THEATRE NETWORK NSW
Emefa Sebastine Ezou Do I Come Here Today To Bury The Arts?
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ear friends of the Arts community—and isn’t that every one of us, whether we work in the Arts or whether we are simply the audience, the appreciators of creative work and talent: on the stage, at concerts, operas, recitals, art exhibitions, and literary festivals—I do not have to tell you that these have been difficult times. I do not have to tell you that we are all feeling battered by the storms and isolation of COVID-19, of devastating bushfires, of unprecedented weather events, and by the economic results of all those elements. So, do I come here today to bury the Arts? Am I here to tell you that the NSW Government has no more money for the Arts, and no option but to drive a last nail into its coffin, that there is no New Normal on the horizon? This government takes your faith in us seriously. Your vote for us was on the basis that we would protect you, that we would provide each person with the opportunity to realise a livelihood, and that you could have the means for recreation after your toil. The challenge remains for this government to maintain that focus while meeting the demands placed upon it by extraordinary and difficult times.
Emefa Ezou is a stage and screen actor, a storyteller and an aspiring entrepreneur. She currently lives in Wagga Wagga and has just completed her bachelor's degree in Stage and Screen (Acting). She appeared in several university productions including William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth where she played the roles of the Nurse and one of The Three Witches. She wrote and directed a short film titled Sorry and for the 2020 Bloom Festival she completed her most daring project by performing a one woman show which she wrote and self-directed. In 2018, she was awarded a grant by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to produce her short animated film No Place for an Alien.
When considering the future of the Arts, we have particularly considered our young people in the Arts community, for the future truly and rightfully is theirs. In saying that, we do not discount the enormity of the skill and dedication those older Arts professionals have given us, but the future is not their time. As the Arts Minister, I have directly interviewed very many people who work and study in the Arts sector. These are passionate people with big aspirations. I cannot tell you all their stories in this place and time, but I will tell you one story of a final year acting student who was looking forward to finishing her degree program and to beginning her career as a stage and screen actor. She transformed a small corner of her living room into a multipurpose television, drama studio and theatrical stage, where she spent many hours rehearsing a play that she may never get to perform, and she transitioned her studies to an online environment.
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THEATRE NETWORK NSW Inc.
‘there are people who know more about the Arts than those elected to government, who wear suits and sit in a big office’.
2020 State of the Sector Address Pi cn ic
