Dennis Wolanski Library collection
moves to NIDA and SBW Foundation
One of Australia's major information resources
on the performing arts, the Dennis Wolanski Library of the Performing Arts
press clipping and program collection, has moved to the National Institute of Dramatic Art and
Seaborn Broughton & Walford Foundation.
The collection, to be
maintained as a distinct unit of the SBW Foundation Library and Archive, comprises
·
press clippings & ephemera - an
estimated 3 million items, including extensive material on performers and
performances at the Sydney Opera House 1972-1997, as well as on the performing
arts in Australia in the late 19th century and 20th century.
·
programs
- a
collection of 80,000 items, including duplicate Sydney Opera House programs
(arranged under company and performer names, complementing the official
chronological file at the Sydney Opera House and State Records Office), as
well as holdings on the performing arts in Australia, mainly in the 20th
century.
·
indexes
-a card
index of 80,000 entries, including cross-references to all plays, operas and
dance productions performed at the Sydney Opera House and other venues in
Australia 1973-1996, select entries for productions from previous eras and
overseas productions, and comprehensive entries for the British theatre review
periodical Play Bulletin and the Australian periodical Theatre
Australia. A separate index of Australian plays consists of 5400 cards on
Australian drama with information on performances, availability of published
editions, and location of manuscript playscripts.
The
collections had been deposited for safe keeping in the University of New South
Wales Library after the Sydney Opera House Trust closed the Dennis Wolanski
Library in 1997.
The new location for the
collection was stimulated by a partnership between the Wolanski Foundation, the Seaborn Broughton
and Walford Foundation and NIDA to develop the NIDA
archive. A major fund-raising campaign for the archive kicked off in 2005 under the patronage of Cate Blanchett. The archive
collection and costume research collection were relocated to an auxiliary
building in Alexandria in November 2005. Work will continue in 2006 to develop
programs and services, complementing the Rodney Seaborn Library and SBW
Foundation Library and Archive, which are located in the main building at
Kensington.
The
Wolanski Foundation was established in 1998 to facilitate management,
presentation and appreciation of the performing arts though information
services. It aims to
generate ongoing value from
the work of the Dennis Wolanski Library from 1973-1997, provide a Web-based information
service, assist other organisations to manage their arts information
resources, stimulate collaboration in the management of arts information, and
reduce anomalies relating to material transferred from the Sydney Opera House
to other organisations.
The SBW Foundation was
founded in 1986 to support the performing arts, particularly Australian
theatre, with substantial financial backing from Dr Rodney Seaborn. It owns
the Stables Theatre, supports the Griffin Theatre Company, has a share in the
Costume Shop, and manages the Rodney Seaborn Award for Australian playwriting.
In 2001, the Foundation formed a relationship with NIDA. The NIDA library was
renamed the Rodney Seaborn Library. And a separate SBW Foundation Library and
Archive moved to NIDA.
NIDA is
Australia’s leading theatre training school.
For
further information about the acquisition contact the SBW Foundation
Archivist, Peter Orlovich,
peter.orlovich@nida.edu.au, NIDA Archivist, Margaret Leask, margaret.leask@nida.edu.au
or the Wolanski Foundation Director, Paul Bentley, pbentley@idx.com.au
Websites: NIDA
www.nida.edu.au, SBW Foundation
www.sbwfoundation.com, the Wolanski Foundation
www.twf.org.au
