image02

Sydney Comedy Festival at Sydney Town Hall – fun for the whole family!

Roll up Roll up Folks! – We’re coming back to Sydney Town Hall!

For a third bumper year, Sydney Comedy Festival will take over Sydney’s favourite meeting place with a treasure chest of seriously funny shows the whole family can enjoy!

Proudly supported by the City of Sydney.

Check out www.sydcomedyfest.com.au for 2018 program details.

JV_POSTER_HORIZONTAL_web_lrg

“ABC’s hilarious radio show– but after dark! And in a theatre”

Afternoons Tonight! With James Valentine

Back by Popular Demand

After sell out seasons in 2016, James Valentine tours his wildly funny stage show to Sydney Opera House, Blue Mountains Theatre and The Concourse, Chatswood this August and September. Experience all the hilarity of James Valentine’s Afternoon radio program from ABC Radio Sydney but after dark! And in a theatre.

Expect live versions of such legendary segments as This Is What I Live With, Ex, The New Normal and Petty Crime Stoppers…they’ll all be there. Who knows, maybe he’ll even attempt…Nothing.

You’ll laugh, you’ll crack up and you’ll have something to talk about all weekend!

No one looks at the world quite like James Valentine, and just when you think it can’t get any better, it does. Afternoons Tonight! is a fantastically funny and interactive night at the theatre and a great insight into how this radio show really works!

James Valentine is one of Australia’s most loved radio presenters and in a long and eclectic career has worked as a journalist, author, television host and musician. A saxophonist, he has performed with many acclaimed acts including: Jo Jo Zep, Models and Absent Friends. James also hosts the ABC Podcast Head Room which expands on musings and questions posed during James’ Afternoons radio show from 1-3pm weekdays on ABC Radio Sydney and NSW.

SEASON DATES AND DETAILS:

Sydney Opera House Saturday 12 August 2017

Performance times: 2pm* and 7:30pm
*Note: 2pm matinee is ‘before dark’!
Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
$40*/$35* concession plus SOH handling fee
www.sydneyoperahouse.com or Ph: (02) 9250 7777
Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au or Ph: 13 28 49

Blue Mountains Theatre Saturday 19 August 2017

Performance time: 8pm
Blue Mountains Theatre, 106 Macquarie Road, Springwood.
Tickets $30.00; $27.00 Conc. To book, call the box office on:
(02) 4723 5050 or visit: www.bluemountainstheatre.com

The Concourse, Chatswood Friday 15 September 2017

Performance time: 7:30pm
Tickets $40.00, $35 Concession plus Ticketek handling fee
Book now www.theconcourse.com.auor 02 8075 8111
or Ticketek 1300 795 012 www.ticketek.com.au

 JV_abc_680x330_v3

“A Gala Party, because 2017 needs Roasting!” 

WHAT A YEAR IT’S BEEN…! 

James Valentine returns with an exclusive ‘one off’ show… just because 2017 has been so great!  From Trump to Trolls to Turnbull and Tony, from Weiner to Weinstein to Wilkinson, it really is a year to be proud of.

It’s been a great year to be a dual citizen, to pay an electricity bill, to vote in a national survey where the vote didn’t count – it’s a year of innovation and agility like we’ve never seen before.

James thinks “it’s a year we should remember because it’s one we want to forget”

Special guest H.G. Nelson, together with James, has formed the Even Greater Sydney Planning Committee, a two-person body which oversees all other NSW planning committees. As well as reviewing some of the top notch decision-making in planning this year, (how good is the Light Rail and West Connex?!), we’ll be awarding the Beriijiklian Prize for Excellence In Urban Development.

And if that’s not enough, we’re proud to announce broadcasting legend Margaret Throsby to the line-up. Together Margaret and James will determine the new standards of behaviour in social deportment required in 2017!

Margaret says,  “I barely knew how to cut a sandwich correctly or reply to a bitmoji greeting before I started talking with James!”

 Joined by H.G. Nelson and Australia’s favourite broadcaster Margaret Throsby, together they will remember the strange, the weird, the really quite ordinary and the damn right mediocre moments that made 2017 a year to forget.

Back to the Concourse by popular demand, James Valentine and his Afternoons regulars will look back at the year and do the only thing that makes sense…laugh.

 See you there!

Note: This show is ABC certified to be both fair and balanced….

James Valentine is one of Australia’s most loved radio presenters and in a long and eclectic career has worked as a journalist, author, television host and musician. A saxophonist, he has performed with many acclaimed acts including: Jo Jo Zep, Models and Absent Friends. James also hosts the ABC Podcast Head Room which expands on musings and questions posed during James’ Afternoons radio show from 1-3pm weekdays on ABC Radio Sydney and NSW.

SEASON DATES AND DETAILS:

8pm, Wednesday 29 November
Concert Hall, The Concourse, Chatswood
$60*/$55* concession plus Ticketek handling fee
www.theconconcourse.com.au or 02 8075 8111
Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au or Ph: 1300 795 012

 

image03

HIDDEN SYDNEY- The Glittering Mile is an immersive cabaret celebrating Kings Cross in the 50s, 60s and 70s which took Vivid by storm in 2017. Keep your eyes peeled to our website and Hidden Sydney Facebook page for 2018 season announcements!  
www.hiddensydney.com.au

tagline_8

 

2160_wm_tm_assets_01_hi_res_artwork_kbc_art

The producers of Hidden Sydney with Vivid Ideas present

KINGS BLOODY CROSS

…tales of the Criminale and Glitterati

 A curated season of raw and riveting ‘in conversation’ events with Kings Cross luminaries. Rub shoulders with artists, idealists and opportunists and hear fascinating twentieth stories about ‘ungentrified’ Sydney – the heady days of rock n roll, free love, corruption, opportunity, sex, greed and politics. A thrilling insight into the dirty half mile’s people, bohemia and place. Curated by Olivia Ansell

Presented over three weekends during Vivid 2017, keep your eyes peeled to our website for 2018 season announcements.

www.hiddensydney.com.au/kings-bloody-cross

 

 

image02

Sydney Comedy Festival at Sydney Town Hall – fun for the whole family!

Roll up Roll up Folks! – We’re coming back to Sydney Town Hall!

For a third bumper year, Sydney Comedy Festival will take over Sydney’s favourite meeting place with a treasure chest of seriously funny shows the whole family can enjoy!

Proudly supported by the City of Sydney.

Check out www.sydcomedyfest.com.au for 2018 program details.

 

 

image04Hidden Sydney- The Glittering Mile is back by popular demand as part of Vivid Sydney
An immersive cabaret celebrating Kings Cross in the 50s, 60s and 70s
Season runs May 25-June 18
www.hiddensydney.com.au
www.ticketmaster.com.au

 2160_wm_tm_assets_01_hi_res_artwork_kbc_art

The producers of Hidden Sydney with Vivid Ideas present

KINGS BLOODY CROSS

…tales of the Criminale and Glitterati

 A curated season of raw and riveting ‘in conversation’ events with Kings Cross luminaries. Rub shoulders with artists, idealists and opportunists and hear fascinating twentieth stories about ‘ungentrified’ Sydney – the heady days of rock n roll, free love, corruption, opportunity, sex, greed and politics. A thrilling insight into the dirty half mile’s people, bohemia and place. Curated by Olivia Ansell

Presented over three weekends at The World Bar and Wayside Chapel during Vivid 2017. www.hiddensydney.com.au/kings-bloody-cross

 

Sydney Comedy Festival at Sydney Town Hall – fun for the whole family!

Roll up Roll up Folks! – We’re coming back to Sydney Town Hall!

For a second bumper year, Sydney Comedy Festival will take over Sydney’s favourite meeting place with a treasure chest of seriously funny shows the whole family can enjoy!

Proudly supported by the City of Sydney

Comedy For Kids! Shipwreck Gala – Sat 20 May, 11am & 2pm 

phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg

Ahoy There Mateys!

Young comedy fans aged 5-12 years can jump aboard the fun with Comedy for Kids! Shipwreck Gala at Sydney Town Hall. Hosted by Harley Breen and Heath Franklin (aka Captain Fun Pants and Pirate No Beard) the Comedy for Kids! Shipwreck Gala will steer an action packed, line-up of stowaway sketch comedy, hip hop sea shanties, acrobatic pirates, ropes and ladder circus, stand up and much more! All proceeds will be donated to the Sydney Story Factory.

End of Fest Gala – Sat 20 May, 7:30pm 

phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg-1

Join us as we “cheers” to the end of another huge Festival, with a handpicked line-up of the world’s best international comedians, red hot local artists and exceptional emerging talent performing right in the heart of Sydney.Get in quick for your final chance to see the world’s comedic best live on stage! www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perth Writers Festival 2017

The Courtyard Sessions

Unknown-1

A hotbed of ideas, Perth Writers Festival gathers a feast of international and Australian writers, artists and thinkers from across the globe as they provoke, inspire and offer their unique insights and perspectives on the world.

February 24-25

 

 

 

Perth International Arts Festival 2017

Inua Ellams’s The Midnight Run

hr_the-midnight-run_02

The Midnight Run is this unique, interactive tour of discovery, led by Inua Ellams, who takes a group of 40 people around the city over a 6 hour period, exploring the streets, people and places of Perth. An inventive, arts-filled night time walking tour incorporating workshops in numerous skills.

Inua, Nigerian born British Playwright and Social Venturer says “To become a Midnight Runner™ is to return to simplicity, to be entertained by real experiences of the city you never knew existed. Trust in your fellow travellers and the art of conversation to move through the city as a child moves through a maze – with natural play and wonderment.”  March 3-4

 

 

Buzo and Lesley McKay’s Bookshop presents

The Art of Dinosaur Designs

an evening with Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy

Produced by Live Ideas

book-homepage

Thursday 17 November from 6pm
Buzo Modern European, 3 Jersey Rd, Woollahra
Dinosaur Designs’ distinctive, handcrafted resin homewares and jewellery are not so much a part of our fashion and design landscape as emblematic of it.

Hosted by Lesley McKay Bookshop, guests will hear Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy talk about their iconic body of work, whilst enjoying an intimate cocktail reception courtesy of Buzo Modern European.

Signed copies of their first book, The Art of Dinosaur Designs, will be available for purchase at the event. The perfect Christmas gift! $45/head.

 

 

 

Live Ideas and Working Management present

Hidden Sydney-The Glittering Mile

AFTER A SELL-OUT SEASON- BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

hs-return

King Cross is a state of mind.
No boundaries to its name, no limits to its life.

But half a century later, has the Cross been crossed out?

Hidden Sydney – an immersive, exhilarating and witty cabaret experience set over four floors of “The Nevada”, the former Sydney brothel which boasted the biggest bed in the world…

Quick-witted bouncers, madams of the night, drag queens, crooks, entertainers and eccentrics alike relive the world of the Cross during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s….

Immerse yourself in the stories of Bea Miles, Abe Saffron, Roie The Witch, Standover Jim and the iconic Les Girls. Rub shoulders with the crims and crooks of the day, finishing up with last drinks at the Chevron Silver Spade

Come in if you dare!

“The Nevada” at The World Bar, Bayswater Road, Kings Cross
2-20 NOVEMBER 2016

tagline_8

 

 

 

 

Live Ideas presents Buzo Concert Series

Live Ideas teamed up with Buzo Modern European, a Sydney culinary institution recently relaunched by owners Mark Campbell and Phillip Fikkers, under the contemporary direction of chef Jason Dean (former chef at Bentley, Oscillate Wildly).

Bastille at Buzo was a huge success and sell-out event, featuring an evening of French inspired food and song with Principal soprano Narelle Yeo paying tribute to France’s chanteuse and greatest international cabaret star, reprising the songs of Edith Piaf.

Our September 4 event featured Australian jazz star, the delightful Emma Pask.

2047_wm_emma_pask_edm_rev-art2

“Whilst its fashionable to be a jazz singer these days, Emma Pask is the real thing! “ James Morrison

Proudly supported by Kawai.

 

 

Sydney Comedy Festival 2016 at Sydney Town Hall

KidsComedy_LiveIdeas_2

Presented by Coopers Pale Ale and the Comedy Channel, the 12th Annual Sydney Comedy Festival set up shop in all the usual places in April this year and for the first time unleashed its program at the spectacular Sydney Town Hall!

SYDNEY TOWN HALL GOES APE FOR COMEDY!

Supported by City of Sydney, the Festival’s Sydney Town Hall incursion included feature shows by Festival favourite and international superstar Ross Noble, a free children’s program in the Lower Town Hall and a knock-out program filled with comedians from around the world.

Armed with some of Australia’s largest dinosaurs, a red hot Edinburgh Fringe favourite circus act and a multi-award-winning Korean clowning and beatbox ensemble, Artistic Director Olivia Ansell  transformed the Lower Town Hall into a Jungle supported by the Australian Museum, that by day plays host to “Comedy for Kids!’, delighting young audiences aged 2-12 with a swathe of adventurous activities including interactive play stations, storytelling, live stage shows by some of the world’s funniest comedians and circus acts along with workshops in Theatresports, illustration and street dance.

By night, the Jungle lost its PG rating and transformed into a mischievous Late Night Club, hosted by Rhys Nicholson presenting internationally revered comics alongside an array of local cabaret, comedy and musical acts. Sydney Comedy Festival

“So well set up particularly the variety of activities that are designed for kids of all ages. Well done! Thanks again for such an amazing, top-quality, free event! The kids meeting the cast was also a hi-light. Great interactive shows. Extremely well thought-out & executed. Great coffee cart too.”

“An amazing event. Well organised. Quality acts. Children were all engaged. Just the right duration for the target audience. Venue was easily accessible. Thanks for organising a great family event.”

“We absolutely loved it. It was brilliantly entertaining, professional and hilarious. Really hoping you do something every school holidays.”

-Sydney Comedy Festival testimonials from audience

SydneyComedyFestival

 

 

 

HOME – Perth International Arts Festival 2016

Producer

November 2015 – February 2016 (4 months) Perth, Australia

Live Ideas produced HOME – the Opening Ceremony directed by Nigel Jamieson (Sydney Olympics, How To Train Your Dragon-Global Creatures) for the 2016 Perth International Arts Festival. HOME was an epic celebration of Perth and Western Australia. Part concert spectacular, part multimedia visual arts installation, HOME played to 50,000 audience and featured performances by Tim Minchin, Tim Winton, John Butler Trio, The Panics, The Drones, The Waifs, The Triffids, The Pigram Brothers, Shaun Tan, accompanied by the West Australian Orchestra, WAYO and Voyces Ensemble.  Perth International Arts Festival

“Headlined by singer-songwriter Tim Minchin, HOME was bold and big hearted, with a strong political message of recognising past wrongs and promoting an inclusive future, told through music, words and dazzling visual projections” -The Age

OzAsia Festival 2016

Consultant Executive Producer

OzAsia Festival is Australia’s leading international arts festival presenting the best theatre, dance, music, film and visual arts from across Asia.  This year’s program features an impressive array of performance works by contemporary Asian artists who are pioneering work in their field. Performers congregating for the Festival come from a far-reaching and diverse number of Asian countries including Japan, India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Cambodia, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Israel.

The 2016 OzAsia Festival featured 47 major events, including 35 Australian premieres, 111 professional performances, as well as 101 performances by community groups, 8 exhibitions, 16 film screenings, 59 workshop events and more. More than 330 professional artists performed in Adelaide, along with 458 community artists. More than 280,000 people attended OzAsia Festival over the 12 days during 2016 across a mix of free and ticketed events.

OzArts_Asia_Projects

 

 

Hayes Theatre Co 2014-2015 

Manager of Development

June 2014 – December 2015 (1 year 7 months) Sydney, Australia

Hayes Theatre Co, is Australia’s dedicated home for music theatre and cabaret, presenting a range of performances, from re-imagined classic musicals, new Australian work and internationally revered cabaret-connecting with an already established music theatre-loving audience in Sydney. This intimate venue gives audiences the opportunity to enjoy an up-close-and-personal music theatre experience, with high quality productions by some of Australia’s most in demand creatives and music theatre professionals. Just 2 years old, Hayes Theatre Co plays to 32,000+ annually, has won a swathe of accolades including 3 Helpmann Awards and 2 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Olivia raised government, philanthropic and private investment for Hayes Theatre Co from August 2014-December 2015, including investment for the first ever produced Hayes Theatre Co musical High Society, securing of 2016 New Musicals Australia funding via Australia Council music Board and securing of 4 year Australia Council operational funding for 2017-2020.

Hayes Theatre Co

“Musical Theatre doesn’t come better than this…”- Jason Blake, Sydney Morning Herald

HayesTheatreCo_LiveIdeas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shaun Parker & Company 2011-2014 

Executive Producer

Olivia was the inaugural Executive Producer of Shaun Parker & Company (2011-2014) securing triennial funding with the Australia Council and raising government, private and commercial investment nationally and internationally. Key projects  included touring Parker’s SPILL to New York City, receiving three Helpmann Award nominations, producing two outdoor theatre commissions by Shaun Parker and composer Nick Wales for the 2012 London Cultural Olympiad and the BBC’s SPACE channel, touring France and the United Kingdom to twelve venues including Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre on West End, touring fifteen Australia venues and five states with mid scale dance production Happy as Larry and producing SPILL and TROLLEYS for City of Sydney’s 2013 and 2014 Art & About festivals. Other achievements include securing major festivals commissioning for a new music theatre production for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Melbourne Festival and Adelaide Festival with 14 musicians, singers and dancers and producing a 2014 touring schedule to Austria, Serbia, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine and the United States.  Shaun Parker & Company

“ Music and movement perfectly balanced …I’d have happily turned around and watched this exciting new Australian work all over again” -The Guardian