Bluebottle have been designing in creative and unconventional ways in dance, theatre, galleries, museums, installations, music and exhibitions since 1992.

We are interested in extending the possibilities of design and the integration of light and the surrounding environment.

Bluebottle draws upon the experience of talented staff to produce the finest outcome for any project undertaken and we love a challenge.

Bluebottle has won many awards for their designs, including the John Truscott Award for Excellence in Design.

‘It has been an absolute privilege to work with the enthusiastic pack of young people, partners, supporters, artists and audiences that make Stompin such a long-term success story. I unreservedly believe in Stompin and in the enormous creative and social capital it has generated in its nineteen-year history; nurturing a generation of influential Australian dance artists, pioneering a consultative and inclusive youth and community dance engagement model and creating a body of memorable contemporary performance work in collaboration with some of Australia’s most interesting emerging artists. All of this while working with non-professional young people and their extended communities in a regional environment, Stompin is my hero! I will remain an active member of the Stompin Board and will continue to champion Stompin whenever, wherever and to whomever I can.’

Stompin is a community oriented youth dance company based in Launceston, generating art that links regional youth aged 14-26 years to contemporary dance and performance. The company creates flexible processes and performances for, about and by young people.  

After working as Artistic Curator with Stompin for 16 months, Becky Hilton is moving onto our Board where she’ll maintain an important and active role. 

Stompin has decided, at this point in time, to focus our resources locally as we continue to provide inclusive, contemporary, socially relevant dance experiences for young Tasmanians, their extended communities, our stakeholders and audiences.

We are very fortunate to have experienced and passionate Launceston based artist Emma Porteus ready, willing and able to step into the role of part-time Artistic Director.  

Emma Porteus is a proud and successful product of the Stompin model. She brings a wealth of local knowledge, a great love of contemporary dance and a demonstrated commitment to the inclusive community engagement practices for which Stompin is renowned. Upon completion of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Contemporary Dance at Deakin University (graduating with distinction), Emma undertook and completed her honours research into the collaborative process. She has worked in various capacities on a myriad of youth dance and community projects through out Tasmania and Australia, including with Dancehouse (Vic), Next Wave (Vic), Tasdance (Tas), 10 Days on the Island (Tas), Tracks (NT) and Stompin (Tas, Vic, SA). She is an experienced ‘dance in schools’ artist designing programs for primary, secondary and tertiary contexts. Emma is lead artist for Stompin’s ‘WeTubeLIVE’ (Junction, 2010) working with a diverse range of young people and community groups from regional Tasmania and is facilitating ‘The Kindness’, Stompin’s new upper primary school initiative. Emma recently returned from an Arts Tas funded residency with Tracks and is excited to count David MacMicken (Tracks Artistic Director) as an active professional mentor as she embarks on this exciting new phase in her career.

Emma and Executive Producer Sarah McCormack will form a strong and visible Tasmanian partnership at the helm of Stompin. Adam Wheeler will continue in his role as Stompin Artistic Associate.

I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Becky Hilton for the generosity, rigour and artistic leadership she brought to Stompin during her tenure. We look forward to continuing to draw upon her considerable knowledge of the national and international contemporary dance and community arts scenes and her generous mentoring skills as she assumes an active role on the Stompin Board. Becky is an Australia Council Dance Board Fellow for 2010/11 and we wish her every success as she focuses on her Fellowship activities.

Raoul Harper

Chair of the Board of Directors, Stompin

Stompin is funded by Arts Tasmania in 2010 and 2011. The company is also funded in 2010 by Tasmanian Regional Arts, Besen Family Foundation and through the Tasmanian Government Community Capacity Building Grants Program. Stompin has long standing sponsors, The Examiner and Southern Cross TV with numerous other local community business and individual support.

Stompin began in Launceston, Tasmania in 1992 with the idea that when young people collaborate with professional artists, they can create inspiring and bold new dance work.  Founded by Jerril Rechter the company has shifted dance out of traditional performance venues and into extraordinary landscapes and new spaces, crossing borders of communities and culture, people and place. Luke George and Bec Reid, Stompin Alumni, led the company from 2001 – 2007 with Luke George as solo Artistic Director in 2008. Becky Hilton became Stompin’s Artistic Curator in 2009.

Stompin has presented large­-scale, site-­specific performances in locations as diverse as a forest, a beach, swimming pools, warehouses, a disused prison, an airline maintenance hangar, a wool store and an historic meat market.  Over 19 years the company has worked with around 1000 young people and performed to over 17,000 people locally, nationally and internationally.  Stompin packs a solid history of presentation including Sydney Opera House, Arts House (Melbourne), the World Islands Festival in Cheju South Korea, 10 Days on the Island (Tasmania), Next Wave (Melbourne) and Darwin (Youth Dance Festival).  The Stompin studio and office space in central Launceston has a rich history as an arts space and is used by other arts groups and independents.

Our unique brand of art/youth/community is reflected in our philosophy as well as in our performance culture. Deeply connected to our state and its people, we provide a flexible company model that creates and supports thoughtful and informed young citizens as well as unforgettable performance experiences. We are dedicated to making art an essential part of young people’s lives. Stompin says art/youth/community 4 ever.

“Stompin is the reason to be here (Launceston), to get out there (the World) and to come back home again” Lily Deeth, Stompin alumnus.

Stompin develops excellent dance artists and arts-workers who contribute significantly to current Australian performance culture. We believe developing an artist is to contribute something singular to society, a gift that keeps on giving. Stompin alumni include – Stephanie Lake, Bec Reid, Kyle Kremerskothen, Adam Wheeler, Luke George, Rachael Taylor, Phillip Peck (Frog), Emma Porteus, Gemma Gray, Zac Lister, Emma Anglesey, to be continued….

The company has consciously taken a lean approach to core staff, with a focus on multi-skilling and teamwork.  Stompin engages contract staff as required for projects.

In 2008 Adam was the inaugural recipient of the Stompin Fellowship and has made two works for the company Uncover This (2008) and Bone Dry and Green (2006). Adam Joined Chunky Move in 2004 while completing his final year at the Victorian College of the Arts. He has performed and taught for the company nationally, across the USA, Canada and New Zealand. He has also danced for Circa Nica and Jo Lloyd.

Adam’s passion for the development of dance with young people has seen him work with the Australian Ballet on their Out There Program (2006), choreograph for the AC Arts Graduation Showcase Season (2008) and was the Artistic Director of the Dance Fusion Program, St Michaels Grammar School (2003-2008).

In 2003 he was the winner of the Most Outstanding Movement award, Melbourne Fringe Festival for 3 Day Growth and continues to make work with dance collective, 2ndtoe.  He regularly teaches for Chunky Move, Youth Australian Ballet Inc. and Dance World. Most recently he choreographed That Beep film clip for Architecture in Helsinki.

Emma Porteus is an independent dancer, choreographer and teacher.  Emma began her contemporary dance career in 2001 with Stompin, performing in Placement as part of the inaugural Ten Days on the Island festival. After completing her degree in Contemporary Dance at Deakin, graduating with distinction, she undertook and completed her honours research into the collaborative process.  This is a continuing interest of Emma’s, and she constantly is drawn to new experiences that help her further her research.  In 2004 Emma created and performed in the Melbourne Fringe Festival show Lamplight verses the Moon, which was selected to be part of the Graduate Showcase at Dancehouse. In 2005 Emma was assistant director on the community project Dance Path, held at Dancehouse in Melbourne.  In 2006 Emma choreographed for Stompin as part of the Outback Fringe Festival in Roxby Downs.  Emma has co-choreographed four Tasdance’s education projects, Microscope (2005), Dry as a Bone (2006), White Light (2007) and Planet Earth (2008). In late 2006 she co-choreographed and performed in Tasdance’s large-scale community project Illuminations3, and in 2007 choreographed 500 primary school students in ETC for Tasdance.  In 2008/09 Emma produced and choreographed Let’s Get it Strait for Tasdance.  This work was performed as part of the 2009 Ten Days on the Island festival.

Our Board members are:

Raoul Harper, Chair

Kim Schneiders

Sarah McCormack

Jerril Rechter

Bec Reid

Megan Mantach

Darren Alexander

Becky Hilton

Susie Aulich

Ava Campbell