CQU Bachelor of Creative Enterprise student Anthony Doak is turning from class-smart to street-smart to give real meaning to the core performance and entrepreneurial apects of his degree.

The Rockhampton-based 3rd-year student will perform with professional entertainers at the Brisbane EKKA (August 10-19) and, later this year, will work behind the scenes for Cairns' Just Us Theatre Ensemble.

The BCE program allows students to specialise in cross-disciplinary studies associated with the generation, application and exploitation of creative, ingenious and imaginative knowledge.

Mr Doak was recently selected as one of a handful of performers to be invited to travel to Brisbane to take part in Top Chick Management’s Emerging Professional initiative at Ekka 2006. This is an exciting ‘follow on’ opportunity from Top Chick's initial workshops in Rockhampton which identified his talents and commitment.

"Opportunities such as these are rare for all emerging artists– but especially for regionally isolated people who demonstrate a commitment, and interest, in working in the arts sector," Mr Doak said.

"Izit Entertainment in association with Top Chick Management, as artists themselves and as managers of national and international artists, have a strong commitment to providing real work experience and professional development opportunities for emerging artists.

"They believe that artists deserve such opportunities – irrespective of geographic or socio economic background".

This opportunity will involve Mr Doak taking part in a 2-day workshop intensive, with trainers from Izit Entertainment.

Following the workshop Intensive, participants will take part in the roving performance program of the Ekka, working alongside a large number of experienced, professional performers.

Over the course of the Ekka, workshop leaders will observe and mentor the performers, offering feedback at the end of each day to assist with the ongoing development and evolution of the work.

"This is a key element as it is the opportunity to apply immediate feedback within a performance context that facilitates the greatest growth of skills," Mr Doak said.

At the end of this placement, Mr Doak will return back to Rockhampton and have a well earned day's rest before heading up to Cairns where he will be working with Just Us Theatre Ensemble (JUTE).

His placement with JUTE is a prestigious one as this is JUTE's end of year show and due to the company's popularity it only offers one work placement per show.

During his time in Cairns, Mr Doak will be diversifying his talents as he works on the advertising and admission aspects of JUTE's upcoming show 'SUMMARIS is a tropical paradise on Top of a Shoe Factory in Footscray'. Mr Doak hopes to use the skills he is sure to gain and develop during the placements to further his entrepreneurial abilities to develop and boost performance art within the Rockhampton region, as well as his ability to produce and perform for the Central Queensland public.