ACQUIST ARTIST TALK - Catapult Dance

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ACQUIST ARTIST TALK

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ACQUIST: ARTIST TALK

Join us at Newcastle Art Gallery on Saturday 24th January at 2pm for an inspiring artist talk exploring the choreographic process and inspiration behind the work: Acquist.

Cadi McCarthy: Artistic Director of Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub will be joined by Miriam Kelly, Head of Curatorial and Exhibitions at the Newcastle Art Gallery, alongside cast members from Acquist, to unpack the creative journey behind the work. Together, we’ll discuss the inspiration drawn from Margel Hinder’s sculpture, the choreographic and collaborative process, and offer first-hand insights from the performers on bringing the work to life.

Presented by Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub, this conversation offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at contemporary dance in dialogue with visual art.

Margel Hinder’s sculpture in the Civic Park fountain is a visually striking monument to Newcastle’s industrial history and dramatic coastline and it is this story, represented by the steel, copper, and granite fountain sculpture which has inspired Acquist.

Margel Hinder was one of the most important and dynamic Australian sculptors of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in the evolution of Australian modernism. Her embrace of new methods and materials, alongside a deep fascination with light and movement, signalled a radical shift in sculptural practice in Australia. Through her innovative approach and commitment to large-scale public works, Hinder challenged and modernised traditional ideas of public monuments, helping to redefine how sculpture could exist within civic and architectural spaces.

“It is an incredibly unique approach to creating work as there are many different elements to consider: water, weather, surfaces and then the dancers’ bodies within that,” McCarthy said.

Panel Members:

Miriam Kelly is Head of Curatorial and Exhibitions at Newcastle Art Gallery. She joined the Gallery in 2022, relocating from Melbourne to contribute to the Gallery’s major expansion project and renewed artistic program. Over the past 20 years, Miriam has held curatorial and leadership roles across major Australian cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Artbank in Sydney and Melbourne, and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.

Cadi McCarthy is a contemporary choreographer, director, educator and arts leader based in regional NSW, and the Founder and Artistic Director of Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub. Her practice spans contemporary dance, site-specific performance and interdisciplinary collaboration, with a strong focus on supporting regional artists and building sustainable pathways for professional practice. Cadi has worked for over 30 years in the professional dance sector both nationally and internationally. Since establishing Catapult in 2014, Cadi has led the organisation’s growth into a nationally recognised platform for choreographic development, professional residencies, festivals and large-scale public works. Her choreographic work has been presented across theatres, galleries and outdoor public spaces, often responding directly to architecture, landscape and visual art for over 20 years. Alongside my creative practice, she is deeply committed to advocacy, mentorship and cultural leadership, working to strengthen the contemporary dance ecology in regional Australia, and providing regional artists a voice nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of a number of Australian Dance Awards, The Churchill Fellowship, Create NSW mid-career Fellowship, residencies and choreographic projects nationally and internationally, as key achievements. across her career including a 6 year tenure as Artistic Director of Buzz Dance Theatre (Perth).

“Choreographically, it was an interesting development process with half of rehearsals spent in the fountain and the other half in the studio. It was important to work out what was possible in water, as it is heavy to move in waist-deep water.”

The Acquist Artist Talk is supported by:

The City of Newcastle through the Special Business Rate funding program, the Newcastle Art Gallery and Create NSW