The Ironing Maidens are working on a new show - A Soap Opera. This is a pitch for funding to support the project.

Award-winning electronic duo The Ironing Maidens are evolving their popular multi-artform show into a serial piece called "A Soap Opera". The creative development and presentation of this new show will develop the capacity of local artists and premiers at Adelaide Fringe Festival and The Tanks Art Centre Cairns early 2020.

Background

The Ironing Maidens, Patty Preece and Melania Jack, inspired this experimental electronic arts project as a homage to the work of Daphne Oram, an unsung pioneer of music technology from the 1950’s whose work has been instrumental in the development of the electronic sound industry.

"Looking into the themes prominent during the 1950s when women like Daphne Oram were developing their highly influential work, we noticed parallels between the dismissal of women’s work in the home and the lack of recognition for women in music technology development," said Patty. "So we developed a new show exploring ways of creating sound with the irons (an iconic symbol) and discussing attitudes and issues around recognition of womens work".

The Ironing Maidens current show, 'Electro House Wife' has been touring nationally and internationally for the past five years and has received significant support from media (Today Show), funding bodies (AusCO etc), festivals (Woodford etc) and won an Innovation Award at Adelaide Fringe 2019.

How this funding will be utilised 

This funding pitch is focused on supporting costs for the final creative development (CD) and presentation of a multi-media, gig theatre show called ‘A Soap Opera'. This is new work that incorporates; electronic music, projection mapping, a holographic ghost, electronic instruments made from irons and ironing boards, theatre, choreography and more.

The project has already completed: initial research, CD 1, composing and writing phase. CD 2 will be completed in November with support from QASP funding. This funding will support three artists to participate in the third and final CD, rehearsals and presentation at Adelaide Fringe Festival. It would support the employment of a local, young, female, emerging, indigenous stage manager. It would also support the professional development and mentorship of a local female projection artist, by a highly experienced artist recognised as a pioneer of projection mapping in Australia.

The project has received an Adelaide Fringe Artist Grant to support the presentation costs. This new show will raise the profile of the local, regional artists involved, reaching new audiences and working at higher venue standards. It will also provide them with opportunities to further develop leadership skills in the arts sector to utilise locally. Support for this project at this stage would ensure its success and promote Cairns as a leading arts region. 

This project will build the capacity of the sector by employing local artists and providing them with professional development through working with more established artists. Supporting the professional development of these artists will provide a valuable resource for the local arts industry. 

The project fosters cultural innovation by working within cutting edge movements in the industry, such as projection mapping, holograms and digital instrument design. The project conveys a sense of community belonging and pride and increases tourism by promoting Cairns artists at a national event, demonstrating the diversity and high calibre nature of new work being developed in Cairns.

So far the principal artists producing the work have been successful in accessing some grant financial support. They both work within the project in an ‘in-kind’ capacity, not taking an artist fee from the grants, but creating this employment opportunity for other artists. They are currently reaching out to connect with patrons to support the last $15,000 of funding required to cover the costs to get the show over the line and onto the stage.

If you are interested in supporting this project and would like to find out more: Please contact - Melania Jack on 0402 604 448 or melaniajack@gmail.com

Thanks for your consideration and have a fabulon day!

Melania and Patty

The Ironing Maidens.