This year marks 21 years of FLING Physical Theatre, a nationally regarded youth dance organisation based in the Bega Valley.
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Founded in 2001, FLING has grown and expanded over the years to offer a broad program of opportunities for young people to engage with the arts, training with professional artists from around Australia, and creating original contemporary performance projects.
FLING's core program is the FLING Company for young performers aged 14-18, who are each involved in the creation, presentation and touring of major projects within our region and beyond.
In addition, FLING has two younger company programs, YFLING and FLUX Creators, for ages 7-14, as well as delivering broad reaching community engagement, outreach and education programs across the Valley.
"At FLING we pride ourselves on creating space for young people to explore and express their creativity while also developing skills in movement and performance, creative thinking, problem solving and teamwork" says co-artistic director Gabby Rose.
"These experiences build confidence, commitment and resilience. They also support physical health, mental health and wellbeing, and can provide pathways to professional careers in the arts."
FLING's projects are diverse in content and style, providing a broad range of high quality arts experiences, inspiring and engaging the local community as performers, makers and audience.
Through developing new work in a regional setting and in collaboration with the community, FLING provides a voice to regional perspectives, while encouraging and supporting the creation of culturally ambitious work, and "dreaming big".
Within its 21 year history FLING has:
- presented 250 performances;
- delivered 11,328 sessions to 16,661 participants;
- presented work to 36,066 audience members both locally and on tour;
- toured to Singapore and in Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Wollongong, Dubbo, Yass, Bathurst, Cooma, Jindabyne, Eden, Merimbula and Bermagui;
- The organisation has employed 350 professional artists; and
- seen 31 young people go onto professional careers in the arts, joining tertiary institutions such as the Victorian College of the Arts, National Institute of Circus Arts, New Zealand School of Dance, Sydney Dance Company Pre-Professional Year, Deakin and Wollongong Universities.
The Co-Artistic Directors
Gabrielle Rose and Rob McCredie have led the organisation together since 2016.
They first met in 2003 at a Sydney audition for the VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) Dance Program. They met up again three years later in Melbourne, where they started to get to know each other's work, enjoying a shared sense of curiosity and humour.
"We then lived in London at the same time in 2011-12 and began spending time working together in the studio developing ideas for new solo work and sharing practice," says Rob.
"During this time we also travelled to Performing Arts Forum (PAF) in France to develop work. The connection we developed across this time confirmed our shared interests and has become the basis for our work together at FLING."
Gabby and Rob both agree it has been a pleasure to lead the organisation together and contribute to the growth of "the amazing young people we work with who continue to inspire us".
"What we both want for the future is for FLING to become a hub for independent dance in the regions. For FLING to continue to train young artists, create original work with professional artists that tells our unique stories, and to support the future generations of artists by offering residencies for independent artists and touring their work to the Bega Valley," added Gabby.
Dance Development Officer
Beth Lane's role as Dance Development Officer at FLING is to help design and lead programs for the community that welcome people into movement and creative body thinking.
This includes everything from FLING's community dance classes for ages from three all the way to older adults, as well as outreach programs in schools and pre-schools throughout the region.
Beth enjoys making movement and creative thinking accessible to a range of people in the Bega Valley community, saying "it's one of the most rewarding things about my job".
Beth is obsessed with the body and fascinated by how it works. Alongside her own creative work, she has studied somatic movement methods and embodied anatomy which she says fuel her teaching.
"My role at FLING allows me to share the possibilities of movement, support people to discover their own moving body, and help them find achievable pathways that sustain their dancing and mobility long term."
Beth has initiated a new partnership with Sapphire Coast Physiotherapy, where FLING Company dancers are learning preventative exercises to support their bodies in elite training.
Beth also supports the Co-Artistic Directors with the training and development of FLING Company young artists.
This month, Beth is directing FLING's junior companies YFLING and FLUX Creators in a unique and original performance event called GAME FACE, part of Art Month Sapphire Coast 2022.
Developed in collaboration with game designer Tim Snowdon, GAME FACE explores play structures and spaces of play. Magnifying strategy and our drive for competition.
"Come and step into the play arena with us and be reminded of how great play is for our bodies and minds!" Beth said.
Tickets for GAME Face are available by clicking here
Learn more about the classes offered at FLING by clicking here
