About
“Art isn’t easy–
Trying to make connections–
Who understands it?”
— Stephen Sondheim
Music Theatre has a special ability to connect to audiences through the combination of text, bodies, voice, movement, sound, music, design and more. Its multiple points of connection give it a special place in the cultural landscape.
To ensure Music Theatre continues to remain relevant, impactful and able to adapt to an ever-changing world, the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne will host Music Theatre Futures: the first in-person conference for music theatre in Australia on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 July 2024 at the Southbank Campus. Music Theatre Futures aims to increase the points of connection between the music theatre industry, research and pedagogy sectors, so we can work through some of our greatest challenges together. The theme for this conference is therefore “connect”.
The conference is aimed at academics, teachers, practitioners, creatives, leaders and those committed to shaping the future of music theatre, though anyone with a professional practice in music theatre is welcome.
Event Aims
- Increase points of connection across sectors of the discipline to enhance sharing of research, resources, practices, values
- Connect practitioners with new skills, information and networks to support their work facilitating and holding spaces that reflect best practices
- Connect artist-scholars and teachers with approaches to help publish and communicate their practice
- Connect practitioners, researchers, teachers and creatives and instigate conversations and relationships that continue beyond the symposium
- Celebrate and recognise practitioners, academics, artist-scholars, creatives and teachers whose work speaks to the theme of connection.
If you have an idea for a paper, workshop or conversation that speaks to the 2024 conference theme “connect”, send us your Expression of Interest.
Supporting Organisations
Music Theatre Futures celebrates the University of Melbourne’s important connections with the Music Theatre department of the University of Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music and the Australian Music Theatre Network as significant contributors to the success of this event.