Pereira was described as “inspiring” by special guest, Sydney theatre director Iain Sinclair, as he presented him with a cheque from Citynews to the value of $1000.
At the ceremony, hosted on Tuesday November 30 by the Canberra Critics Circle at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, he was also presented by David Williams on behalf of the Canberra Glassworks with a glass paperweight crafted by Benjaimin Edols.
Before coming to the Canberra School of Music in 1990, Pereira enjoyed an international career, playing as Principal Cellist with the Australia Ensemble, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. After recovering from a serious illness, he has made his mark anew in Canberra and the region with the David Pereira Cello Series. He is a patron of the ACT Mental Health Foundation.
The Canberra Critics Circle Awards went to writers Kaaron Warren, Peter Stanley, Alan Gould; filmmaker Christian Doran; visual artists Jude Rae, Simon Maberley, T.J. Phillipson, Patsy Hely and curators Deborah Clark and Mark Van Veen; Dance artists QL2, Jackie Hallahan, Jacquelyn Richards; theatre artists Everyman Theatre, Boho Interactive, The Street Theatre, Jordan Best, Tony Turner, Louiza Blomfield and SUPA Productions & Phoenix Players; musicians Lucy Bermingham, David Pereira, Shortis & Simpson, Donal Baylor, Tobias Cole and The Street Theatre & the ANU School of Music.
Painter Ruth Waller was singled out by the Circle for her outstanding body of work and her strong advocacy of the visual arts.
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance announced that the Green Room awards for professional productions went to sound artist Kimmo Vennonen and to the production of “When the Rain Stops Falling.”
The full list of Critics’ Circle members for 2010 is as follows:
Anne-Maree Britton . Margaret Pierce-Jolley . Samara Purnell . Jennifer Gall . Helen Musa . Ian McLean . Clinton White . Bill Stephens . Stella Wilkie . Malcolm Miller . Glenn Burns . Alanna Maclean . Joe Woodward . Wendy Brazil . Frank McKone . Peter Wilkins . Kerry-Anne Cousins . David Broker . Yolande Norris . Anni Doyle Wawrzynczak . Diana Kostyrko . Annika Harding . Meredith Hinchliffe . Gia Metherell . Cris Kennedy.
The full list of Canberra Critics' Critics’ Circle citations for 2010 is below:
For
Writing
Presented to
Karron Warren
For
Her novel “Slights,” a work of horror fiction praised as “a deeply intense, disturbing read” that tells of human despair.
For
Writing
Presented to
Peter Stanley
For
His non-fiction work “Bad Characters,” in which he tells the story of those Australian soldiers in the Great War who were not heroes. His account advances an understanding of who these men really were and what war did to them.
For
Writing
Presented to
Alan Gould
For
“The Lakewoman,” a mysterious and compelling novel praised as a bold portrait of male decency and resilience.
For
Film
Presented to
Christian Doran,
For
producing, writing, directing and editing “Broken,” a tight, exciting thriller on the theme that every man has his breaking point.
For
Visual Arts
Presented to
Jude Rae
For
her exhibition at Canberra Museum
For
Visual Arts
Presented to
Deborah Clark and Mark Van Veen
For
their virtuosic curatorial vision and realisation of the exhibition “Something in the Air: Collage and Assemblage in Canberra Region Art” for Canberra Museum
For
Visual Arts
Presented to
Simon Maberley
For
his breakout exhibition New Works at ANCA gallery, applying his technical prowess and the tradition of vanitas to a collection of works that encompasses both the personal and political.
For
Visual Arts
Presented to
T.J. Phillipson
For
his solo exhibitions “Semblance” at PhotoAccess and “There is Fire Inside” at CCAS Manuka, presenting intelligent, innovative, resolved and at times self-deprecating artworks utilising photography, video and installation.
For
Visual Arts
Presented to
Patsy Hely
For
her exhibition “roundabout” at the Helen Maxwell Gallery Canberra
Visual Arts
Presented to
Ruth Waller
For
For her survey exhibition of works at Canberra Museum Helen Maxwell Gallery in Canberra and Watters Gallery in Sydney
For
Dance
Presented to
QL2
For
its contribution to youth dance in the ACT, particularly for its outstanding provision of opportunities for young dancers to work collaboratively with established artists and for its significant contribution to the nurturing of young male dancers.
For
Dance
Presented to
Jackie Hallahan
For
her contribution to dance in the region, and her 25th year at the Canberra Dance Development Centre.
For
Dance
Presented to
Jacquelyn Richards
For
her outstanding choreography for The Queanbeyan Players production of “Fame.” Her exuberant routines successfully captured the youthful spirit of the show and were danced with confidence and enthusiasm by the whole cast.
For
Theatre
Presented to
Everyman Theatre
For
its productions of “Richard III,” “The Laramie Project” and “Musical of Musicals (the Musical),” which set high benchmarks for innovative production and performance.
For
Theatre
Presented to
Boho Interactive
For
its original and innovative science theatre production at Belconnen Arts Centre of “True Logic” and its continuing illumination of scientific theory and concept through imaginative theatrical performance.
For
Theatre
Presented to
Jordan Best
For
her performance as Blanche DuBois in Free Rain Theatre’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which took on a daringly unorthodox casting by director Fiona Atkins to produced a portrayal of great power and fragility.
For
Theatre
Presented to
The Street Theatre
For
its very successful “Made in Canberra” season, which provided strong support for local companies and individuals actors, writers, directors, designers and stage technicians.
For
Theatre
Presented to
Tony Turner
For
his terrifying, moving performance as Big Daddy in Jordan Best’s production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” for Free Rain Theatre.
For
Musical Theatre
Presented to
Louiza Blomfield
For
outstanding performances in leading roles in several musicals during the year including “Musical of Musicals (the Musical),” “Spamalot” and “The Boy From Oz.”
For
Musical Theatre
Presented to
SUPA Productions and Phoenix
For
their outstanding production of “Miss Saigon,” directed by Kelda McManus, which with limited resources cleverly succeeded in capturing the sweep and drama of a difficult and demanding musical.
For
Music
Presented to
Tobias Cole
For
For his outstanding contribution to music-making in Canberra, as both Choral Director with the Oriana Chorale and the University of Canberra Chorale, and soloist singer in several major Canberra musical events including the Canberra International Music Festival and the Hughes Festival of Music.
For
Music
Presented to
Lucy Bermingham
For
her unflagging and outstanding contribution to musical life in Canberra
For
Music
Presented to
David Pereira
For
Making his mark on music in Canberra and the immediate region with his cello-focused David Pereira Cello Series, which demonstrated his ability to interpret different compositional styles; and for his encouragement of young associate artists which stamps him as an outstanding figure in the Canberra
For
Music
Presented to
Shortis & Simpson
For
their production of “Tin Pan Aussie.” A cleverly conceived entertainment devised by John Shortis and performed by himself, Moya Simpson, Peter J. Casey, Dave O’Neill, Ian Blake and Jon Jones, it explored the history of early Australian popular song-writing.
For
Music
Presented to
The Street Theatre and the ANU School
For
Geoffrey Lancaster and Caroline Stacey’s production of “Dido and Aeneas” which breathed new life into the famous work by staging the opera in a contemporary street-culture setting.
For
Music
Presented to
Donal Baylor
For
his fine performances as a blue-grass and Western Swing musician, including his 2010 appearance at the National Folk Festival Canberra which demonstrated his versatility, dazzling technique and warm musical relationships with those on stage.
List ends