Music Theatre Futures
Connecting Australia's Music Theatre research, pedagogy and industry
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. Music Theatre Futures aims to increase the points of connection between the music theatre research, pedagogy and industry sectors, so we can work through some of our greatest challenges together.
Register now for the two-day conference featuring conversations, workshops and panel discussions from Australia’s leaders and innovators in music theatre including: writer and director Dean Bryant, marketing and specialist sdvisory company Anthem, Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director Stuart Maunder, Artistic Director of Australian Music Theatre Festival and Head of VCA Music Theatre Tyran Parke, Melbourne Theatre Company’s Head of New Work Jennifer Medway, Australia-UK producer Maryanne Wright, music director James Simpson, writer and director Jean Tong, composer and academic Dr Erin Mckellar, performer and VCA Music Theatre dance specialist Ross Hannaford, performer and counsellor Sophie Carter, producer and casting consultant Benjamin Samuel, and many more!
Keynote speaker
CARMEL DEAN is an award-winning, in-demand and multi-faceted musician working in the theatre industry across Broadway/New York, the UK and Australia. As a Musical Supervisor and/or Arranger her projects include the new Broadway musical The Notebook, with music by Ingrid Michaelson, and the recent Broadway revival of Funny Girl starring Lea Michele. Carmel was also Musical Director for the Broadway musical If/Then, starring Idina Menzel, and was Music Supervisor of the subsequent National Tour. She is also a noted composer whose award-winning works have premiered Off-Broadway in New York and in Sydney, Australia.