Using Knowledge and Curiosity to Push Boundaries
My name is Michael Fortescue. I’m a double bass player and a music maker of various kinds.
Double bass player and music maker Michael Fortescue at SEE’s 2025 Season Launch, Peacock Theatre. Photo by Eden Meure
While I was studying in Paris in the mid-80s, I met a dance teacher there who worked with people with Down syndrome, and she asked me to play for one of her shows. I said yes, and it was incredibly moving and confronting. Not from a “doing good” perspective, but from a pure artistic level. It was working with people who had specialised artistry, and it was time-consuming to get there, but worth it.
Working with Second Echo has been a completely different experience from my work in symphony orchestras which are extremely hierarchical and predetermined. You have limited creative options. But with Second Echo Ensemble it’s collaborative, improvisational, and constantly evolving. We begin with pre-existing works sometimes, and by day two, we might completely deconstruct them and start rebuilding in new ways.
Michael Fortescue, during the filming of Relâche: The Last Dance on Earth. Photo by Jack Thomas Cawthon
For example, in productions like Contested Land or Rite of Spring, we take seeds of ideas - maybe a note, a motif, a concept - and turn them into something entirely new, often mixing musical ideas that seem contrary but create something exciting when combined.
My role in Second Echo Ensemble isn’t just to play the double bass. It’s to bring my musical knowledge, my history with symphony orchestras, my technical skills, and my curiosity to push boundaries. I contribute by helping translate ideas into sound, working with dancers and performers, and responding to emerging creative impulses.
Michael Fortescue in the film of Relâche: The Last Dance on Earth during the live production at the Odeon Theatre, Nipaluna Hobart. Photo by Jesse Hunniford.
For large productions like Relâche: The Last Dance on Earth, we might start with ten hours of material and then refine it down to the funniest, most meaningful, or most powerful sections. Every cast member’s input matters. If someone doesn’t feel something works, it gets removed. There’s no hierarchy of ideas in that sense - only collaboration.
“Supporting artists is critical. ”
Every artist contributes to the vision, but the infrastructure, the support, and the environment make it possible. At Second Echo Ensemble, all participants, regardless of ability, are part of this ecosystem. I don’t do special training for working with mixed-ability participants, I’ve learned to be sensitive to people’s needs while still challenging them. My mantra is that there’s no room for anger in the production of art - support and respect produce better results than fear or intimidation ever could.
“Every story counts. Storytelling is at the heart of everything we do. ”
Historically, opera focused on the lives of rich people, kings and princes. But over time, it has expanded to include the stories of everyday people. That’s what we aim to do: to tell stories that matter to everyone.
So in storytelling, if each story is not important, then no story is important. That's the point. If there's anything get swept under the carpet that then lessens the power of what stays on the floor.
We have to be able to tell our own stories, even when we disguise ourselves as someone else. It's in some way a lot easier to tell your story, especially the more difficult part of it. It allows for truth to emerge in unexpected ways.
Michael Fortescue and William Webster from a still from the film Relâche: The Last Dance on Earth. Cinematographer Ursula Woods.
If you’re considering donating to Second Echo Ensemble, I can’t stress enough the impact your support has. Big symphony orchestras have millions of dollars and extensive government support, but small companies like ours operate on tiny budgets. Even modest donations allow us to develop skills, support artists, and create performances that punch far above their financial weight. We work creatively with what we have, and every dollar goes directly into the art.
“You can have a real, tangible impact, helping us bring artists together to inspire, challenge, and provoke audiences in ways large companies cannot.”
Michael Fortescue. Photo by LAURA PURCELL.
Every Story Counts. This #AusArtDay on 23 October, you can support artists shaping the future of Australian arts. Your donation - big or small - helps Second Echo Ensemble sustain bold, artist-led work that brings together artists with and without disability. Every contribution fuels collaboration, touring, and performances that celebrate visibility, connection, and belonging.
Second Echo Ensemble is proudly supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, the Tasmanian Government via Arts Tasmania, the Department of Social Services, our donors and volunteers. Our internet partner, Aussie Broadband, keeps us connected, while GoTransit Media Group supports the marketing of our 20th Anniversary season.
#EveryStoryCounts #CreativeAustralia
