And the winner is…

I had an idea. It happens sometimes. And I was busting with enthusiasm with this idea so I thought I’d share it on that public forum, Facebook, to rapturous applause (be patient, I’ll explain the idea below). But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum.

When I posted the idea (oh alright… it’s a Performing Arts Awards night for Goulburn… happy now?), I added one word that apparently meant something entirely different from what I anticipated.

The word was “Thoughts?”.

So, back-tracking, I have previously mentioned in a range of forums (fora?) that Goulburn should have its own Performing Arts Awards night. It would be lavish, filled with performances, bring together groups that often operate separately and do their own thing, it would highlight extraordinary talents and it would provide a counter-balance to all the other awards people can receive for sport and other endeavours.

That’s kind of it in a nutshell.

And so when I made the suggestion and added that one word (and one piece of punctuation… thoughts?) … I THOUGHT I was asking “anyone got any tweaks? What awards could we add to the list? When should it be held? How would you choose the panel?” I thought I was asking for thoughts on how to do it.

I DIDN’T think I was asking people to shoot it down before I got started, but if I’m silly enough to rely on one word, then I have to expect a range of interpretations.

The first response I got was very handy… an idea I hadn’t thought of that as soon as I heard it I thought… yeah, that makes sense. But then…

And I must add… many opposed to the idea were nice and respectful… they just disagreed. Some others, not so much.

The reason I didn’t anticipate ANY opposition to the idea is that … to me… I was merely suggesting adopting and localising well-established practice. “Hey, you know that thing they do everywhere else… and not just everywhere, but even here in Goulburn in every other sphere of endeavour… let’s do that here too.” It’s the things you don’t think of. You don’t think to say “Don’t forget about gravity” “You need to breathe” or “Vaccinating is good” (too soon?) because they seem obvious. The case has already been made and the practice is so well established that it doesn’t occur to you that there is even a debate to be had.

The germ of an idea

The idea for a Goulburn Performing Arts Awards first occurred to me when Ant Lewis and I went to the Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) Awards in 2019. Rocky Hill Musical Theatre Company had joined the CAT Awards and we had a show, Getting There (disclaimer, I wrote it) up for consideration across the broad range of awards.

In almost every category they had five (sometimes more) nominees but for one… best new show. In that category they had only two or three but NOT Getting There. I even said to Ant at the time… how bad am I doing, they’d prefer to have only a couple of shows and an empty space than to include mine even just as padding. And as the night went on, RHMTC wasn’t nominated for any other awards either.

But the Awards night itself, hosted by Darryl Sommers sans Dickie Knee, was great and really, really enjoyable. Included was the performance of a song I’d never seen before… Seventeen from “Heathers” and I remember when we walked out it was the first thing I said to Ant… how good was that song!!! How good was that performance!!! I didn’t set my (few remaining) hairs on fire and say “it’s rigged” or “my self-esteem is destroyed.” I was disappointed for maybe the length of the car ride home to Goulburn then looked up that song and played it, like, 100 times and thought “you know, maybe a Goulburn based awards wouldn’t suck”.

The absolute okayness of not winning awards

Now, that night is not the only night I didn’t win an award. I have been awarded a sum total of four awards in my life that I can think of (apparently there’s not enough documented proof that my cross pool-wade at St Pat’s in the 1983 school swimming carnival actually happened… whatever!). I’m 56 so that means I’ve lived through something like 20, 454 nights and on 20,450 of those I didn’t win awards… and I’m cool with that. I’m winning awards, on average, once every 14 years so 2035 is shaping up to be a big year for me.

Two of the awards were the same award twice from the Goulburn Rugby Club in 1990 and 2010… twenty years apart. The Clubman of the Year. I received them genuinely humbled (and paraphrasing Groucho Marx, I have much to be humble about). I’ve been with the Club about 32 years now and I haven’t kicked the cat, stormed off in a huff or questioned my place in the universe on the 30 years I DIDN’T get the award. I’m bloody chuffed to have received it at all to be honest, because, like I said, I don’t get many awards.

In the responses on facebook, people have highlighted the potential negatives and destructive sides of awards. Frankly, I just don’t see them. When my son Bobby got the only award he’s ever received, his primary school’s Creative Arts Award (and only the third kid to ever receive it, brag brag), it was the best day of his life and he STILL feels very happy remembering that day? Where’s the downside? I’m not seeing it.

Maybe others that didn’t receive it felt bad? I don’t know, but that’s no different than Bobby potentially feeling bad for all the awards he hasn’t received. But he doesn’t. Just happy for that bit of recognition.

The people I would feel sorry for are the judges. Assuming they are quality humans with integrity oozing out of their veins, every time they have to compare apples and oranges they’ll say “this is so hard.” Due presumably to a clerical error I was asked to be one of the secret judges in the busking competition a few years back. Which on one hand is genius… given my lack of performance abilities who’d suspect me to be a judge? Anyway it was an honour to be asked and I set about it excitedly but soon hit that very obstacle… how am I going to compare this young saxophonist with this singer who also plays guitar. It was excruciating. Excruciating, but possible because the Con provided criteria which, if you stick to honestly and consistently, provides AN answer. And I say AN answer rather than THE answer because no matter how well you apply yourself and all intentions, it will still be subjective… but that’s ok… and there were three judges and so the intersection of their ideas removes a little of that too.

Bobby, while I’m on the topic, was also selected to take part in Mighty Playwrights, a Goulburn based project where one kid from each school got a chance to work with a mentor and create a 15 minute play. Bobby wrote a 25-minute musical. Because Bobby. But he was given absolutely princely treatment by all in a mind-bendingly spectacular experience you simply could not pay for. Just TOO good. He/we will be forever indebted for the confidence, the pride and the experience this project gave him. But even it was an award. One kid per school gets chosen. All the others don’t get chosen. And when he was selected he was over the moon. Just like an award. And again, there is NOTHING wrong with that. People get selected for roles and others miss out. People get selected for jobs and others miss out. Awards nights, as an echo of the real world, help prepare people for that.

The ubiquity of awards

And awards are literally (and I hate the incorrect use of the word literally but I reckon I’ve got it right here) everywhere. You don’t join the army for awards, but there are dozens of medals and awards, right up to the Victoria Cross, that can be awarded for exceptional feats. You don’t cure Cancer to get a Nobel Prize, but if you did cure cancer, Ladbrokes probably wouldn’t take bets on the odds of the Nobel coming your way.

Artists don’t paint for the Archibalds, writers don’t write for the Bookers or the Miles Franklin Awards, NIDA graduates don’t act for the AACTAs or Oscars but they can be nominated and with very, very few exceptions … maybe no exceptions… they accept them if offered, emotionally and with humility and pride.

Even here in Goulburn, sporting clubs have awards, service clubs have awards, schools have awards, businesses have employee of the month (including Council). We celebrate a range of Australia Day Awards… usually the highlight of Australia Day celebrations… and Council is adding further Awards – the Goulburn Mulwaree Awards – which I m completely in favour of.

In my mind…

Paranoid Chris… one of the rent-free residents in my head, and sometimes one of the loudest… has previously speculated that the best way to kill an idea in Goulburn is to attach my name to it. I don’t think that’s the case here but people DO feel free to shoot down my ideas… maybe that’s a compliment of sorts or maybe I just have a lot of sucky ideas.

Big Ideas Chris… who created Spyfest, RHMTC and a variation on apricot chicken that uses orange cordial back in his even lower-income bachelor days, and who is another vocal resident in my headspace… thinks that while some are poo-pooing the idea on what they SUSPECT may happen, they should give it a go rather than deny the potential winners on a hunch.

Writing Chris… the one at the keyboard right now and who CAN get a bit prickly and reactive at times (I know, right… seriously, this guy!) And I have to live with him… in him… no, that doesn’t sound right)… sees the “no awards” concept as an attempt at social engineering like participation awards where everyone gets a ribbon, a system that doesn’t exist many places outside of primary schools.

So that’s three supporters of my idea. Also my wife supported me (thanks darlin’… and for those who don’t know her, no amount of pressure or batted eyelids could get her to sign off on something she doesn’t agree with). And a Uni classmate from when we did Scriptwriting for Theatre together provided some examples of how it could and does work in Newcastle. And there have been others that have messaged me that they like the idea but didn’t much feel like getting into a backward and forward online about it. I’m with them. Totally did not anticipate it but it’s on me because I did ask for… thoughts… and that’s what I got.

I DO appreciate that opponents of the idea took the time to reply. And I think those opposed to the idea are better people than me. They are more concerned with not hurting people, they value inclusivity, they want to avoid negativity… the sort of things John Lennon advocated in Imagine. I just don’t happen to think they are right on this occasion, and I trust that isn’t construed as personal in any way.

And just while he’s not here (he’s off dreaming up a Bruce Springsteen musical or some other ridiculous thing), Big Ideas Chris is OFTEN wrong. Appallingly wrong. For example…

• Samantha Fox did NOT become a renowned serious actress.
• Roger Voudouris and Leif Garrett did NOT become the big names in rock and roll.
• And sneakers and jeans still have NOT caught on as a trend.

But he gets a few right and this one… well it’s been right everywhere else.

So let’s sell it…

I think part of what I’ve done wrong here is I just suggested an idea, and tried to argue against its opponents. What I should have done is try to sell it.

So, picture if you will a hot summer night (minus the Meat Loaf)… maybe January or February. there’s a maroon carpet (one of Goulburn’s official colours… seriously) out the front as performers, rellos, supporters, pollies and others are frocked up in their finest, getting a few happy snaps as they enter.

The Goulburn Performing Arts Centre is packed, front to back, for the inaugural “Burnies” with performers from across the wide spectrum and broad church that is Goulburn’s performing artists.

The night is hosted by Warren Brown, or Maddie Weekes, or maybe both, and there an opening number, some rapid fire repartee and then we’re into it. Visiting celebs might include Kate Ritchie, and Anthony Warlow who have both lived in Goulburn (again, I kid you not).

Those organisations and individuals interested in participating have many months ago internally nominated individuals respected for their knowledge and integrity as potential judges, and those chosen have all come together, compared notes and anguished and sweated on the winners.

Across the night, selected performances across the various disciplines perform on stage interspersed with the awards. Punters at the Awards are reminded that they really should get out to see more shows and gigs.

For the winners, it’s a feeling of recognition… maybe an entry in their resume that will be used to apply for NIDA… maybe something that propels them to greater heights and in each and every case the winners are aware, and make a point of commenting, that it could easily have been someone else, as they acknowledge all other nominees (and even those un-nominated) who they genuinely believe could equally have received this. They ALL understand that artistic awards are ultimately subjective and so they understand it’s not invalidating if you miss out, and that the cliche about being honoured just to be nominated is spot on. For individuals who pick up a win, their whole theatrical company, family and friends share in pride and vicarious joy. For those who miss out, it felt great to be included in the group.

Awards can actually bring out the BEST in people.

Where some pre-suppose that this could be a negative experience for the non-winners, I don’t see that. I think of those in the audience looking up and saying “I want to do that. I want to BE that.” I think of how happy friends of the winners are to see them recognised. I see general goodwill. And for the non-winners… they haven’t lost anything, and there’s always next year.

For those who suggest performing arts is an area not to be judged and awarded in, the Arias, AACTAs, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Emmys, Oscars and thousands of other awards disagree. And for those who believe localised competition should be avoided, every sporting club in town that holds a presentation night disagrees.

In closing

I only see positives. And if there are some nominees who are rattled by not winning an award, then the process may be even more important for them because it’s a characteristic they can work on.

So, there it is. The grand plan. Have I won anyone over?

Anyway, those are my…. ahem… thoughts.