FAREWELL TO FREDERICK COPPERWAITE
Frederick Copperwaite. Image by Jamie James.
Frederick Copperwaite, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Moogahlin Performing Arts, will be stepping down from the company in January 2020.
During his 12 years with Moogahlin, Fred not only co-founded the organisation with colleagues Liza-Mare Syron and Lily Shearer, but was Artistic Director from 2008 to 2014. He directed our first works for stage and community (Lessons in Flight tour to the 2008 Dreaming Festival, Gathering Ground 2010, The Cake Man reading for the Black Theatre retrospective 2012, This Fella, My Memory 2013 premiere at Carriageworks). He was Artistic Director for the four Yellamundie National First Peoples Playwriting Festivals between 2013 and 2019, an event that has changed the face of First Peoples playwriting in Australia. He was facilitator for the Ngarra-Burria First Peoples composers program 2017 and 2018 and has collaborated on several community-led projects, including Baiame’s Nguunhu Festival in Brewarrina, Footsteps in the Sand (manuwi jam ya murong) at the Blacktown Native Institute and writing and storytelling workshops in Dubbo.
He directed Cuz by Billy McPherson for the 2017 Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival in Toronto, Turtle Island, Canada and Kia Mau Festival in Aotearoa, New Zealand and he has represented Moogahlin at numerous state and national industry conferences, festivals and sector gatherings over the years.
In 2019 he returned to his first love, acting, after a hiatus of 14 years when he appeared in Moogahlin’s recent production of Rainbows End by Jane Harrison with Darlinghurst Theatre Company.
Fred’s final project, as a member of the leadership team of Moogahlin, will be The Visitors by Jane Harrison, which he will direct for the Sydney Festival 2020.
Dear friends,
After 12 years in a leadership role at Moogahlin Performing Arts, it is time for me to move on. My time with Moogahlin has been one of the great highlights of my career so far, and I want to thank and acknowledge all of the many wonderful artists, community members and Elders who I have encountered during my time with the company. I have learnt so much from all of you and I hope in some small way, my work has made a positive difference to your lives, both personally and professionally.
I am very proud of my contribution to the establishment of Moogahlin Performing Arts as an important voice in the arts sector, in NSW, nationally and internationally, not only for First Peoples performing artists in particular, but for young people, community and elders in general. I’d like to acknowledge my colleagues, Dr Liza-Mare Syron, Lily Shearer, and Ali Murphy-Oates, as well as the Moogahlin board for their support and encouragement over the years and I look forward with great interest to watch the company develop and prosper into the future.
I am excited about to returning to work as a freelance artist and I look forward to continuing existing and developing new relationships, collaborations and experiences, in both Australia and overseas.
With much gratitude.
Fred
For over ten years the founding members - Frederick Copperwaite, Lily Shearer, and Liza-Mare Syron – have overseen the growth of the company and have worked primarily in a volunteer, project based, or part-time capacity. With Fred’s departure, Moogahlin is now poised to consider a more defined leadership model for the company for the future.