Guide to the Papers of Philippa Cullen, 1971-1989 (bulk 1971-1975)

Summary

Collection number:

MS 6820

Creator:

Philippa Cullen and University of New South Wales

Extent:

0.6 metres and (1 folio box)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Philippa Cullen, National Library of Australia, MS 6820, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

MS 6820 comprises 12 manila folders of photocopied, typed and handwritten correspondence and documents relating to Cullen's employment and performance activities; notebooks and photographs relating to dance productions; documents relating to Cullen's tour under an Australian Council for the Arts grant plus letters relating to the formation and custody of the Philippa Cullen collection.

Biographical Note:

Born in Melbourne in 1950, Philippa Cullen was educated at Queenwood and Loreto Convent, Sydney. At the age of eight, she became a pupil at the Bodenwieser Dance Studio. During her dance studies at the Bodenwieser Centre, Cullen appeared in works choreographed by Margaret Chapple, Keith Bain and Jacqui Carroll including Bain's 'Primitive Suite', first performed at Ballet Australia's second workshop performance on 9 August 1964 at Cell Block Theatre, Sydney, and Jacqui Carroll's 'Entangled', first performed in another of Ballet Australia's choreographic workshops on 5 October 1969, also at the Cell Block.

One of Cullen's earliest choreographic works, 'Electronic Aspects', was performed in Ballet Australia's 1970 choreographic competition. 'Electronic Aspects' was set to music composed by Nicholas Lyons and featured nine dancers including Jacqui Carroll, Kay Dunne, Christine Koltai, and Geoffrey Cichero. In 1971 Cullen performed in Kay Dunne's Ballet Australia competition work '…we bled inside each other's wounds'. Cullen's second and final entry to a Ballet Australia choreographic competition was 'Utter' (1972) created for five dancers and with music 'performed, and words spoken and sung by dancers, arranged by the choreographer in collaboration with the writer George Alexander'. 'Utter' received a special mention from the judges.

In 1970 Cullen graduated from Sydney University with a BA degree, majoring in English and Italian with sub-majors in Fine Arts and Medieval History. During her studies at Sydney University, Cullen initiated dance classes and improvisational performances for Sydney University students. While at the University, Cullen came into contact with the theremin, an electronic musical instrument in which tone is generated by two high-frequency oscillators and pitch controlled by the movement of the performer towards and away from the circuit.

Cullen's first performance integrating the theremin, 'Homage to Theremin II' (1972), was a collaboration with composer Greg Schiemer, electrical engineer Phil Connor and architecture student Manuel Nobleza. This work utilised four theremins, each differing in shape and size and each with its own antenna, allowing the dancers to control the music accompanying their movements.

In May 1972 Cullen applied for an overseas travel grant to explore 'the medium of electronics and its potential for extending dance as an art form'. Cullen's trip took her to Europe, Africa, and India between August 1972 and early 1974. During her travels Cullen spent time at the Instituut Voor Sonologie (The Institute of Sonology), Utrecht University, The Netherlands, working with composer-in-residence Otto Laske. As a result of their contact Laske produced a graphic score for Cullen, Vitre, after a text by Rene Char, for one or more dancers. Laske composed a score in labanotation describing gestures and positions as well as vocal and body sounds along a flexible timeline of about 20 minutes.

Returning to Australia in early 1974, Cullen continued her investigation into the possibilities of electronics and dance, presenting a series of seminars over nine days at One Central Street Gallery, Sydney, giving workshops and demonstrations of the findings of her travels. In September 1974 she presented a 24 hour concert, 24-Hour Chess, with Ian Robertson and Aleks Danko at Hogarth Gallery, Sydney. Subsequent performances include the 1975 Computers and Electronics in the Arts exhibition in Canberra. Cullen died suddenly while travelling in India in 1975.

References: Cullen, Philippa, 'Towards a philosophy of dance', in Writings on Dance, 4. Making History (Spring 1989), pp. 18-25. Wallace, Jilba, 'A life's work: Philippa Cullen 1950-1975', in Writings on Dance, 4. Making History (Spring 1989), pp. 8-15. Alexander, George, 'The hot electron: some notes on the single-dance of Philippa Cullen', in Writings on Dance, 4. Making History (Spring 1989), pp. 26-31. Jones, Stephen, 'Philippa Cullen: dancing the music', in Leonardo Music Journal; Vol. 14, Issue 1, (December 2004), pp. 64-73.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

This collection of Philippa Cullen's papers was formed by Jilba Wallace, a friend of Cullen's, following Cullen's death in 1975. Wallace deposited the collection with the Paddington Town Hall Trust Library in 1977. During the 1980s the collection was transferred to the Library, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales. The papers of Philippa Cullen were donated to the National Library in 2005 by the Library, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales.

Arrangement:

The papers have been largely left in the order in which they were received.

Indexed terms

Names:

University of New South Wales

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3510737).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Philippa Cullen, National Library of Australia, MS 6820, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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