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by Celia Hevesi

There are two additions to the ever changing and creative environment of multimedia in Australia - The Space, ABC's Online gateway to arts and culture, and StageStruck, the award-winning interactive CD-ROM.

Visitors to The Space ( http://arts.abc.net.au ) can access a broad range of Australian and international arts activities through reports, features, exhibitions, discussion forums and arts guides on the web.

The site includes:

• headspace the magazine - an interpretive guide to events, trends and issues relevant to artistic and cultural activities in Australia;
• showspace the gallery - exhibiting works and projects relating to Australian digital design, events and festivals;
• abc arts and culture - programs relating to artistic and cultural pursuits broadcast on the ABC;
• events - where you can find out what's on in arts and culture around Australia and let others know about your own projects; and
• links - a collection of links encompassing a broad cross section of sites that represent the almost undefinable themes of art and culture.

The Space was supported by Australia's Cultural Network (www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/ ) and launched by the Federal Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation, Peter McGauran in November last year.

The arts, and more specifically the performing arts, is also the subject of the latest Commonwealth Government's Australia on CD title, StageStruck , which was put together by the National Institute for Dramatic Art, the University of Wollongong, the Sydney Opera House, the Australian Ballet and Opera Australia.

When the producers of StageStruck first started work on the CD-ROM, little did they know that it would win three international awards before it was even officially launched.

The CD-ROM outshone strong international competition to win a major award at the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Art) Interactive Entertainment Awards last October. StageStruck won the BAFTA Interactive Treatment Award, beating Microsoft's ActiMates Interactive Barney and Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic .

The win came shortly after the StageStruck consortium picked up the Gold International EMMA (European Multimedia Awards) Award for the best product and an EMMA for the best education CD-ROM for 12 - 18 year olds.

StageStruck invites you to take on the ultimate challenge - to direct your own show. By exploring backstage, the player is able to create a stage performance on computer screen. The user is involved in the rehearsal process, working with performers on scripts and choreography and designing sound, music, sets and costumes.

The CD-ROM also provides a wealth of information on Australia's entertainment industry in the Green Room, where you can meet the artists and discover the range of Australian performing arts companies - past and present.

StageStruck will be distributed free of charge to every primary and secondary school and public library throughout Australia from February.

Contacts
ABC Online: Clare Byrnes 03 9626 1979
NIDA: Amanda Morris 02 9697 7647
Department: John Cook, New Media 02 6271 1044 or email john.cook@dcita.gov.au

• Document ID: 11499 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 6:06pm