The Australian Ballet improves access for staff to their collection data

The Australian Ballet’s Collection Management Program for Production has been in progress for the last five years, migrating large volumes of data from costume bibles, programmes, hanging plots and stage management packing lists into Vernon CMS. This has created a centralised, information-rich database of The Australian Ballet’s Production assets, and the Designers, Dancers, Choreographers and Composers associated with them.

This project recognises that the collections of the Australian Ballet are fundamental to realising the company’s artistic vision. The collections are also significant to Australia’s cultural heritage. Vernon Browser has now been implemented as an intranet site to provide access to all staff to this extensive data on The Australian Ballet’s collection of costume, props, scenery and lighting.

CREDITS Costume: The Sleeping Beauty; Choreographed by David McAllister Designed by Gabriela Tylesova
Scenery: The Merry Widow; Choreographed by Ronald Hynd Designed by Desmond Heeley Props: The Sleeping Beauty; Choreographed by David McAllister Designed by Gabriela Tylesova Lighting: The Narrative of Nothing; Choreographed by Graeme Murphy Costume design Jennifer Irwin
Photography: Kate Longley for Costume, Scenery and Props.
Photography: Lynette Wills for Lighting
Browser Design Tessie Scott for TAB, in collaboration with Paul Rowe and Shinoy Sam from Vernon CMS

Vernon Browser now serves as a tool for the wider company to search The Australian Ballet’s Production assets via colour, keyword search, Google API generated tags, Production name, TAB Premiere date, dancer, designer and choreographer. Internal staff can access over 13,000 Production images, a curated “Favourites” page featuring significant Ballet’s within our repertoire and view a mosaic of our 60-year history in Costume.

Vernon Browser has also been used to share the detailed biographical information on designers, composers, and performers connected to The Australian Ballet collections.

Here’s an example page on the costume designer Hugh Colman, along with an image of one of his costume designs. For more information on Hugh Colman please visit: Hugh Colman: Grand design | The Australian Ballet.