Queensland Theatre Company calls for tomorrow’s talent, today!

Find and foster’ at the heart of new development program.

Following the launch of Season 2012 on the weekend, Queensland Theatre Company is calling for tomorrow’s talent, today, with the announcement of the inaugural QTC Youth Ensemble Program and a call for auditions.

The QTC Youth Ensemble is a year-long program, created by QTC Artistic Director Wesley Enoch, to find and foster Queensland’s stage stars of the future, focusing on nurturing the talents of Queensland’s high school students.

Audition applications close on January 8, 2012, with only 40 students to be selected for the program, one which will parallel QTC’s mainstage program, and will result in two productions during the year, to be staged as part of the GreenHouse program.

“Queensland is a fertile land for artistic talent…we have wonderful musicians, poets, writers, dancers and actors all over our state, some already celebrated and working across the globe but the vast majority are sitting in classrooms dreaming of their futures.” Wesley said.

“The QTC Youth Ensemble is our way to find and foster the future of Queensland’s acting talent. It’s unique as it supports actors from a young age and sets them up for their future and ours.” Wesley Said.

As well as receiving invaluable guidance from some of Australia’s most respected theatre professionals, the young people chosen will perform in two productions in July and again in September– staged as part of the QTC’s GreenHouse Program for 2012.

Next year the Bille Brown Studio will morph into The GreenHouse – an incubator of art, ideas and exploration representing the next stage of QTC’s 2011 Studio Season. “The GreenHouse will spring to life in May, July and October with performances, forums, workshops and creative developments, and will be home to an artists’ lounge, giving audiences and performers the chance to meet, talk and hear live music,” said Wesley. “It will also be the home of the QTC Youth Ensemble.”

Audition applications close on January 8, 2012 with the program being run after school and on weekends so not to disturb high school curriculums. Cost will be $400 per term for juniors (grades 9 and 10) and $500 for seniors (grades 11 and 12) with scholarships for the entire year available to applicants who excel in their auditions and interviews. Ensemble members will also receive a QTC Season 2012 Ticket.

Auditions will be held 16-22 January 2012 at Queensland Theatre Company, 78 Montague Rd South Brisbane. For more information go to www.queenslandtheatre.com.au or call Julia-Rose Lewis,Youth Program Officer on 07 3010 7606 or email jrlewis@queenslandtheatre.com.au

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At first glance at My Big Toe Designs’ website, you might think you’ve stumbled upon a pretty classic cross stitch designer who makes samplers using bible verses and traditional designs.

And there is that, but if you look a little closer, you’ll see another side, with designs that call cat hair a “specialty fiber,” refer to the voices in their head saying to eat the chocolate, and that as far as everyone else knows, this is a “normal” family.

These designs are billed as whimsical on the My Big Toe Designs website, and they are that, especially compared to the other designs on the site. Who couldn’t relate to “If it’s not one thing, it’s three others” or “I barely survived yesterday and it’s already today”?

As mentioned above, in addition to the snarkier side, this designer makes a lot of samplers and inspirational designs with bible quotes and heartfelt phrases. There are also holiday designs, mostly for Christmas with a religious bent. The pinkie series offers sets of small Christmas designs that can be framed in tiny frames, used as ornaments or given as gifts.

In addition to all the patterns on offer, the website includes tutorials that show how to use stitched fabric in different ways, including making a biscornu, covering a wooden block, making a needle book, a flat ornament and an ort box (if that last one doesn’t mean anything to you, check out this post all about orts).

There also are a few free patterns on the website, including designs about winter, stitching friends, being a grandparent and more.

While you can browse all of My Big Toe Designs’ patterns on the website, you can’t actually order directly from them. But there is a list of websites on the site that you can use if you don’t have a local needlework shop that happens to carry the designs you want.

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