Democratising the Arts: A Reappraisal of the Recent Case Study of the Live Relay from Brisbane of a Major Orchestral Performance to Audiences in Six Regional Queensland Venues

Abstract

This brief paper is a response to a piece by Debra Beattie of Griffith University, ‘The Distribution of Knowledge as Cultural Content’: published in this journal (Vol. 9 Issue 3). Dr Beattie’s paper was presented as a case study of a ‘pilot’ project which I produced for the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane, in 2011: a live relay or narrow-cast (sometimes called a ‘Simulcast’) of a performance by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO) to six separate audiences in regional theatres across Queensland. I feel a response is required to correct a number of fundamental errors and misconceptions within Dr Beattie’s piece, not just for the sake this journal but because the errors badly misrepresent some of the most important international performing arts companies; and further, it provides an the opportunity to present a broader picture from which the reader might better appreciate the work being produced for the new digital platforms; that of bringing live performances from the world’s great performing arts companies to audiences in every corner of the globe.