Paul Grabowsky, executive director of the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA), explains how the institute runs events for students and the public that aren’t directly involved with teaching.
“We run all of the performing arts infrastructure, putting on a year-round program of events called ‘MLIVE’.”
The Alexander Theatre is part of a new and ambitious performing arts complex that’s just completed construction, called The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts. In addition to The Alex, there are two adjoining venues: the Sound Gallery and the Jazz Club, and a restaurant and bar, set to open soon.
“These venues are used by community groups, visiting companies and for student events, they’re really at the disposal of anybody, like any regional arts centre would be.”
There are plenty of benefits for students and the public in having access to such advanced facilities. “The first thing to say about the venues is that they are state of the art,” says Grabowsky. “The technology in them is unique to Australia, particularly from a sound point of view.
“Sound is a particular interest of mine because I’m a musician. We’ve installed high-end equipment in The Alexander Theatre called the Meyer Sound Constellation System, which allows us to sculpt and optimize the acoustic nature of the space according to the event, this gives our audience an amazing listening experience.
“At the end of the day, why do you build these spaces? You build them for art and for theatre-makers, bands, musicians and dance.”
Such an advanced setup is important in this instance, particularly given how many theatres are built for certain situations and don’t have the flexibility to host certain events. According to Grabowsky, The Alex has been built with versatility in mind. “It’s because of the Meyer Sound Constellation System that it’s perfectly catered for live music but also equally a fantastic space for theatre or dance.”
In April, The Alexander Theatre will host its annual event Live At The Alex. This year MLIVE has teamed up with Monash University’s MSA to present San Cisco. With three solid albums under their belt, the indie quartet have become a household name in Australia since hitting the scene in 2009. Their latest album, The Water, was met with global success and the lead single ‘Hey Did I Do You Wrong’ came in at #79 in the 2017 triple j Hottest 100.
Uncovering their latest single, ‘When I Dream’, in September 2018 the anticipation for the band’s next album has never been greater and Live At The Alex will give the band the prime opportunity to tease what they have coming. In addition to the incredible music of San Cisco, Live At The Alex will also see the addition of food trucks and drinks at cheap prices ensure this will be a night to remember.
Beyond Live At The Alex comes a series of other forward-thinking events throughout 2019 all designed by the creative team at MLIVE. One of these is Progress – A Festival of Ideas which will see theatre, comedy, music and cultural discussion decorate the university’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Within this, experience the world premiere of the 2018 Max Afford Playwrights’ Award-winning Whale which explores political armageddon in the face of climate change. There’s comedy with Tom Ballard, Zoë Coombs Marr and Rod Quantock through Smokestack and a talk series exploring The Future of Feminism hosted by Jane Gilmore. The festival takes over Monash University from Thursday May 16 until Sunday May 26.
It’s Live At The Alex that looms first, however, and as he appraises his team’s creativity to conclude, Grabowsky can’t help but show pride in the unbound versatility of MLIVE’s program. “There’s something for everyone. I try and keep the level of work we do interesting, different from what you might see anywhere else.”
San Cisco perform for Live At The Alex at Monash University’s Alexander Theatre on Wednesday April 17. Due to public demand this show is sold out, but you can still win a double pass by entering your details via the ‘Free Shit’ section of the Beat website. Find out more about the MLIVE program via its dedicated website.
