ITA Masterclasses - Due to lack of confirmed bookings this event has been cancelled.

The ITA has been busy preparing a series of masterclasses. These classes are on a series of topics that will be of interest to everyone, and run by people with experience and/or well known in the field. Each Masterclass is $20. When you book all of the classes you will get a $20 discount. Details of the classes are as follows all of the classes will start at 7.30pm. Copyright/Publicity - 23/08/11 @ City West Lotteries House Audition Techniques - 30/08/11 @ City West Lotteries House Costuming - 06/09/11 @ Old Mill Theatre Makeup - 13/09/11 @ Old Mill Theatre Text Analysis - 20/09/11 @ City West Lotteries House Shakespeare - 11/10/11 @ City West Lotteries House Comedy - 18/10/11 @ Venue TBC Directing - 25/10/11 @ Venue TBC For details or to book please contact Ryan on rtaaffe@y7mail.com.

Do you have any information on who will be running the masterclasses? B x

As a Kwinana resident and theatre professional with nearly 30 years experience, including ten years tenure with the Theatre and Drama Studies programme at Murdoch University, I am offended Mr Taaffe has been appointed as the manager of the Koorliny Arts Centre. Mr Taaffe frequently publicly misleadingly claims he is a Musical Theatre graduate from WAAPA. He has no professional arts experience. Mr Taaffe holds a certificate in musical theatre, (a paid part-time course for amateurs). Mr Taaffe is also president of the WA Independent Theatre Association Additionally, Mr Taaffe has directed several amateur musical theatre productions in Western Australia. I ask what is the possible best value return afforded to Kwinana rate-payers subsidising Koorliny Arts Centre employing a full-time manager void of essential professional experience. Mr Taaffe’s professional naivety, publicly misleading qualifications and his duties as president of IPA could easily promote a conflict of interest.  Kwinana rate-payers subsidise Koorliny in excess of $250,000 annually, I am offended that Mr Taaffe’s appointment reeks neptunism, lacks informed vision and can only impede real community cultural development opportunities in the Town of Kwinana.

What's neptunism?

My issue is not regarding Mr Taaffe”s amateur ambitions. He seems a talented amateur musical theatre director. My issue is with his professional integrity. My lawyers advised of ambiguity in a paragraph in my previous posting which I retract. The paragraph should read: Kwinana ratepayers subsidise Koorliny in excess of $250,000 annually, I am offended that Mr Taaffe’s appointment seems to lack informed vision and can only impede real community cultural development opportunities in the Town of Kwinana.

Sounds like someone missed out on the job.

1. The Certificate III Music Theatre at WAAPA is entry by audition only. Fees are charged, as they are for any vocational Cert III course. But your description that implies any "amateur" who wants to do it, can pay to do so is very misleading. 2. ALL WAPPA COURSES ARE COURSES FOR AMATEURS. That is the point. You don't enter WAAPA as a "professional"; not at undergraduate/certificate level in any event. The point of the courses is to prepare you for professional work. So again, a deliberately misleading statement on your part. 3. If Mr Taaffe has in fact completed the Cert III Mus Th at WAAPA, then in fact he is a graduate from the Musical Theatre School at WAAPA. By definition. I do not believe he has laid claim to the Bachelors degree, has he? Seems to me, the only person who has made misleading public statements about Mr Taaffe's qualifications is in fact YOU Mr Homer. Given your claimed years of experience & work in theatre, you appear to be very ill informed about a course where the information is publicly available. So who's misleading who?

A typo. Should have read nepotism.

Ryan Taaffe claims: “In terms of my education I did officially graduate from the certificate course at WAAPA in 1996. At the same time I was studying at Curtin in the theatre programme.” A graduate by definition is awarded a degree or diploma not a certificate. Curtin University does not have a theatre programme. Curtin University does offer Performance Studies with Creative Writing. A varied detailed search of the Curtin University Alumni shows no record of a graduate named Ryan Taaffe. Ryan Taaffe also claims he is a qualified drama teacher. Where did he graduate?

I did not apply for the position of Koorliny Arts Centre manager. I am a Kwinana resident. I sent Ryan Taaffe the following email. He has not replied. 10 July 2011 Ryan, Regarding your email to me 8 July 2011 you state: “ I do not know how my appointment could be seen as nepotism as I was unaware of any of the board until I applied for the position.” Why would you suggest board involvement? The Koorliny board is made up of committed profession people with profession responsibilities and obligations. My correspondence 8 July 2011 clearly stated that the suggestion of nepotism regards the fact that some existing Koorliny full-time staff are well know performers producers directors in your WAITA club. I can easily imagine a possible scenario, similar to a plot in a murder mystery musical, how a club similar to WAITA could manipulate expert selection process. As president WAITA were you aware that members work full-time at Koorliny. Were you aware Marketing Manager Tanya Dupagne was unsuccessfully interviewed for the position? I heard from Lynne Woolfenden that a priority for you is the employment of a full-time marketing manager. Will the position be advertised? As president WAITA were you aware the Kwinana Players had lost exclusive use of the small black box theatre at Koorliny. How can you ensure your responsibilities, as General Manager Koorliny and president WAITA are not conflicted? How can you possibly juggle Koorliny, WAITA and the amateur repertory musicals you have committed to direct this year? I question your sincerity: “I am happy to meet with you regarding your concerns about your use of the centre and where appropriate plans I have to help the centre be used by everyone and to make it's mark on the theatre scene in Perth.” What do we think we have in common? I do however suggest you change the Koorliny brand. With your stated vision bias and lack of professional experience in the arts it would be disrespectful as well as exploitive of local indigenous sentiment. I’ve never met an local aboriginal family who would pay money to see amateur musical theatrics. Are you a local? I find it difficult to believe that the Koorliny board scheduled twice the professional services of Peter Alexander. Why could you not attend the scheduled interview time?

...why Mr Homer are you raising this matter in a thread entitled "ITA Masterclasses" on this website? If you are unhappy with the appointment, I guess you have every right to take it up with Mr Taafe personally or question those responsible for his appointment. I personally have no interest in the matter but it irks me you're taking it up in this forum where it clearly does not belong!! I think you owe the people reading this thread an apology for hijacking it with your personal platform. You could have at least had the decency to start a separate thread although what the matter has to do with the Independant Theatre Association or matters pertaining to the greater subject of local community theatre, I'm unclear. You lose all sympathy for your argument with your rather rude and intrusive actions and I therefore feel I have every right to say "jog on" to you sir! Let this be an end to the matter.

I was going to ask the very same thing but thought better of it. Would someone really take someone's concerns over an issue of appropriate employment if it's posted on an amateur theatre forum? Surely there is a more official path to complaining than posting for all to see here? The only thing gained by doing it this way, as far as I can see, is that the person (Mr Homer in this case) has either already gone the official route and left unsatisfied, or thinks the official route is somehow biased. It suits neither the subject matter nor the person making the complaint to do it here, since it only makes them seem.... to put it politely, less likely to garner any real sympathy from the people who would actually have the ability to do anything about it. PS. Many a beef has been aired on this site. None of them have been settled to anyone's satisfaction, and it only ends up making the people involved look bad.

It actually raises suspicions as to the motivation of the person airing such a grievance despite their protestations to the contrary because it's such a BIZARRE thing to do.

I would also add that the reasons for said complaint are, again, to put it politely, not great. Ie. not having a graduate degree doesn't make someone ill-qualified. At least not in the arts. It obviously helps for someone in a management/admin position; on the other hand, you can also enter pretty much any course in any field at university without having completed previous degrees, because you can exchange 'relevant field experience' with undergrad/postgrad degrees. Not having a PhD in something doesn't mean you're not experienced or qualified. So that leaves me wondering if the content of the complaint is less than wonderful and the placement of the complaint not suitable... what is the point of posting it?

Maybe we ask him a question back. I am sure with his expectations for Mr. Taaffe to be both transparent and quick with his replies, we will have no trouble getting an honest and timely answer from Mr. Homer. Who do you know, apart from the current employee of the centre that you named in your email, that applied for the position and was unsuccessful?

Jeff, You offer your services as a professional theatrical agent. Where did you graduate?

Why I posted on the ITA Masterclasses forum. I suggest you watch Master Chef.

That has to be one of the most non-answer answers I've ever seen.

Er, Jeff is linking to the FAQ on this site. Nowhere does he state that he is an agent.

I suggest you don’t say “not having a graduate degree.............At least not in the arts” to a WAAPA graduate.

I suggest you don’t say “not having a graduate degree.............At least not in the arts” to a WAAPA graduate. Confucius said “To learn without thinking is foolish. To think without learning is dangerous”

As previously stated my issue is not regarding Mr Taaffe”s amateur ambitions. He seems a talented amateur musical theatre director. My issue is with his professional integrity. Koorliny Marketing Manager Tanya Dupagne holds a degree from ECU and has CCD experience but she was a unsuccessful candidate for the position of Koorliny manager. Mr Taaffe frequently publicly misleadingly claims he is a Musical Theatre graduate from WAAPA and has no professional arts experience. I am a Kwinana ratepayer and Kwinana ratepayers subsidise Koorliny in excess of $250,000 annually, I am offended because Mr Taaffe’s lack of professional arts experience can only impede real community cultural development opportunities in the Town of Kwinana.

If you are offended as a Kwinana ratepayer, surely your issue is with the Kwinana council. Why are you raising the subject on this forum? www.meltheco.org.au

I thought we told you Mr Homer to jog on? Your comments have no place in a forum entitled ITA MASTERCLASSES!!! Now please, get the hint and take your belly-aching elsewhere you rude and arrogant person. I say again, jog on!!!

Sorry I’m not looking for an agent. Which agent? What professional qualifications?

.......

I note, with a perhaps undue degree of amusement, jmuzz's parting sally of "Now please, get the hint and take your belly-aching elsewhere you rude and arrogant person. I say again, jog on!!!" and the fulsome agreement that followed. However, as I'm positive I've said before, you bring this on yourselves by responding to the berk too often. He should have been addressed ONCE, then ignored. But no; the temptation to spray the ether with self-righteous drivel proves too difficult for some to ignore- thus we have a theatrically meaningless thread dominating a theatre site. Again. The Watkins frequently speaks of not feeding trolls- some of the respondents on this thread would do well to observe this salient counsel. Maybe you'll learn this time round- but somehow I doubt it. Here endeth this thread for good. Don't make me mention Hitler.... oops, too late.

As it happens, I will have a few hours to kill next Saturday evening between arriving from Broome and flying out to Melbourne on the Red-eye. I should have enough time to see one of the many fantastic theatrical offerings in Perth but I am spoiled for choice. If there is a theatre company that provides limousine service from and to the airport, preferably with pizza and red wine en route, they are guaranteed of my patronage for sure! Ssstinger>>>

Hmm..Don's Party closing night, and the bar will be open. www.meltheco.org.au

Now which masterclass will you be holding El?