A message from Chunky Move

Dear friends and alumni of Chunky Move,

Over the last few weeks we’ve edged toward this moment in time, where it seems the only certainty is indeed uncertainty. Artists tend to swim in an ocean of uncertainty at the best of times. It’s part of the nature of artistic enquiry but is also a feature of an artist’s life because creative thinking and doing, often has an ambiguous liaison with economics. It’s hard to measure creativity’s value. I’ve often felt that artists are well equipped to deal with uncertainty. You might even say that diving into the unknown is fundamental to life as an artist. Being one means you have to be agreeable to risk, but also ready for change and opportunity.

That being said, the scale of uncertainty that we are currently experiencing is new for us all. It has been the cause of much worry and trepidation for individuals and organisations alike. But despite this, I have been inspired in the last few days, witnessing people’s enthusiasm for looking towards this uncertainty with a sense of enquiry and inventive possibility. An Instagram story can remind people, ‘That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse’ (Whitman). Creativity always finds a way through and represents the best of human endeavour. Friends and colleagues continue to keep creative dialogue alive with a spirit of generosity and kindness. This goes a long way. Connecting digitally in the midst of isolation seems to be keeping people’s spirits high, however this does not translate to income for artists, which is why we are reviewing our upcoming program very carefully to adapt to changing needs. We have to ensure that we are able to support the livelihoods of our most important partners – the dance community.

Chunky Move’s role at this time is to prepare well for the future, to make sure that we remain a valuable resource to all of our stakeholders when things get harder. And things are likely to get harder. It doesn’t matter whether you come to our shows, attend public classes, utilise our in-kind residency opportunities or are employed as a creative, performer or teacher. Everyone with a connection to Chunky Move is important to us, and we will be doing our best to provide stability and support for you as changes continue.

Some of our program will be experiencing delays, and some elements will be cancelled indefinitely. We are currently working to come up with alternative opportunities that are more urgent and useful in the current situation. We will share more details around changes soon, but please bear with us at this time as we formulate the best overall strategy forward.

While our offices will still be attended by core staff until further notice, please be aware that we will be conducting all meetings online or by phone. In line with other organisations, our AM:PM public classes program will be closing from March 23rd for four weeks. We will be in contact if this period is further extended due to government guidance.

In the meantime, please stay in contact with us if you have any questions about our program during this uncertain time.

Antony Hamilton
Artistic Director and CO-CEO, Chunky Move