ARTRAGE is developing its first philanthropic-funded project, Madre Muerte, a collaboration with OFF-base Dance.

Supported through ARTRAGE’s philanthropic Free Range program, Western Australian OFF-base Dance will develop Madre Muerte, a contemporary dance performance led by choreographer Tyrone Earl Lraé Robinson. The feature-length work imagines death as a motherly figure offering protection, healing, guidance to the afterlife, and an inevitable part of life's journey to which we can surrender.

Mr Robinson shared his excitement to create the new work. “OFF-base Dance is excited to partner with ARTRAGE for this project. Free Range is a great way for independent artists to receive aid in presenting work in Australia, and OFF-base Dance is proud to be a part of this program’s launch.”

ARTRAGE’s Free Range program aims to take artists out into new locations, new places, free from the constraints and expectations of traditional theatre spaces. The program provides mentorship and development opportunities for artists supported by the ARTRAGE team, helping turn ideas into works ready for the stage.

Sharon Burgess, ARTRAGE CEO said that, “Through FRINGE WORLD Festival and Rooftop Movies, our organisation has proven that reaching mass audiences can be achieved when you offer them outstanding and welcoming experiences. We are now embarking on producing more quality year-round artistic opportunities that will sustain and grow our industry, whilst also providing unique entertainment opportunities for our community.”

ARTRAGE was able to undertake the significant capacity building required to create the new Free Range initiative and the ground work for this new giving program through generous support received from Woodside Energy, who in 2021 announced they were transitioning to support ARTRAGE after years of sponsorship of FRINGE WORLD Festival.

Mr Robinson will be collaborating with WA artists Rachael Dease, Bernadette Lewis and Rhiannon Peterson for this development.

About Free Range

Free Range encourages creatives to roam free, by showcasing new work in unexpected locations, and generates additional year-round opportunities for Western Australian artists. This program is made possible through the generous donations of our community. Help us bring this project and more to life by donating today via our website.

About OFF-Base Dance

Founded by Artistic Director Tyrone Earl Lraé Robinson and Executive Director Shuling Wong, OFF-base Dance creates in your face, unexpected contemporary dance works that aim to subvert the ideas of what dance can and ‘should’ be. We push the limits of dance and in turn create extraordinary work that pushes your limits as an audience. We encourage that uncomfortable, unsettling, squirm in your seat feeling; it is then that you can truly suspend disbelief and surrender to the otherworldliness of dance.

OFF-base Dance seeks to create a more diverse and inclusive Australian dance sector, for artists and audiences a-like.

About Tyrone Earl Lraé Robinson

Tyrone Earl Lraé Robinson started his professional choreographic career in 2010, working as the assistant choreographer at STEPS Youth Dance Company, assisting then artistic director Alice Lee Holland. Since then Tyrone has gone on to have an extensive professional career as a dancer and choreographer working for companies and independent artists both nationally and internationally.

He has choreographed and presented works such as TCK (2014 collaboration with House of Zaya clothing), B.I.L.I.N.A.G.E.R.F.T.P.T.S.T (Prime Cuts 2016 season), KS Project (2016 City of Perth commission), [BIO]curious (Sydney Dance Company 2017 New Breeds Season), Consent (Proximity Festival 2017 season) MOVE MOVE MOVE (2021 Curator for the Blue Room Theatre season).

In 2020 Tyrone returned to Australia after living in Japan, working as a dancer in the contemporary dance company Noism. He returned with a passion and a drive to continue to make work as a Perth based choreographic artist. As artistic director of OFF-base Dance his goal is to use this platform to present more culturally and creatively diverse dance work to Australian audiences.