Image: Mark Gambino

Us and All Of This

Liesel Zink

Liesel Zink is an award-winning socially-engaged choreographer interested in the collective body in public space. Seeking to engage new and diverse audiences in meaningful arts experiences she creates large-scale dance works in public space and uses her process as an opportunity for artistic, cultural and intergenerational exchange. Liesel has developed and presented independent work around Australia, Asia and Eastern Europe, often in collaboration with local artists and communities.

Liesel received the 2017 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance for her public space project ‘The Stance’ which has been presented in eleven different cities around Australia and overseas (Ansan Street Arts Festival South Korea, Sziget Festival Hungary, CCDF/WKCDA/HKAPA Hong Kong), engaging over 80 performers between the ages of 8 and 72 years of age. Further independent projects include ‘Granite’ (West Kowloon Cultural District Hong Kong, Supercell, QUT Art Museum), ‘We and the Uncertain’ (Mystetski Arsenal, Ukraine), ‘ Awesome; a state of wonder and fear’ (World Science Festival 2021), ‘Inter’ (Flowstate 2018), ‘Our New’ (IMA Gallery; Making Art Work 2020), ‘fifteen’ (Next Wave 2012).

In 2019 Liesel facilitated the South East Asian Choreolab (Rimbun Daha, Malaysia), and initiated and produced a HK/QLD dance exchange involving a range of activities aimed at building relationships and new collaborations between Hong Kong and Queensland based Independent artists.

Liesel is currently an Associate Artist with Force Majeure. She works as a choreographer, dramaturge, assistant director, movement co-ordinator, performer, provocateur and producer. She has worked with Leah Shelton, Courtney Scheu, Michael Smith, Polytoxic, The Good Room, GENERATE (SITUATE on the Gold Coast), Performing Lines, Rimbun Dahan (Malaysia) in these capacities. She has been commissioned to choreograph works on Tasdance, Expressions Dance Company and LINK Dance Company. Liesel is on the management committee of Metro Arts and was the Chair of Supercell Dance Festival (2019/20).

    ABOUT THE PROJECT

    Us and All of This (UAAOT) by Liesel Zink with Lawrence English is a new large-scale contemporary performance project that gathers 100 people of diverse ages, cultures and backgrounds to perform en masse in the public realm. It was commissioned by the Betty Amsden Participation Program, premiering at the Arts Centre Melbourne Forecourt on 11 March, Bunjil Place Plaza on 25 & 26 March and Johnstone Park with Geelong Arts Centre on 2 April 2023. Over 422 community members have registered for the performance over the 3 sites (over 100 locals at each site) and gathering a local team of 15 artists to support the on the ground delivery.

    In a world increasingly defined by rising geopolitical tension, ecological mismanagement, deteriorating labour conditions and social isolation, UAAOT is a calm and meditative act of collective resistance. Sculptural in nature, the performance momentarily unfolds across a large plot of urban public space exploring assembly and collectivity as an antidote to exploitation and dislocation. Existing boundaries between the viewer and the viewed are stretched and pulled by this evocative approach to aesthetic collective action, calling on the traditions of protest and the public voice to offer a powerful display of togetherness in otherwise isolated and divisive times.

    UAAOT is created in collaboration with local artists and community members, ensuring the work is responsive to place while also providing a unique opportunity for inter-cultural and artistic exchange. In this, the project encourages deep and long-term relationship building between national and international arts communities.

    UAAOT is an opportunity for our people across experiences to be slow together in a safe space to process the challenges of our time and build a sense of collective resilience.

    Session Times
    PROFILE: Here’s What We Made
    Thursday 8 June

    CONTACT

    Samantha Butterworth
    Performing Lines
    samantha@performinglines.org.au