The Art of Sport
12noon to 1pm on Sunday 28 April 2013
SVC Theatrette, Australian Institute of Sport
Leverrier Street, Bruce ACT 2617
As part of the Open Day at the Australian Institute of Sport on April 28 2013 in conjunction with the Centenary of Canberra celebrations, a panel session called The Art of Sport is being convened.
For some time, there have been moves to draw parallels between Sport and the Arts, especially in those disciplines where there are clear parallels between training disciplines, individual virtuosity, teamwork and the treatment of injuries.
For many years art and sport were seen as polar opposites, with the arts appearing to be the soft option and sports the tougher ‘healthier’ profession or pastime. These days, popular TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, or Australia’s Got Talent show the energy and discipline that dancers, for instance, need. As more attention is focused on the similarities, there is more interest in looking at both the rigour of arts training and discipline, as well as the more psychological and philosophical aspects of sports. An example of how they are drawing together can be seen in the festival in Lille, France, which since 2007 has featured both art and sport.
For the AIS Open Day, David Pledger (once a footballer, now an artist) from Not Yet It’s Difficult (VIC) is preparing The Training Squad who will perform on that day. The Training Squad is comprised half of athletes, half of performing artists; they form a group of highly athletic individuals who form a disciplined and precision-drill squad. The stories of how some chose the arts and some chose sports are fascinating.
David will be a panel member and will be joined by both elite athletes and elite artists to talk about the fact that sports have far more in common with the arts than most people currently think. Just comparing photographic portraits of each is telling, when the fact of ‘grace’ and ‘elegance’ appears paramount in both, yet this is rarely acknowledged.
The Art of Sport will cover multiple areas of discussion, shine a light on the psychological and physical states to which both athletes and artists must attain, open up a dialogue about the way training is to be approached in both areas, and perhaps most importantly at this time, talk about ‘role model’ status, and its challenges for both athletes and artists.
In a day of high excitement at the home of elite sport, this will be a fresh and inspiring hour of new thinking from the best in both fields.
Panel session includes:
Moderator, Beverley O’Connor, Presenter ABC
David Pledger, Artistic Director, Not Yet It’s Difficult
Philippa Paige, Violinist, Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Robert de Castella
Rob dominated the world in the marathon throughout the 1980s decade winning the World Championships, two Commonwealth Games and set the World Record. He was Australian of the Year in 1983 and Director of the AIS from 1990 to 1995. He then founded his own Not for Profit health promotion company, SmartStart for Kids in 1999 to address child obesity and in 2009 launched the Indigenous Marathon Project to improve Indigenous health and wellbeing through running and the marathon. In 2006 he launched a grain & gluten free health food company Deeks.
Inquiries: Beverly Growden, Senior Program Manager, Centenary of Canberra 02 6207 7805 or email beverly.growden@act.gov.au
This is a Centenary of Canberra project, proudly supported by the ACT Government and the Australian Government with support from the Australian Institute of Sport.
