Category: News

Westender reviewed Romeo and Juliet observing that “Artistic Director Li Cun-Xin has set out to make Queensland Ballet a world-class ballet company and his strategy is to please crowds with the best of the classics.” The people of Brisbane agree as the following press release from the ballet attests.

Queensland Ballet’s Australian première of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s iconicRomeo & Julietproduction has broken a 54-year box office record.

This world famous production of Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-cross’d lovers, with guest appearances by international ballet stars Tamara Rojo, Carlos Acosta and Steven McRae, exceeded $1.1 million in box office takings, and was seen by over 15,000 people across eight performances from Friday 27 June – Saturday 5 July at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.

Queensland Ballet CEO Anna Marsden said that Romeo & Juliet is now Queensland Ballet’s highest-selling ballet in the Company’s rich 54-year history.

“The season of Romeo & Juliet was a huge success, reaching 97% of capacity, and five out of eight performances completely sold out.

“We were also pleased to welcome so many new patrons – over 50% of those that booked tickets had never purchased a ticket to Queensland Ballet before,” said Ms Marsden.

Queensland Ballet’s Artistic Director Li Cunxin is immensely proud of the Company’s success.

“It was a huge coup and honour for us to perform Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet, and we performed our hearts out to great critical acclaim.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the dancers, and every single person at Queensland Ballet who made this production such a smash-hit success,” comments Mr Li.

Lady Deborah MacMillan, who granted the Company the rights to perform her late husband’s iconic work, was extremely impressed with Queensland Ballet’s production of one of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s most renowned ballets.

“I think the Company is stunning. The dancers are keen and eager to do the roles, and this shone through in the performances. I’m excited, and thrilled.”

Guest star Tamara Rojo thinks Queensland Ballet is world class.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Queensland Ballet. The company is completely committed to Kenneth’s choreography and the characters.

“This is a company hungry for new challenges and embracing them whole heartedly. It has been a pleasure to be here,” said Ms Rojo.

This super star project was made possible by the generous support of the Super Star Fund, a Queensland Government program that delivers super star performances exclusive to the state.

Arts Minister Ian Walker said Romeo & Juliet exemplified what the State wanted to achieve in the performing arts.

“World-class choreographers and dancers working with Queensland professionals to bring the best of their art to local audiences, breaking box office records and showing the rest of Australia what can be achieved with hard work, imagination and a dream-big philosophy, is a huge accomplishment,” Mr Walker said.

“Queensland Ballet has achieved this result with grace and distinction.”

Arts Minister Ian Walker says: “It’s great to see box office records smashed with this production of Romeo & Juliet.

“Romeo & Juliet was the first project to receive Queensland Government investment through the Super Star Fund which supports local performing arts companies to feature internationally renowned artists in productions exclusive to Queensland.

Lady MacMillan wholeheartedly agrees that Queensland Ballet dancers would have benefited greatly from the experience of working with the international guests.

“Dancers learn from working with other dancers. To have them on the stage with someone like Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo and Steven McRae will have given them the most fantastic experience.

“Kenneth was always interested in helping younger dancers to develop their gifts, and this was a golden opportunity to do that,” said Lady MacMillan.

There is no doubt this production will leave a lasting legacy comments Mr Li.

“It was always my dream to dance Kenneth’s Romeo & Juliet, but seeing our dancers perform it has filled me with such happiness, I feel a greater dream has been realised.

“From the stars coaching of our dancers, a brunch at Brisbane City Hall featuring an in-depth conversation with Lady Deborah MacMillan, to Carlos Acosta giving a book reading at GOMA – this super star project will leave a legacy for the Company, and Queensland audiences for many years to come.”

The success of Romeo & Juliet follows a sell-out season in 2013, Artistic Director Li Cunxin’s debut season for Queensland Ballet.

“Romeo & Juliet was undoubtedly the biggest undertaking in Queensland Ballet’s history, and I hope we have shattered some glass ceilings with its success,” said Mr Li.

Be prepared to be mooned this weekend, in fact get ready to be supermooned! This Saturday night, all across Australia, the Moon will be a little bigger and a little brighter than normal, meaning we’re in for what’s called a ‘supermoon.’

The supermoon is a rare sight that doesn’t happen very often but when it does you’ll want to make sure you’re outside of your house and ready to check out just how breathtakingly beautiful it looks in the night sky.

A ‘Super Moon’ occurs at the time in the moon’s orbit when it’s closest to Earth, a mere 361,863 kilometres. Not only will the moon be full, it will also look slightly larger when rising early evening and somewhat brighter. All full moons bring higher than usual tides but if you’re going fishing during the supermom watch for ‘King Tides.’

The term supermoon name actually originated from the studies of modern astrology. A supermoon can appear as much as 14 percent larger in the sky and 20 percent brighter to our eyes than normal. Despite the claims of some people around the world, the supermoon will not destroy the Earth. Nor will it turn you into a lunatic.

Hey, with thenice full Moon on Saturday night it’s a good opportunity to take a photograph of it. There’s something magical about those pictures of the moonlight sky and dazzling stars, they convey a special something that daytime photos can’t.

You’ll need a tripod to hold the camera completely still for clear pics OK. A shutter release cable is handy too. Bracket your shots, up to a couple of seconds, but not to long to avoid background stars having ‘tails’ on them. Never use a flash! Take several shots at different speeds and see which gives the best exposure.

Got a smart phone? You can hand hold it over the eyepiece and careful aiming might get you a few nice moon shots. Email them to yourself. It’s the best way to build up experience and collect a good number of moon ‘selfies.’

Here’s a cool tip. Download an amazing free app called ‘Sky View. Simply point your smartphone to anything in the night sky and it will tell you what it is. Ask, and it will find planets, stars and constellations for you in a matter of moments, plus its got tons of interesting facts and figures on astronomy.  Want some more free stuff? Head on over to my website www.davidreneke.com and download a whole range of fact sheets and free e-books on astronomy.

 

 

Entries close in just 10 days for 2014 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards and Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is urging local business people to put themselves in the running. Entries close on Friday 18th July. See The Lord Mayors’ Business Awards website for more details.

“The ninth annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards celebrate the achievements and contribution made by our business community to Brisbane’s $135 billion economy,” Cr Quirk.

“The international spotlight is firmly fixed on Brisbane and the world is finding out why our city was chosen to host the G20 Leaders Summit in November.

“This is not the time to be modest. I want all local business operators to consider entering or nominating someone else. You have helped make Brisbane what it is today – Australia’s new world city – and you deserve recognition.

“A new award category – Doing Business in Asia – highlights Brisbane’s growing role as a business hub in Asia, a region which we share increasingly close economic, trade and cultural links.”

The other major change to the 2014 program sees the Australia TradeCoast Award for Business Growth become exclusively for Small Business Growth, open to small and medium enterprises employing up to 200 people.

“The Lord Mayor’s Business Awards reinforce our growing international reputation among key decision-makers worldwide as a dynamic and innovative city for business, investment, study and conventions,” Cr Quirk said.

The awards will be staged by Brisbane Marketing, the city’s economic development board, and are the only awards in Brisbane to include businesses and individuals across all sectors.

The 2014 winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner on Friday 10 October, where they will join LMBA winners from past years.

Visit www.lmba.com.au or call 3006 6200 for more information.

Welcome to Week 16 of this massive infrastructure project on your doorstep.

Firstly, thanks for your amazing patience in helping us deliver these works which will help make sure we can cope with future needs in your area.

This week’s works will see us continue to build the new sewer maintenance holes inside the two shafts (see second and third photo) which will soon be filled in completely and the area reinstated so traffic flow can return to normal on Hockings Street. We will also continue the slow drill through heavy rock from the shaft in front of 26 and 30 Mollison Street towards the pit in front of Monty’s Spare Parts.

What we need you to know is that we are expecting to start digging the next big shaft (similar to the one at the front of 26 and 30 Mollison Street) in the road and footpath area in front of The Markets Shopping Centre on Monday, 21 July 2014.

While these works will not block any access to the shopping centre, the bus stop will need to be moved about 20 metres towards Montague Road on the same side as its current location. The new location will be where the bus is in the first attached photo. Brisbane City Council will arrange appropriate on site notices to advise of the new bus stop location.

We will be delivering the attached letter to all residents and businesses in our works area later this week. It would be great if you could please pass this email on to anyone you believe may need to know this information.

Shortly, the Project Team is also planning to start work on underground drilling from the shaft in front of 26 and 30 Mollison Street towards the yet-to-be built shaft in front of the shopping complex.

Please feel free to let us know by commenting on this story, if you have any queries and we will do our very best to assist you.

Have a wonderful Winter week this Joyous July

Dylan Olliver

Investing time and focus in creating a business plan is one of the most valuable activities you can undertake.

Creating a well-structured business plan will give you direction and help your business become a success. A business plan provides a roadmap for your business’s future and is essential to attracting funding.

A business plan is vital for securing finance

If you’re seeking finance for your business, a business plan is an essential document to help you convince lenders and investors that you should be taken seriously. Whether you’re new to business or have been operating for years, lenders and investors will only risk their time and money if they are convinced your business will be successful and profitable.

Your marketing plan is also a crucial part of helping you to attract funds.

A business plan provides a roadmap for success

A complete, thoughtful business plan is one of the most valuable tools in helping you reach your long-term goals. It gives your business direction, defines your objectives, maps out strategies to achieve your goals and helps you to manage possible bumps in the road.

A business plan gives you control of your business

Business planning can seem overwhelming and time-consuming, but many successful businesses look at it as an opportunity.

The planning process helps you learn about the different forces and factors that may affect your success. If you’re already in business, it helps you to step back and look at what’s working and what you can improve on. Instead of worrying about the future, a business plan helps to give you a sense of control over your business and your livelihood.

Writing and researching for your business plan gives you the chance to:

• learn about your industry, market and competitors
• write down exactly where you are in the market and where you’re headed
• identify challenges you may come across and work out strategies to avoid or overcome them
• understand your business finances, including managing cash-flow and determining your break-even point
• set specific goals, timeframes for achieving them and how you’ll measure performance
• make sound business decisions that focus your activities, maximise your resources and give you a competitive edge.

It’s important to have a business plan, but it’s just as important to keep it up to date

A business plan is not a document you create once and store in your bottom drawer. It’s a living guide that you should develop as your business grows and changes. Successful businesses review and update their business plan when circumstances change.

Set yourself a reminder to review your business plan regularly.

If you have a team in your business, holding brainstorming sessions is a good way to benefit from their knowledge – it ensures you’re all on the same page and that you get their support.

You don’t have to start with a blank sheet of paper

To write an effective business plan you’ll need discipline, time and focus. Although the process can seem challenging, it’s very rewarding and gives you a sense of control over your business.

You don’t have to start with a blank sheet of paper. Our Business plan template and guide were created by experts to help you secure finance and achieve your business goals. It gives you a clear and concise process to follow.

Own an iPad or Android™ device? Download our free business planning app, MyBizPlan, now!

Today’s announcement by the Federal Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan, that all new psychoactive substances (NPS) will be prohibited from import unless importers can prove they have a legitimate use, will see the creation of hundreds of mobile drug labs and secret production houses start up around the country.

Sex Party President and Eros CEO, Fiona Patten, said the Minister’s media release was very thin on detail. “Will the bans be based on pharmacological mimicry (like Qld and SA) or on psychoactivity (like NSW)? If based on ‘mimicry’, then will they only apply to LSD, MDMA and cannabis as suggested in the new laws (ie sertonergics and cannabinomimetics) or also to other drugs like GHB, amphetamine etc (ie GABAergics, adrenergics, etc)?

She said that the new laws would radically change the supply chain for NPS in Australia. “Bans on imports do nothing to address the desire and the market for drugs at home” she said. “If they can no longer be bought in from overseas, there are plenty of chemistry graduates who have the know-how to produce these new synthetic psychoactive substances within Australia. The federal government may have just inadvertently opened the door to a massive new drug problem”.

Ms Patten said that regulation would be far more effective in controlling NPS and cited the release of new statistics by the New Zealand Star Trust group last week that showed that during 2013, while it was legal to sell approximately 30 NPS in that country, illicit drug offences declined by 22.7%. Paul Glue, head of psychological medicine at Dunedin School of Medicine (NZ) said that “Since the Bill was enacted, we have seen fewer hospital admissions and emergency presentations associated with the use of synthetics”.

During 2013 there were no recorded deaths from NPS in NZ at the same time as 3,764 people died from tobacco use. The New Zealand government collected $42 million in taxes from the sale of regulated NPS and 3.5 million packets were sold. There were 12 positive media stories and 2,843 negative ones on the topic during 2013.

Ms Patten said the proposed regulatory regime invested unworkable powers with the ACBPS to determine if a substance had a ‘legitimate use’ and that it was unfair to allow the agency that seized the NPS in the first place to then consider whether or not that decision had been correct. “Many common herbs like Damiana have a psychoactive effect”, she said. “Will they be banned? And what is a ‘legitimate use’ anyway? Is the importation of a weak NPS as a healthier substitute for tobacco or alcohol, a ‘legitimate use’?

Ms Patten said Australia was about to break into the scenarios and storylines of the highest rated TV show of all time – Breaking Bad. On one level the TV show was a ‘morality play’ about a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He turns to a life of crime producing methamphetamine from a mobile laboratory in the form of a caravan, in order to ensure his family is looked after when he is gone. On another level, the program offers policy makers a compelling and fascinating account of how the prohibition of the new illicit drugs makes organized crime rich and casts misery on average families. Ms Patten strongly advised policy makers to watch the first series before escalating any prohibition on illicit drugs.

She said the negative impacts and dangers of NPS had been overstated in the Government’s Regulatory Impact Statement with little or no evidence produced. There had been little research done on the actual health impact of NPS. On this note she said she was concerned that the Alcohol and Drug sector had not been consulted and possibly were not aware of the RIS.

“The size of the market for synthetic cannabinoid-type products alone is estimated at more than $600 million in Australia”, she said. “If other NPS and individual purchases made via the internet are included, then that figure could be as much as a billion dollars. Considering the size of the market for these products it must be assumed that the vast majority of consumers do not suffer any significant negative health effects.”

Ms Patten said that the solution to the emergence of the New Psychoactive Substances was to legalise an old one – cannabis.