Luke George (he/they) is a multidisciplinary artist creating work that spans performance, installation, craft, curation and rope. Born in lutruwita/Tasmania and based in Naarm/Melbourne, Luke pays their deepest respects to the traditional owners and custodians of the lands which they reside and create, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and the Boon Wurrung Bunurong peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation.
Through their work, Luke examines the dynamics of intimacy and collectivity to create ‘safe spaces’ that allow for care as well as risk. Luke’s artistic practice is informed by queer politics and spaces, whereby people are neither singular nor isolated; bodies of difference can intersect, practice mutual listening, take responsibility for themselves and one another.
Luke creates and performs work through experimental processes with collaborating artists and the public both locally and internationally/culturally. In particular Luke's 10-year collaboration with Singapore-Berlin based artist Daniel Kok has resulted in the creation of 3 performance works that have travelled extensively, as well as developing translocal collaborations and partnerships across the region between themselves, partner institutions and independent artists.
Working across Australia, Asia, Europe and North America, Luke has had notable presentations with the Venice Biennale, National Galleries of Melbourne and Singapore, RISING, Dance Massive, Liveworks Festival, Rencontres chorégraphiques de Seine-Saint-Denis, Time Based Art Festival and many more.
Recipient of multiple Green Room Awards for his performances and works, Luke’s work has been regularly supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria and through many commissions and residencies. Luke has been recipient of 4 fellowships across his career to date; 2022 Chloe Munroe Fellowship, 2021 PlayKing Foundation Renewal Fellowship, 2019 Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship (Dance), 2007 Russell Page Fellowship for Contemporary Dance. In 2020 Luke was appointed the inaugural Artistic Associate of Temperance Hall Luke is a current studio artist at the Collingwood Yards Arts Precinct
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A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne (2001), Luke’s artistic history stems from dance and social practice. Creating his own work since 2007, Luke has instigated various projects, engaging different artists and public across multiple platforms and communities in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Launceston, Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane) and internationally, including Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, UK, Canada and USA.
Luke has received acknowledgement through national and international commissions, including the creation of major works include ‘Lifesize’ (Next Wave Festival 2008), ‘Now Now Now’ (Dancehouse/Dance Massive 2011) ‘Not About Face’ (The Chocolate Factory Theater, New York City, 2014), ‘Erotic Dance’ (Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, 2015) and ‘Public Actions’ (Keir Choreographic Awards 2018 and Arts House/Dance Massive 2019), and his co-creations with Daniel Kok ‘Bunny’ (Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2016), ‘Still Lives’ (National Gallery of Victoria, RISING 2022), and ‘Hundreds+Thousands’ (PICA Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Liveworks Festival 2022)
Alongside his own works, Luke has collaborated with a wide scope of dance, theatre and experimental art makers and companies across Australia and internationally, working as a performer, choreographer, artistic director, dramaturg, artistic consultant, advisor, mentor and guest curator. In Luke’s artistic history, the convergence of his different roles has increasingly led him to take on positions of leadership in the field of performance in Australia. All of Luke’s work has been grounded in critical cultural dialogue. For over 20 years, he has developed relationships with artists, curators and audiences through intercultural exchange and collaborations.
Amongst many, some of Luke’s most significant collaborations include: Co-Artistic Director with Bec Reid of Stompin Youth Dance Company (2002-2008) working with hundreds of young people in regional Tasmania to creating site-specific dance works for the community; Co-Curator with Brooke Stamp of ‘First Run’ (Melbourne, 2009-2013), a bi-monthly program for development and critical discourse hosted at Lucy Guerin Inc; Performing with The Knife on their Californian tours of 'Shaking the Habitual' (2013), Co-Led Trike Dance Collective with Stephanie Lake and Frances d'Ath (1998-2001), an Asialink Performing Arts Residency with Company Nibroll (Tokyo, 2005); collaborations with choreographers Miguel Gutierrez (New York City, 2010-2014), Jo Lloyd (Melbourne, 2005-2011) and Phillip Adams (Melbourne 2007-2015).
Fiercely passionate about advocating for and supporting independent artists, in 2020 Luke was appointed Artistic Associate of Temperance Hall, curating an artist-centred program titled CARE TACTICS. A suite of projects and engagements focused on the act of gathering, particularly in a time when our communities and arts sector need healing to sustain practice. Through this program, Luke is focusing particularly on artists who may be either queer, non-white, first nations or senior artists, looking for ways fresh and labour-light ways for artists to do their work and to share it with each other and the broader community. Projects include; a screening and artist talk series of dance performances historically significant to this place; an artist cohort that collectively determines their own venue-takeover residency; a panel and community discussion series focused on contemporary queer artistic practice; a performance party intersecting contemporary performance and queer culture.