GOING VIRAL!

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release: March 3, 2015

GOING VIRAL: longest living working choreographer, dancer and costume maker Eileen Kramer report on ABC News viewed THREE MILLION TIMES and counting, as support grows for the ‘Inspiring Eileen’ Pozible crowdfunding campaign

At age 100, the concept of ‘going viral’ is new to Eileen Kramer, but she is embracing this newfound tag with gusto, as the report of her 75-year career as writer, dancer, painter, costume designer and choreographer - screened on ABC News last week - is being viewed at a rate of 10,000 views every 15 minutes.

With comments and shares and social media ‘likes’ from across the globe, the interest in Eileen Kramer signals a new high in this remarkable woman’s long life, as she prepares for her all new production titled ‘The Early Ones’, which will take place on Friday March 13 (at 8pm), and Saturday March 14 (2pm and 8pm), at The Independent Theatre, 269 Miller Street, North Sydney.

The objective is to see this viral story, which has captured the imagination and affection of people the world over, translated into real support for Eileen. Ultimately, the focus of Arts Health Institute is to see this work staged for Eileen and improve her quality of life. You can see the viral activity here:  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=803211443086475

Arts Health Institute has set up a crowdfunding campaign on the Pozible site, where once in a lifetime rewards are given in return for funding this project.For example, a $50 contribution (called the Tip-Toe Reward) grants the giver a copy of a signed image from Eileen's notebook used to create this work. This notebook is full of Eileen's drawings and collages that are used to describe the various dance scenes. A $150, $500, $1000 and $5000 contribution (with even more fantastic rewards) are also available.To see the Pozible link, go here: http://www.pozible.com/project/190787

Says Dr Maggie Haertsch, PhD, CEO Arts Health Institute: “Eileen is a trailblazer. She is life and love. And that is why Arts Health Institute is with her producing her next work. Eileen is a great artist who inspires our team, our community and now the world."  

And this interest in Eileen will continue to rise as ABC TV’s program ‘Compass’ returns for 2015 with the very first episode dedicated to profiling Eileen Kramer, titled ‘Dancing @ 100’.

In the episode, screening on Sunday, March 15 at 6.30pm on ABC TV, Compass will profile Eileen’s creative spirit, celebrating a life dedicated to dance while exploring Eileen’s vitality and longevity. It’s a glorious story on positive ageing, and Eileen embodies this throughout her life. It will chronicle Eileen’s journey across various corner of the world, and how Eileen came to return to Australia last year – at age 99.

Eileen Kramer embodies the living, creative spirit of the avant garde artist, and her long career is something to behold, to revere, and be recorded. To that end, in 2014 she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Arts Health Institute for whom she is now an official ambassador. This production will ensure that her legacy will live forever, for generations of dancers to come.

Details on ticketing information for the performance are featured below.

Eileen Kramer is the absolute embodiment of what living a beautifully long life looks like, and with this national treasure set to showcase the beauty of positive ageing for an eager audience, including the dance and arts world, in ‘The Early Ones’ (which is an original work she has created andchoreographed, her first Australian production) there is no stopping this centenarian.

More about ‘The Early Ones’: in February, Eileen was invited to Bundanon (the famed gift from Arthur Boyd, a 1100 hectare bush land property in Kangaroo Valley NSW), for their Arts in Residence program.Over one week, the spirited Eileen worked with rehearsal director, Julia Cotton, some of Australia's most talented dancers, and composer Nicolas Lyon, who is writing the original music for ‘The Early Ones’, which will explore human evolution, influenced by four metaphorical characters.

The goal on the Pozible link is $26,000, which will go towards the modest fees for the nine dancers, their costumes, the musicians and the music composition, the theatre hire and the technical and support crew.

The Arts Health Institute has supported the initial set up of the work while at Bundanon, and now this campaign around profiling Eileen has evolved and subsequently a call out to help fund this dream, which will see the work that has been developed performed on stage. Beyond ticket sales, any extra funds covering the cost for her production will support Eileen to improve her quality of life. Eileen lives quite an independent life, but rather than living day to day, it would be extraordinary if the love and care felt for Eileen can be translated into financial support to ensure she has what she needs to keep creating as long as she can.

This is a rare opportunity to see Eileen's work and the influence of the legendary Gertrud Bodenwieser. And so, not only is this an important work of historical significance, but supporting it will help realise Eileen's dream.

Sydney-born Eileen is truly a national treasure. She studied at the Conservatorium of Music, where she immersed herself in piano, the theory of music, and singing, with visions of becoming an opera singer.Soon after introduced to the Vienna-borne Bodenwieser Modern Dance Company, Eileen immediately began to study dance under the close guidance of Madame Gertrud Bodenwieser herself, and the Viennese dancers, touring with Bodenwieser for a decade.

The significance of Gertrud Bodenwieser on the Australian dance world cannot be underestimated: in introducing her style of modern dance it spawned the beginnings of Australia’s contemporary dance scene, changing the Australian dance landscape.

Eileen then contracted a kind of ‘walkabout fever’, and followed her heart to India, where she explored and remained for three years, later moving to London and Paris where she spent four years, before settling in West Virginia, United States, collaborating to create original works.

After living in the USA for the last 40 years, Eileen came back to Australia at the age of 99 because she "missed the kookaburras".

For more information about the Inspiring Eileen campaign and see more of what Arts Health Institute do, go herewww.artshealthinstitute.org.au and see http://www.pozible.com/project/190787 for more information on the Pozible crowdfunding for Eileen, as well as clips of her work being created.

For more information about The Independent Theatre, see this link: http://www.theindependent.org.au. For more information about ‘Inspiring Eileen’ at The Independent Theatre, go here: http://www.theindependent.org.au/#!march-2015/c842

And the direct ticketing link to purchase tickets at the venue is here: http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=AUINDEPENDENT&event=AHITEO&killLogin=true

For interviews, photo opportunities and more information, contact Maggie Haertsch, ChiefExecutive Officer, Arts Health Institute on: 0414 507 050.

About Arts Health Institute

The Arts Health Institute brings the arts and healthcare together to change worlds. A non- profit organisation, they work to improve lives through the integration of the arts into all aspects of health and age care environments. The Arts Health Institute has health professionals and artists working side be side to improve healthcare delivery. The Arts Health Institute delivers life-changing programs across Australia and across an ever-growing array of demographics and health conditions. Taking its inspiration and creative guidance from renowned Australian performer and mime Jean-Paul Bell, the Institute works to carry on his legacy of artistic engagement through its landmark programs. Always at the forefront of artistic innovation, they work with a number of research institutes to ensure their work is evidence-based. The Arts Health Institute is a thought leader in the field, offering consultancy services, education and their yearly Play Up Convention, where ideas around health and arts are challenged and explored by internationally renowned presenters and artists. The Arts Health Institute is a hub for creative ideas in healthcare and through their unique membership system; they connect a world of professional practitioners around an arts hub. The Arts Health Institute is passionate about the arts and their effect on healthcare. Their credo: through the arts we live healthier happier lives.