David Pledger

{{short description|Australian artist and director}}

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}

thumb

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}

David Pledger (born {{circa}}1962){{cite news |last1=Waldon |first1=Steve |title=Set the mind running |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/set-the-mind-running-20080605-2mcg.html |access-date=22 October 2019 |work=The Age |date=6 June 2008 |location=Melbourne, Victoria}} is an Australian artist and director.

Pledger has won several awards, including the Victorian Arts Centre's 1999 Kenneth Myer Medallion for the Performing Arts,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37670185/appreciation_david_pledger_by_dina/|title=David Pledger: Appreciation.|last=Ross|first=Dina|date=11 Aug 1999|work=The Age |location=Melbourne, Victoria|page=8}} and in 2000 the A$25,000 Sidney Myer performing arts award.,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37670322/a_bit_of_creative_thinking_takes_the/ |title=A bit of creative thinking takes the prize|last=Morgan|first=Joyce|date=4 Feb 2000|work=Sydney Morning Herald |location=Sydney, N.S.W.|page=13}}

He established the Collaboration Project between the Australia Council for the Arts and the IETM.{{explain|date=September 2022}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/call-for-rolling-national-strikes-by-marginalised-artists/story-e6frg8n6-1226689741054|title=Call for rolling national strikes by 'marginalised' artists|last=Douglas|first=Tim|date=2 Aug 2013|work=The Australian |location=Canberra, A.C.T.|page=14}} In 2004 he directed two shows at the Melbourne Festival.{{Cite news|title=It's the journey that counts|last=Smith|first=Michael|date=17 Oct 2004|work=Sunday Age |location=Melbourne, Victoria|page=32}}

Pledger's work is featured in Melbourne Now Limited Edition (NGV, Australia, 2013); Multimedia Performance (Macmillan, UK, 2012) and Making Contemporary Theatre (MUP, UK, 2010).{{cite book|last=Papastergiaidis|first=Nikos|title=As Melbourne in the World|date=2013|publisher=in Melbourne Now|location=National Gallery of Victoria|pages=26–28}}{{cite book|first1=Rosemary |last1=Klich |first2=Edward |last2=Scheer|title=The Theatre of Images Revisited|date=2012|publisher=Multimedia Performance|location=Macmillan, UK|pages=59–66}}{{cite book|first1=Peter |last1=Eckersall |first2=Jen |last2=Harvie |first3=Andy |last3=Lavender|title=Unmaking Blowback – a visceral process for a political theatre (Making Contemporary Theatre series)|date=2010|publisher=Manchester University Press, UK|pages=202–221}}

He works as an advocate for artists.{{Cite news|title=Minnows urge end to funding framework|last=Westwood|first=Matthew|date=11 Oct 2019|work=The Australian |location=Canberra, A.C.T.|page=15}} In 2008 he attended the 2020 Summit as a delegate in the Creative Australia stream.{{cite web|last=Pledger|first=David|title=Canaries in a coalmine: Realising the value of the artist|url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/canaries-in-a-coalmine3a-realising-the-value-of-the-artist/4849524|work=ABC|publisher=Miyuki Jokiranta|access-date=17 January 2014|date=2013-07-28}}{{Failed verification|date=October 2019|reason=unclear what the 2020 summit is, not mentioned in he source, nor is the "Creative Australia" stream}}