories, for example). The Australian Ballet now has at its disposal high quality research data and intellectual expertise upon which to draw in its programming and artistic choices.

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