We chat with Moneth Montemayor (love that name!) about this Handful of Fragments Collective, creative spaces and their thoughts on the creative industries...

What is your role in the Handful of Fragments Collective?

In October 2009 I was voted into the role of Artistic Director of the Handful of Fragments Collective. I’m also a project-coordinator. The role of Artistic Director means I’m responsible for the direction of the collective, organisation of the collective and delegation of tasks within our executive team. It’s a huge role to take on and I’m humbled that my peers trust and support me in this role. As project coordinator I work alongside Tamara Mcguigan our second project coordinator. We work together to ensure that our projects and events go according to plan. We liaise with venue managers, our executive team, performers, artists, industry professionals and volunteers.

What prompted the group to start?

In late 2008 three second year QUT drama students (Samuel Green, Daniel Maloney and Kimie Mizuno) came together with ideas for their own shows and discussed the possibility of running a mini performance festival to produce the aforementioned shows. This idea over a couple coffees soon became a reality when I heard about it and volunteered to help with the administration of the festival. This role soon turned into overall project coordinator allowing the three directors to individually focus on their shows. The mini performance festival was renamed and publicised as the Handful of Fragments Performance Showcase. This entire collective formed all because a couple drama students with a desire to showcase their work and their ambition, taking an idea and turning it into a reality. Now we have an official executive team and have added the “All Sorts” event to our calendar as well as producing our annual Performance Showcase. I encourage all

"Failure to Care" directed by Daniel Maloney performed at the Redcliffe Cultural Centre

emerging artists to be proactive about their work because in this industry your dreams won’t come true unless you make them. It’s hard work but it’s worth it.

What do you think the Creative Industries in Brisbane (or Queensland) need from the more established organisations to foster the growth and development of emerging creatives?

The Creative Industries in Brisbane and Queensland in general are in need of opportunities for our emerging artists to showcase their work. There is so much talent in this city of ours and even more so in the state. We need to foster and nurture this talent and claim it as our own. Too often we see our talent travel down south to seek out opportunities there. However, I feel that we are in a movement, a proactive shift, to keep our artists here. With Brisbane Festival including a Fringe Festival (Under the Radar) into their program and other festivals (2High, Short and Sweet and BITS Fest) provides local artists with opportunities. Producing work that is local and promoting these festivals as local projects will instil pride in the cultural sector of our region.

What we do need is more venues offering affordable packages to produce work. Metro Arts has Independents, Judith Wright Centre has Fresh Ground, Redcliffe Cultural Centre has Your Group on Stage and La Boite now has Independents but these packages are aimed to more established emerging artists as oppose to emerging artists. There needs to be a platform for those who are still studying the art form or are fresh out of university/tafe/college. This is where Handful of Fragments comes in. We produce work for those who are in the transition from emerging/establishing. We have an incredible line up of six productions we’ll be showcasing in our annual Performance Showcase however we are still in search of a venue. As an emerging production company we have also added “All Sorts” as one of our events on our calendar, which will be showcasing visual artworks, roving performers and musicians at Alloneword in the Valley.

The cast and musicians of "Little Worlds of Love" directed by Samuel GreenThere needs to be affordable packages available for emerging artists to be able to showcase work at some of the big venues or more grants/funding for production companies. We are, as mentioned, going through a proactive shift and the more proactive so the future of the Creative Industries in Brisbane is looking brighter.

What about suggestions in terms of space?

I strongly suggest Visible Ink as a rehearsal and meeting space. We are in need of more free rehearsal spaces like Visible Ink. We have fantastic spaces here in Brisbane in terms of theatres and galleries. What we need more of are workshop/rehearsal spaces for performance groups, artists and musicians.

Handful of Fragments on Vimeo:

Handful of Fragments Performance Showcase 2009 from Handful of Fragments Collective on Vimeo.

Thanks Moneth!

Hannah