Meet the finalists for the 2018 Ruby Awards

Now in its 13^th year, South Australia’s annual celebration of the arts has acknowledged the impact of big ticket items from the Art Gallery of South Australia and Adelaide Festival alongside the contributions of grassroots arts organisations.

Nominees for the revamped awards include Windmill Theatre Co.’s puppet-based parable Beep, ACE Open’s Adelaide Festival exhibition Wagt al-tagheer: Time of Change, youth theatre company Act Now Theatre, WOMADelaide’s feathered frenzy Place des Anges and the Art Gallery of South Australia’s blockbuster Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay.

New in 2018 are two awards that pay tribute to a pair of recognisable figures in South Australia’s arts communities. The Stevie Gadlabarti Goldsmith Memorial Award will honour the well-loved Kaurna leader by recognising the artistic or cultural achievements of a South Australia-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-focussed individual or organisation. A broadcaster, community leader and generous advocate for Kaurna culture and language, Uncle Stevie was a recognisable fixture at arts events around the state, and performed a key role in the State Theatre of South Australia’s 2017 Adelaide Festival production of The Secret River.

Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Cabaret Festival co-founder Frank Ford AM will also be commemorated with a new award recognising the work of a young South Australian artist or arts worker under the age of 35. The award comes in addition to Ford’s significant bequest to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Adelaide Fringe, which included the establishment of a $20,000 Frank Ford Award.

“It is great to be able to pay tribute to late arts and cultural luminaries Uncle Stevie Goldsmith and Frank Ford AM with new awards named in their honour, recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts organisations, and young and emerging artists and arts workers,” Arts South Australia’s Jennifer Layther said of the announcement.

Winners will be announced on Saturday, December 1

Ruby Awards 2018 Finalists

Best Festival
Adelaide Festival 2018
Adelaide Fringe 2018
SALA Festival 2017
WOMADelaide 2018

Best Work or Event Within a Festival:
Hamlet – Adelaide Festival and Glyndebourne Festival Opera (Adelaide Festival 2018)
In the Club – State Theatre Company South Australia (Adelaide Festival 2018)
Wagt al-tagheer: Time of Change – ACE Open (Adelaide Festival 2018)
Place des Anges – WOMADelaide and Gratte Ciel (Adelaide Festival 2018)

Best Work or Event Outside a Festival:
Beep – Windmill Theatre Co
Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay – Art Gallery of South Australia
Impersonal Space – Company AT and Tutti Arts
On the Terrace – Chamber Music Adelaide

Best Community or Regional Event or Project:
AREA 53 – D’Faces of Youth Arts
Collectors/Collections: Waikerie Films – Waikerie District Historical Society and OSCA – Open Space

Contemporary Arts
Mi:Wi 3027 – Country Arts SA
SCC Fringe 2018 – Art Engineers (Julianne Pierce), Ashley Sierp and Southern Cross Care

Best Work, Event or Project for Young People:
AREA 53 – D’Faces of Youth Arts
Beep – Windmill Theatre Co
Neo – Art Gallery of South Australia
Ngarrindjeri Yanun (Aboriginal Artist Development Initiative) – Carclew Youth Arts

Made in Adelaide Award:
Baba Yaga – Windmill Theatre Co
Backbone / A Simple Space – Gravity & Other Myths
Intimate Space at Bleach* Festival (Commonwealth Games 2018) – Restless Dance Theatre
Things I Know to be True – State Theatre Company South Australia

Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation or Group:
ActNow Theatre
Stormfront Productions
True North Youth Theatre Ensemble
Vitalstatistix

Winners also to be announced on the December 1:
Stevie Gadlabarti Goldsmith Memorial Award
Frank Ford Memorial Young Achiever Award
Geoff Crowhurst Memorial Award
People’s Choice Award
Premier’s Award for Lifetime Achievement

Header image:
ActNow associate director Yasmin Gurreeboo with artists Valerie Berry and Mahira Hasanović (photo: Kate Pardy)