Vicky Wilson, Denmark Bulletin

The final stage of Denmark Baroque’s Fairy Queen project was completed in January, culminating three years’ work to complete an ambitious program.

Started in 2021 and stalled by Covid restrictions in 2022, the project focused on community capacity building of the performing arts in the Great Southern.

Using the music of Henry Purcell’s baroque opera, The Fairy Queen, arranged by Georg Corall and Adam Cook, Denmark Baroque employed professional artists and performers to create opportunities for artistic expression.

This included many local participants to consolidate Denmark’s reputation as a centre of artistic activity and as a creative hub in the Great Southern.

Denmark Baroque secured $21,800 through the Federal RISE fund and through Regional Arts WA to implement this research and creative development stage of the project post-Covid.

The final outcome was envisaged as an expansive festival celebration, weaving together baroque opera, Shakespearean comedy, contemporary dance and circus aerials.

Chrissie Parrott OAM, Susie Vickery, Dr Georg Corall and Silvia Lehmann were employed as the creative team leaders and conducted community workshops, rehearsals and intensives in Denmark last year.

Each team leader was paired as a mentor with a contracted local, emerging artist.

These local artists in turn mentored other members of the community in dance, music, theatre, film and circus.

Budgets were prepared and further funding was sought to cover the costs of staging the full performance of Fairy Queen, The Carnival from March 1-3, 2024. 

Though Denmark Baroque did not get enough funding for this, it did acquire sufficient funds to create three short films documenting the work completed and showcasing the talents and expertise of the artists.

These, along with two other short documentaries, were screened to a capacity audience as part of Denmark Arts’ Brave New Works 30 on January 24.

See all the pictures in the issue.

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 8 February 2024.