The Australia Council for the Arts has invested $1.1 million in diverse dance projects which highlight the range of issues and creative collaborations that can be explored through innovative work.

Australia Council Director Dance Carin Mistry said grants had been awarded to develop and present dance works in Australia and overseas.

“The peers have supported a diverse list of projects, which include exciting collaborations, exploration of a broad range of issues and presented in different formats, including video,” Ms Mistry said.

“Some of the artists have been funded to appear at prestigious dance events or to perform overseas, enabling our talented artists to be showcased on the world stage.”

Latai Taumoepeau will develop in collaboration with Elias Nohra a series of videos exploring the problems and politics surrounding the impact of climate change on Pacific nations.  The work will be presented as part of the Australia Council’s Screen Dance initiative 24 Frames Per Second in partnership with Carriageworks.

Sarah-Vyne Vassallo will continue to develop two new dance works featuring artists with disability in partnership with eminent UK-based Australian dancer with disability Dan Daw.

Powerhouse Youth Theatre has been funded to assist Western Sydney parkour dance group Team 9 Lives, seen recently in John Bell’s Monkey: Journey to the West, to develop stories of young people from culturally diverse backgrounds living in Fairfield, in partnership with Force Majeure.

Independent dancer and choreographer Kyle Page has been funded to present the world premiere of an Australian-Japanese collaboration, Engi, which will be performed in both countries.

Ms Mistry said the dance panel also funded nine artists and companies to perform at Dance Massive 2015, which will be held in Melbourne in March.  The biennial event will feature more than 40 curated dance shows, events and activities over 13 days.

“The Australia Council has proudly supported Dance Massive since its inception in 2009,” Ms Mistry said.

“It is the only regular event focused on contemporary dance practice and attracts national and international producers and presenters interested in seeing Australian dance works.

“Dance Massive is an important platform for Australian contemporary dance and our support meets two goals of the Australia Council’s Strategic Plan – Australian artists are without borders; and Australia is known for its great artists.”

Some of the projects supported by the Australia Council to appear at Dance Massive 2015 include the premiere of choreographer and dancer Victoria Chiu’s collaboration with dancer Kristina Chan Do you speak Chinese?; a full length version of Keir Choreographic Award winner Atlanta Eke’s Body of Work; and Tim Darbyshire’s Stampede The Stampede.  Tim was also awarded the Australia Council’s Cite residency in Paris in this round.

Applications were assessed by industry peers Phillip Adams (Vic), Martyn Coutts (Vic), Lisa Havilah (NSW), Richard Longbottom (Tas), Sue Peacock (WA), and Lisa Wilson (Qld).

To see the full list of recipients, go to https://2014.creative.gov.au/grants/grant-decisions/reports/dance/Assessment-Meeting-Report-for-Grants-Closing-15-August-2014