Welcome

Critical Path’s Annual Report 2019 sets out the activities of the organisation over the twelve-month reporting period. To be honest, 2019 seems like a world away – a pre-Covid-19 world where we communicated and collaborated face to face, sharing and testing ideas, planning programs and generally being creative in every way possible. As we ride out this pandemic, we can’t predict how the world will come out of this, however we can be very assured that it will be art that will tell the real stories.

Looking back to 2019, it was a year of both consolidation and expansion. Existing programs continued to demonstrate the integral importance of Critical Path in supporting and facilitating research and development for the dance sector. Partnerships were strengthened to deliver more opportunities for artists in NSW and across Australia to expand the boundaries of their creative frontiers, and our extension into the digital realm showed that the ‘virtual’, is inhabited by artists just as richly and innovatively as the studio.

In 2019, Critical Path’s programs continued to reflect the ever growing diversity of artists - practice, location and socio-cultural settings that exist in our sector. New partnerships and continued collaborations supported more artists and enabled more activities than ever before, strengthening connections and enriching the depth of artistic endeavour.

Research projects that focus on questioning and challenging the ‘big’ issues that the world faces today, galvanised a number of our artists to bring dance into the frame of these issues. The Anthropocene Research Project, including the Choreo Hack lab, and Out of the Lab saw artists examine vital aspects of our existence on this fragile planet. Critical Path also began work on developing its own Creative Response to Climate Emergency, which will be further developed in 2020.

Digital projects expanded in 2019 with Critical Path’s new initiative – Digital Drill – tackling the reality of the digital space as a ‘critical’ place for dance making, as well as philosophical and intellectual dialogue. We entered into this with new partnerships and programs including Delving into Dance which produces podcast interviews with artists that go beyond the biographical, in our collaboration we invited artists to create text/sound/image responding to the question of ‘Why Dance Matters Now’ for online distribution. Digital projects are a

valuable investment in the future. They are resources in perpetuity, and they can be shared globally.

Our physical footprint continues to reach across borders, while maintaining our Sydney location as a vital hub for the NSW and Sydney dance community. Regional partnerships with NORPA in Lismore, Catapult in Newcastle, BMEC in Bathurst and the NSW Central West have facilitated ongoing collaborations with artists and their communities. International engagement through the Critical Path’s Interchange project saw artists from the UK (England, Scotland and Wales), New Zealand, Sweden, Finland and Japan engage and collaborate with many Australian artists including several of our First Nation’s artists.

Our programs have been enhanced by multiple project funds, gained by ourselves and in partnership. In particular, we have felt the vital impact of support from Australia Council for the Arts, as well as support for discreet projects, through City of Sydney Council for the 2019 Hack Lab project and March Dance event and Woollahra Municipal Council for the Womens’ Work project. The continued support of Create NSW as our main funder is the foundation of our work as an organisation and our financial stability.

Our vision and purpose are driven to support, and also driven by, our artists. We had 180 different artists engage with us over the year, in 276 interactions; ranging from curated and specifically focused projects, response residencies, space grants, platforms to show new works in development, ‘virtual’ creative engagements and digital projects, and several other events that happen simply because they need to, and we try our best to make them possible.

Director, Claire Hicks continues to lead the organisation with exceptional commitment. Her breadth of knowledge and experience in strategic planning drives the very effective and impactful programs and initiatives that stem from Critical Path’s vision. Running an organisation like Critical Path, means facing many challenges and finding ways to solve difficult problems, and requires extraordinary focus. Claire is the driving force of the organisation and her energy and commitment to Critical Path’s vision and the artists it serves is deeply appreciated.

Shane Carroll - Chair