IN the past year, as the performing arts emerged from COVID-19, some great entertainment and events have taken place in Swan Hill.
A lot goes into bringing quality acts and events to Swan Hill and in particular the Town Hall.
Driving this agenda are two talented individuals striving to make Swan Hill a hub for entertainment in the region.
Performing arts and venue manager Simon Myers and performing arts and marketing officer Sharon Brinkman work as a team to attract some big names in the showbiz and entertainment world.
Mr Myers said it was very much a team effort between Ms Brinkman and him, both bringing different elements and experience to the unit.
Involved in the entertainment business for more than 35 years, Mr Myers started off as a musician.
As a freelance musician he spent 20 years working in musical theatre in Melbourne on productions such as The Lion King and Phantom of the Opera.
He then moved into producing and promoting shows.
During COVID he decided that he would like to work in a regional area.
He fell in love with the venue, met Ms Brinkman and thought there was a huge potential here.
“Sharon has been here for eight years and has a very good understanding of the local market, and I have been in the industry a few years myself, and we have been able to get some great artists to come to Swan Hill that Sharon thinks will work,” Mr Myers said
“The big advantage Swan Hill has is the size and adaptability of the Town Hall.
“You can put something that is only going to attract 200 people or you can put on a show that will seat 700, and we can also put in something that has more of a cabaret feel about it.
“Later in the year we are putting a show that is in the round, bringing the performers down from the stage and into the auditorium.
“Geographically we have Bendigo, Swan Hill and Mildura that are about two hours between each centre and Swan Hill’s venue seats 750, a similar number to Bendigo, but Mildura only seats 500.”
Ms Brinkman, a former veterinary nurse, said it was important to know your audience.
“You know things like theatre are not of a great interest, so we like to get the big bangers like comedians and big musical acts like Bjorn Again,” Ms Brinkman said.
“My day involves a lot of marketing, bookings, talking with clients and chasing down shows.
“I find that (it helps) if I am able to see the show first, to see if it will work in the space and would resonate with our audiences.
“Regional Arts Victoria often puts on a showcase which gives you a taste of the acts and then you do a meet-and-greet with the management and the ball starts rolling.
“There are also other events such as Adelaide Fringe and a cabaret festival.
“If there is a particular act we know, we talk with their management and work on bringing the show here.
“The performances are bringing people into the town and that gets the tourism going, which gets the hotels going and the shopping.”
