SHOWTRAVEL CLOSURE HURTS ACTORS

Date: 14 September 2001

Kim Beazley @ Sydney's Ansett rally

ShowTravel and ShowFreight, companies fully owned by Ansett closed their doors today alongside their parent company. Showtravel and Showfreight are the major suppliers of air travel, transportation and sponsorship to the Australian Entertainment Industry.

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is concerned not only for the loss of future work opportunities for its performer, musician and technician members but the immediate difficulties facing entertainment workers and producers in trying to keep their shows moving around Australia and through out the world.

Torbin Brookman, Production Coordinator , The Really Useful Company said today that its 50 strong company and sets of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber due to leave for 4 concerts in China were booked on Showtravel. Torbin said they are desperately seeking other transport for the performer, crew, musicians and the set.

John Frost , of GFO/SEL has also encountered problems with air travel for his key creative team of The Wizard of Oz and is assessing how he is going to freight the set.

Jonathan Mill, Vice President, Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, says his main concern is the impact of the collapse on the sponsorship of our entertainment industries. With Ansett assistance removed many productions will be threatened. The collapse of competition in the aviation sector means there will be less of a commercial imperative for Qantas to sponsor cultural events. The future for many areas of the entertainment industry in Australia is under threat.

Rodney Rigby, Director of Theatricals, The Jacobsen Group says Australia's greatest challenge has always been the tyranny of distance and it is essential that we have a competitive freight and transport industry, we are now captives of a monopoly situation. Jacobsen's has the commercial musical "Shout " in Brisbane due to head to Perth. With the closure of Showtravel we are forced to rethink our move arrangements.

For further information

Contact:	Peter Ross
Union:	MEAA
Phone:	02 9333 0999
Fax:	02 9333 0933
Email:	pross@meaa.aust.com
WWW:	http://www.alliance.org.au

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