Leah Cotterell production history

PRODUCER

All of the projects on this page showcase the talents and skills of Leah's collaborators and were designed to enhance the audience's appreciation for the role music plays in our daily lives. Each project also tells a story, sharing an experience that Leah finds fascinating. As an independent producer Leah has been responsible for attracting and acquitting funding over $250,000 from the Australia Council, Arts Queensland, Queensland Health and the Brisbane City Council.

First performed at the Queensland Conservatorium November 2014, excerpts have been presented at QPAC and Woodford Festival and at a range of community events including the King Cray Cabaret presented by Brook RED, the Sanity Fair Expo, the Carer’s Week Forum, and TAFE Queensland Brisbane’s Educator’s Conference.

Written by John Rodgers and Megan Sarmardin, directed by Sean Mee, telling the stories of six generations of a North Queensland Indigenous family through songs, spoken word and collected images. 'Megan blossomed as she embraced the songs to deliver a show that had the whole audience, not just her family, laughing and sobbing.' (Cairns Sun 2010) The production debuted in Cairns and was remounted in Brisbane and Far North Queensland.

A 2015 jazz installation in celebration of a venue and coffee lounge opened in 1957 by iconic Brisbane business woman, Peter Hackworth, sharing her fascinating cache of photography of musicians and entertainers and seeking to create a body of documentation about Brisbane music/social history to be donated to public collections. Funded by BCC and Arts Queensland.

Co-produced with Pearly Black, this retrospective of John Rodgers' songs was presented by an ensemble of four singers and four musicians in the Brisbane Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse 2005.
'I don’t see why he [John Rodgers] and his ultimate Prize co-conspirators…shouldn’t take the cabaret world by storm, should they choose to take the show further.' (Courier Mail 2005)

Original jazz songs for young children with vocalist Barbara Fordham and jazz group, launched at Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane, touring to Melbourne Recital Centre
and Sydney Children’s Festival. EP Recording and illustrated booklet funded by Brisbane City Council.

An overview 60 years of Brisbane live music performance 'Foolish Things' was developed with Helen Russell. The project included the co-curation of a banner exhibition with Museum of Brisbane and a performance in the program of the Queensland Music Festival. Helen and Leah composed, 'The Last Dance at Cloudland' for this show. It was remounted at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in 2006. Still of 'The Hot Potatoes' by Jo Grant at 'The Zoo' 2004.

PRODUCER

The Ultimate Prize