2018 Elliott Award recipient a voice for performing arts

Published on 19 December 2018

Mildura Arts and Culture Advisory Committee has awarded the 2018 Elliott Award to Mavis Francis for her outstanding contribution to arts, culture and heritage in our region.

Mavis has been a tireless contributor to the performing arts in Sunraysia for almost four decades, imparting her knowledge of music and dance to hundreds of young people during that time.

After moving to Sunraysia in 1976 and teaching at Merbein’s Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Primary School and Wentworth Primary School, Mavis set up dancing and movement classes for preschool and primary school children in Merbein during the 1980s.

Despite still working full-time, Mavis volunteered her time over many years to organise the Merbein Christmas Concert, setting up a program featuring primary school choirs throughout the Merbein area.

The resulting focus on promoting and encouraging children at these concerts continues to this day.

Mavis continued to play a pivotal role in this field when she started teaching at Gol Gol Primary School in 1998, a role she continues to hold today.

In addition to being a classroom teacher for children from kindergarten-age through to Grade 6, Mavis has developed a number of choirs across all age groups.

Each year these choirs enter the Sunraysia Eisteddfod, regularly achieving success at the highest level.

This led to the Gol Gol choir being invited to take part in a mass Victorian Primary Schools choir in 2006 at the Sydney Opera House.

The choir was also selected to perform on its own at this same event, with Mavis conducting, showcasing her talent as a voice coach as well as her extraordinary ability to connect with children, enabling them to develop the talent and confidence required to perform at such a high profile event.

Her talents as a choir conductor were recognised soon after when she was selected as part of a conductor mentoring program with the prestigious Gondwana Voices Choir.

While Mavis has received high praise for her work over many decades encouraging and helping young people reach their potential, she’s also made lasting impacts on adults in the performing arts.

In 2002, a branch of Sing Australia choir was established in Mildura and Mavis was selected to conduct the group, which grew to include 50 members over 10 years.

After the Sing Australia choir disbanded, to be replaced with the Sunraysia Community Choir in 2012, Mavis took on the voluntary role of Musical Director. Under her direction, the choir continue to grow, boasting 70 members.

Mavis continue to help the choir develop and grow, resulting in a host of requests to perform at events across the region. Examples include the Merbein ANZAC Day service, Walk Wentworth, the Cullulleraine Music Festival and Christmas carols at Mildura, Merbein and Red Cliffs.

The choir, under Mavis’s continued direction, has gone on to perform by invitation with the Victorian State Opera as part of its Mildura concerts in 2016 and 2017, and last year was invited to provide ‘backing voices’ for the Mungo Man Return To Country celebrations.

Despite dedicating thousands of hours of her time over many years to help young people and adults reach their potential, Mavis is a talented musician in her own right.

Blessed with a rich alto voice, she plays piano among a host of different instruments, including the banjo. 

It was after learning to play the banjo that Mavis started to gather a group of other emerging string players among her choir, which became ‘Stray Notes’ – a group of about 15 who now regularly perform at the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens and are regularly invited to perform at other events across Sunraysia.

Councillor for Arts and Culture Jason Modica said Mavis was certainly a worthy recipient of the Elliott Award.

“The Elliott Award is all about recognising outstanding contribution to the arts, particularly where that contribution hasn’t been formally acknowledged, and when you look at what Mavis has, and continues to achieve, she well and truly fits this description,” Cr Modica said.

“When you talk to parents and children that Mavis has taught, encouraged and guided, you hear phrases such as “joy-filled atmosphere”, “ability to make children feel special”, “exceptional with amazing artistic creativity” and “wonderful role model” among a host of comments.

“And when you look at the number of young people Mavis has helped and influenced over almost 40 years, her contribution to the arts and this community will be felt for decades to come.”

For more information, interview requests and images contact Helen Piscioneri at Mildura Arts Centre at [email protected] or on (03) 5018 8330.

About the Elliott Award

The Elliott Award began in 2006, founded by the Mildura Arts and Culture Board and in 2014 the Mildura Arts and Culture Advisory Committee committed to continuing the legacy of acknowledging the passion and commitment to arts and culture within our community by those whose dedication and contributions may otherwise go unnoticed.

The Elliott Award has previously been awarded to Des Tobin (2006), Tom McCullough (2007), Vaughan Stirrat (2008), Neil Noyce (2009), Mollie Kalms (2010), Shirley Bowie (2011), Neil Fettling (2012) Kay Sylvester (2013), Peta‑Lynne Buchanan and Janine Kerr (2014), Leonard (Len) Krause (2015), Yvonne Hedley (2016), and in 2017 Henry Tankard.