Tania Pell has become the young face of FAMDA when she was elected president of Foster Amateur Music & Drama Association at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 11 March 2010.
Joining her on the committee is Andrew Oldroyd as secretary plus new members, Nicole Cooper, Louise Harfield, Amanda Mahomed, Jane Park and Peter Rushen.
The committee is now enriched with some vibrant and enthusiastic young blood, keen to take on the challenges ahead for FAMDA.
Dianne Paragreen, Norm Willoughby and Jennifer Paragreen remain on the committee as Vice President, Treasurer and Publicity Officer respectively with Linda Giddy and Barbara Partridge, giving the committee a good blend of youth and experience.
Outgoing chairman, Max Hastings, thanked the retiring members of the committee for their past efforts and expressed the hope that that they will continue their involvement with FAMDA.
Committee 2010 – 2011
President: Tania Pell
Vice President: Dianne Paragreen
Secretary: Andrew Oldroyd
Treasurer: Norm Willoughby
Publicity Officer: Jennifer Paragreen
General: Nicole Cooper, Linda Giddy, Louise Harfield, Amanda Mahomed, Jane Park, Barbara Partridge, Peter Rushen.
ACTIVITIES REPORT 2009 – 2010
Delivered by Max Hastings
RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT
I would like to begin this report by acknowledging Max Adam’s term as President of FAMDA.
Max has been a member of FAMDA since 2001, served as president from 2006 – 2009 and has otherwise served on the committee since 2002 During his term as president the group has achieved great progress in organisation and success in engaging new members. His leadership style has encouraged members of the community to be involved with FAMDA on many differing levels and has contributed significantly to the group’s success.
Max directed the One Act Play Altered Egos in 2001. This was his first directorial involvement. He appeared in Guys and Dolls in 2002 and directed his first Music Hall in 2003.
He assumed the presidency following my resignation in May 2006. He was elected President at AGM 2007 and continued until October 2009.
It was with regret that the committee also accepted the resignations of LeeAnne Mitchell, Andrew Oldroyd, Trish O’Neill, Tania Pell, Dianne Frey, Genevieve Moore and Raymond Dunstan during the year. Their work on behalf of FAMDA is greatly appreciated.
CAPITAL WORK AND EQUIPMENT
We added to our lighting grid with the purchase of lighting equipment at a cost of $5000. A dollar for dollar Shire grant softened the impact of this purchase.
We purchased 14 new wireless microphones for our production of Into the Woods.
This decision was taken because the cost of purchase was not appreciably different from the cost of hire. While the outlay was a significant one, an opportunity to recoup costs exists in hiring the equipment to other companies.
WEBSITE
Elizabeth Richardson has established an informative attractive and user friendly website with links to many other like sites.
SPONSORSHIPS
We continue to sponsor an arts scholarship at South Gippsland Secondary College and two Gippsland Associated Theatre awards.
We also seek a major sponsor for FAMDA as identified through our Five Year Plan discussions.
On the other hand we thank the local businesses who have supported FAMDA, by sponsoring advertising and in kind, during 2009.
AFFILIATIONS
We continue to support Gippsland Associated Theatre, the Victorian Drama League and the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria through our membership and participation in their activities.
PLANNING AND PROTOCOLS
Work continues on planning processes, protocols and job descriptions.
Linda Giddy has been leading us through workshop sessions to help us clarify our goals and to better understand the most effective and efficient ways of communicating with our community, through the preparation of a five year action plan. We will continue to address the issues raised through her workshops, [organisational / promotional / financial / planning / facilities], under her guidance.
Refinement continues of the Standards and Expectations document presented in March 2009, providing a reference point for FAMDA activities that will be especially useful to new members.
FAMDA 2009 PROGRAM
Bush Magic - An Edwin Coad pantomime complete with puppets
Dinner at Hugo’s - An Edwin Coad drama directed by Raymond Dunstan
One Act Play Festival – Very high standards and increased entries
Into the Woods - A Sondheim classic
The Prom Coast Singers performed at Promontory Dreaming as part of Seachange Festival and also at the Anzac Day ceremony and Community Carols with Paddy Broberg as director.
FAMDA 2010 PROGRAM
Family films
These were screened over four days in January this year to very modest audiences but remain a possible service to the community in future years.
Speaking in Tongues
Scheduled for May 2010, this play by Andrew Bovell had to be abandoned because unfortunately, it failed to attract a cast.
The South Gippsland One Act Play Festival
This will continue on 21 & 22 August 2010.
We are endeavouring to make this festival a feature of the Victorian one act play circuit and the support and standard of entries last year encourages us in that goal.
Sponsorship from the Toora and District Branch of the Bendigo Bank also makes it a very enticing competition.
Cabaretro
A sophisticated cabaret reminiscent of Paris in the 1890’s and Berlin in the 1920’s is planned for September/October 2010. It will make use of the vast array of talent available in South Gippsland and promises to provide a diversity of entertainment, inviting atmosphere and quality dining.
AWARDS
Congratulations to FAMDA’s award winners of 2009.
Music Theatre Guild of Victoria – Louise Dower as Milky White in Into the Woods.
Victorian Drama League and Gippsland Associated Theatre – Rob Ellis, John Laurie and Jules Schmidt for composing, playing and recording the “dinner music” for Dinner at Hugo’s.
Gippsland Associated Theatre – Fiona Watts (Lead Female), Josh Gardiner (Junior Male), Louise Dower (Junior Female) and Andrew Oldroyd (Lighting Design) all for Into the Woods.
It was also pleasing to see John Laurie earn a Music Theatre Guild commendation for his direction of Into the Woods.
THE FAMDA FAMILY
The FAMDA family continues to flourish.
Into the Woods saw 8 performers new to the FAMDA stage.
The production included a new director, new set designers, a new choreographer and at least 10 new production crew helpers.
Dinner at Hugo’s also introduced 2 new performers to the FAMDA stage.
Bush Magic saw a large number of people join FAMDA.
As Max Adam noted in last year’s annual report, ‘Our door is always wide open to anyone who may consider getting involved in performance or production.’ And so it remains. FAMDA welcomes anyone who wishes to become involved with any aspect of the group’s activities.
GRANT APPLICATIONS
During the year we applied for a Regional Arts Fund grant to run workshops. This application was unfortunately unsuccessful.
We also made a successful application to Bendigo Bank – One Act Play Festival Sponsorship for 2010.
GIPPSLAND ASSOCIATED THEATRE REPRESENTATION
Norm Willoughby has continued to represent FAMDA on the Gippsland Associated Theatre Committee. He is also the G.A.T. treasurer.
Jennifer Paragreen’s knowledge of theatre and literary skills are invaluable assets in her continuing representation of FAMDA on the G.A.T. judging panel.
Andrew Oldroyd will serve as FAMDA’s G.A.T. judge for 2010.
Our thanks to Norm, Jennifer and Andrew.
THANKS
Thanks once again to everyone involved in FAMDA’s activities during 2009.
Finally, I would like to conclude by thanking FAMDA members, especially the FAMDA committee, for their continuing involvement and support of community theatre in Foster.
Max Hastings
Acting Chair
PRESENTATIONS
Certificates of appreciation were awarded to Max Adam and Raymond Dunstan.
MAX ADAM
in recognition of his enthusiastic involvement with FAMDA 2001 – 2009
Max offered to direct Altered Egos for FAMDA’s inaugural One Act Play Festival. He joined the committee in 2002, ultimately serving as president from 2006 – 2009.
During this time he produced, directed and chaired two Music Halls for FAMDA and took on the challenge of directing the world première of Stringlines.
As a representative of FAMDA, Max has sung, danced, acted, directed, produced, been an MC, public speaker and a diplomat. Always willing to take on new challenges, he even developed puppeteering skills put to use in Bush Magic.
While president, Max saw FAMDA achieve great progress in organisation and success in engaging new members and contributed significantly to the group’s success.
RAYMOND DUNSTAN
in recognition of the great contribution he has made to FAMDA to date
FAMDA appreciates Raymond’s fine efforts as a director, actor, committee member and a friend.
He has given us some inspirational experiences especially as director / designer for Oedipus Rex, Ebenezer’s Dream and Dinner at Hugo’s and encouraged us to embark on the One Act Play circuit.
We have admired his acting skills in productions such as Shadowlands and A Month of Sundays and appreciated Raymond’s willingness to take on daunting tasks and his meticulous attention to detail as a director and as our secretary.
FAMDA thanks him for the vision which has encouraged us to expand our theatrical horizons.
ENTERTAINMENT
After the formalities of the Annual General Meeting, Martin and Jack Chatfield provided some excellent musical entertainment which was followed by a tasty supper.
