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Important Notice
Unfortunately, due to inadequate funds being available, there
will be no further awards given for the foreseeable future i.e. at
present it looks like the 2004 award to Merophie Carr will be the last.
In spite of this, this web site will remain up for a while
and interested parties are welcome to contact Caroline Lee at
pruli@alphalink.com.au with inquiries.
Welcome to the Ewa Czajor Memorial Award web site. This award
is to commemorate the life and work of Ewa Czajor (1957 - 1988), a
well-respected and much-loved woman who worked in the theatre industry
in Melbourne and Canberra for over fifteen years. Ewa did many things
in the theatre - acting, teaching and directing - and did them with a
passion and vitality that's rarely seen. She was a visionary who
inspired and excited all those who were fortunate to have worked with
her.
Ewa was murdered while on holiday in Thailand in January 1988.
Her family, colleagues and friends, not wanting her spirit and work to
die with her, established the award that bears her name. The Ewa Czajor
Memorial Award is a non-profit organisation which administers an award
of $7,000 given annually to a woman theatre director currently residing
in Victoria. The capital base for the annual stipend of $7000 is
currently managed and auspiced by the Gasworks Trust, while the Award
itself is administered by two committees of peers drawn from the
Melbourne theatre community and Ewa's friends. Committee members for
2004 are
Caroline Lee
David Symons
James McCaughey
Jane Woollard
Cazerine Barry
Suzanne Kersten
Mary-Anne Caleo
The Award started in 1989 and past winners
have included Kim Durban (Head of Theatre, Ballarat University), Suzie
Dee, (Artistic Director, Melbourne University Union Theatre
Department), Margaret Cameron (actor, writer and director), Karen
Martin, who recently produced the Women's Jail Project out in Sunbury,
Cazerine Barry and, most recently, Kate Denborough, who produced a
wonderful piece for last year's Melbourne Festival. Every single one of
the of the winners of this award are still working as directors, which
is a great testament to its worth and value. The Ewa Czajor Memorial
Award not only offers financial support, but also status and
recognition, which are absolutely crucial for the development of a
solid career in the arts.
In the last four years, as part of the award
giving ceremony, we have also held a lecture, given by a prominent
woman within the theatre community. Lectures have been given by Liz
Jones, Robyn Archer, Hannie Rayson, Rosemary Myers and this year the
lecture will be given by playwright Joanna Murray-Smith. The Melbourne
International Festival of the Arts has also been a great supporter of
the Award, and for the past few years the Award's Ceremony and Lecture
have been an umbrella event within the Festival.
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