Megan ROWLAND

Megan Rowland graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1995. Her first creative endeavours were with improvisation ensemble ENTROPY which produced work for various University Festivals, Regional Arts Festivals, Educational Cross Arts Forums and Independent Venues. Megan choreographed and performed with Jo LLOYD in CLATHRATE as part of the Mixed Metaphor Season at Dancehouse and following this founded `snafu´ - multiform performance collective. snafu produced works including the self titled SNAFU, UNTITLED, which was nominated for a Green Room Award for Outstanding Creativity in Performance and GLOCAL, which was nominated for a Green Room Award for Most Innovative New Form. snafu received funding through Arts Victoria and was commissioned to make work for Melbourne City Council and Next Wave Festival. In 2000 Megan started working under her own company name of `department m´ and received an Australia Council New Media Arts Development Grant in conjunction with a Fellowship at The Australian Choreographic Centre (ACC) to create the work CATASTROPHE IN SLO MO for the `Made to Move´ festival, she then toured the show independently to Dancehouse in Melbourne. Megan was in Canberra again in 2003 with the Australia Council New Media Arts Residency at ACC, where her focus was on research and development under the working title Bleeding in Public Places.

Although focussed on making her own work Megan has consistently worked with other independent artists on their projects including, Louise TAUBE's fellowship at ACC Techno Powered Wilis which was also performed as part of Next Wave Festival, Cazerine BARRY's fellowship at ACC Separate at Earth, Dance Elixir's Hello for Next Wave Festival, Small Study for a Large Rectangle, start and space engravers, Elissa Meyer THOMAS' critical mass for Melbourne Fringe, Anna TRAGLON's Body Function for Melbourne Festival Outdoor Program, Simon ELLIS' SUGA and numerous others.

Megan has worked extensively performing, choreographing, and producing corporate events and also has a strong interest in working with the fashion industry for both independent designers and events including Melbourne Fashion Festival's Luna parades, Ready to wear, New designers, Salon shows, Greville St. runway and St. Kilda festival parades.

In 2002 Megan toured to Berlin, Zürich and Japan as Production Manager for ELISION Ensemble's Yuè Lìng Jié and took time to travel throughout Western Europe. Previously Megan was engaged as Stage Manager on Vivianna SACCHERO's work INNATE for the Next Wave Festival 2000 and as Assistant Stage Manager for Yuè Lìng Jié (Adelaide Festival 2000) and Moon Spirit Feasting (Melbourne Festival 2001).

This year Megan has been working as Project Manager developing a new work TULP, the body public with ELISION Ensemble which will be presented in the 2004 Sydney and Brisbane Festivals. She has also just concluded a contract as an Associate Producer with the Melbourne Fringe Festival and has ongoing commitments teaching contemporary dance and studying for a Graduate Diploma in Arts Management.

November 2003