ATYP 2024 PROGRAM

ATYP acknowledges that we are a company that works and creates on the traditional lands and waters of First Nations people. From our base on Gadigal land, we run programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island nations across the country. We pay our respect to Elders past and present.

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

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Fraser Corfield, ATYP Artistic Director & CEO. Photo by Luke Stambouliah.

Welcome to 2024

Welcome to ATYP’s program of productions, projects, workshops, learning resources, festivals, professional development opportunities, industry forums and unexpected experiences for 2024. ATYP is recognised as one of the world’s leading youth theatre companies; Come through our doors in 2024 and find out why.

The year begins with a Sydney Festival show with a difference. Saplings, by Brisbane playwright Hannah Belanszky, is a professional production with one foot firmly placed in the real world. Developed in partnership with Youth Action and organisations that support young people in conflict with the justice system, this powerful production smashes hiphop beats and wild situations with disarming moments of ordinary life. It’s a showcase of captivating theatre at its very best, that grips our imaginations as it shines a spotlight into the forgotten corners of our community.

From Australia to the world, we lead an international collaboration with twelve companies across Europe and North America through ConnectUp, an initiative funded by the European Union Cultural Fund. I’ve been invited to Forli, Italy, to create a site-specific performance involving 50 young people aged between 15–18 along with 20 professional artists from their respective companies. And for good measure, we’ll take four exceptional Australian teenagers with us for an experience to last a lifetime.

Once again ATYP is running writing programs that propel our next generation of playwrights and storytellers. The acclaimed National Studio draws together 20 of the country’s leading young playwrights at the breathtaking Riversdale on the NSW south coast, part of the Bundanon Trust. In a week of masterclasses led by some of the country’s most respected industry leaders, this unique retreat builds life-long connections as it generates short plays that will be published by Currency Press and make up the Intersection Festival, performed by schools across the country.

Also returning for another year at ATYP is FUSE, the National Youth Arts Summit, drawing together the industry, young leaders and Government to discuss the future of young people’s engagement in the performing arts.

We’re rounding out the year with a national tour of our critically acclaimed production Past the Shallows, adapted by Julian Larnach from Favel Parrett’s exceptional novel. Developed and presented in partnership with Tasmania’s Archipelago Productions, this exquisite adaptation scooped the 2022 Tasmanian Theatre Awards, winning Best Play, Best Direction, Best Ensemble and Best Production. It’s a season not to be missed!

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg with workshops all year round, school incursions and excursions, Fresh Ink National Mentoring, an extraordinary work-experience week, the Generator program of regional youth arts mentoring and workshops, masterclasses, youth advisory panels, the Intersection Festival and much more.

Come and play with us in 2024.

2024 Program

Saplings 24 Jan—4 Feb Past the Shallows

7—17 Nov

Young

Young

Industry Studio Production (Senior)

Industry Studio Production (Junior)

“I wasn’t there ’cause I wanted to be, I was there ’cause I had to be, okay? If Josh hadn’t eaten my noodles, I wouldn’t be here.”

Would you risk breaking bail for a packet of Mi Goreng? Would you snitch on a mate to save your own skin? Around here, ordinary days can turn on you so fast you’ve still got a smile on your face as your hopes die in your hands.

Yani wants to go to the Easter Show, Kai wants a sense of home, Shanika wants her Mum back, and Lachlan… well, he just wants his bowl of noodles. But when the justice system is all that stands between these young people and what they want, it raises an important question—how do young people grow when the system keeps cutting them down?

Saplings

by Hannah Belanszky

Presented by Australian Theatre for Young People and Youth Action

Yuwaalaraay playwright Hannah Belanszky and Kalkadoon director Abbie-lee Lewis bring their exceptional talent to the stage for Saplings, a collection of hilarious and heartbreaking stories born from workshops with young people experiencing the youth justice system from Marrickville to Moree. Four talented young actors take on multiple roles in this poetic, personal, and unexpected production that will leave you asking who’s really to blame.

Set to a soundtrack of rap and hip-hop music made by young people in the youth justice system, Saplings gives an honest, raw look into the adult consequences faced by some of our most vulnerable. Join us at The Rebel Theatre for a night of laughter, tears, and celebration of the survival instincts of young people.

24 Jan—4 Feb

Pictured: Jasper Reucassel and Lakesha Grant. Photo by Clare Hawley.

“Keep your eyes on the water.”

Harry and Miles live with their father, an abalone diver, on the wild and beautiful south coast of Tasmania. With their father largely absent, they look after each other as best they can. Over a school holiday, while Miles works on the boat, Harry begins an unlikely friendship that will upset the delicate balance holding this unpredictable world together.

A co-production between Australian Theatre for Young People and Archipelago Productions

Past the Shallows

written by Julian Larnach based on the novel by Favel Parrett

Adapted by playwright Julian Larnach from Favel Parrett’s award-winning debut novel, Past the Shallows is an ode to brotherhood and a heart-wrenching, lyrical exploration of mortality, family secrets and the capacity for both brutality and tenderness within contemporary masculinity. Acclaimed Director Ben Winspear directs a powerhouse cast of three young actors playing multiple roles. Let yourself get swept away on the tide of this compelling and deeply poignant story that will stay with you long after the lights come up.

7—17 Nov

Pictured: Riley Francis. Photo by Luke Stambouliah. Design by Justin Stambouliah.

A brand-new opportunity for 2024, the Young Industry Studio Production (Senior) is a showcase of the skills and techniques developed by young performers through a series of workshops over two school terms. Using a script that won ATYP’s Foundation Commission, specifically written for performers aged 14–17, the Young Industry Studio (Production) provides young people with an opportunity to develop their performance skills in a workshop structure inspired by the professional production process.

Young Industry Studio Production (Senior)

Participants audition for a place in the program, where they attend workshops with leading industry professionals, develop character and story-building techniques, and hone their performance skills. During these workshops, participants rehearse and develop a script in conjunction with a full creative team, including a Director, Sound Designer, Set and Costume Designer, and Lighting Designer.

The semester culminates in a production week at The Rebel Theatre, where participants attend tech and dress rehearsals, working with the creative team to create a performance season that showcases the skills they have developed to family, friends, and industry professionals.

This program is perfect for performers aged 14–17 with previous drama experience. Audition and performance information will be released in early 2024. Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.

ATYP is pleased to continue offering the Young Industry Studio (Junior) stream in Semester 2 of 2024! The Junior Young Industry Studio program invites performers aged 10–13 to audition for a place in the workshop program where they will attend classes with leading industry professionals, building to a performance week in The Rebel Theatre.

Using an ATYP Foundation Commission script written specifically for 10–13-yearolds, participants will work with a full creative team in a process inspired by the professional production structure.

Young Industry Studio Production (Junior)

The semester culminates in a production week at The Rebel Theatre, where participants attend tech and dress rehearsals, working with the creative team to create a performance season that showcases the skills they have developed to family, friends, and industry professionals.

This program is perfect for performers aged 10–13 with previous drama experience. Audition and performance information will be released in mid-2024. Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.

2024 Events

International Youth Encounter

ConnectUp – European Theatre for Young Audiences in a Union of Diversity

ConnectUp sets in place an international cultural initiative for the target group 12+ in order to counteract the increasing social and cultural division across Europe. Under the guidance of professional artists, young people of all social classes, cultural backgrounds and abilities meet, work and share experiences in various theatre processes. Their minds are encouraged to remain open to other people, cultures and life experiences. The common experience of theatre won’t solve all problems, but there has to be a beginning!

ATYP’s Artistic Director, Fraser Corfield, has been invited to Forli, Italy, to lead the devising process involving 10 European companies each bringing up to five teenage participants… and of course, four from ATYP. In one week Fraser and the team of professional artists will devise a performance on the theme ‘wind’.

FUSE 2024

ATYP will facilitate the biennial national youth arts sector gathering. Drawing together youth arts companies and youth representatives from across the country, FUSE is a health check for organisations whose core business is engaging young people in arts activities. Thanks to the support of the Ian Potter Foundation, this significant gathering enables the industry to connect, collaborate and advocate.

Pictured: FUSE Summit, 2022. Photo by Clare Hawley.

Generator: Regional Connections Program

“I feel supported to move forward with my plans, knowing there is mentorship when I need it. I feel more sure and focused in undertaking a workshop program.” – 2023 Generator participant

Working with partners across regional NSW, ATYP has received funding from the Our Region, Our Voice – Regional Youth Investment Program to support local artists and companies in establishing or increasing programs that use drama to improve the wellbeing of young people. Seven different NSW regional communities across 2023/2024 have been selected to participate.

This comprehensive professional development and mentoring initiative connects regional artists who have experience and skills in facilitating drama with young people so they may share ideas, experiences, resources and inspiration.

Through the program participants will:

• Engage in professional development workshops and forums tailored to their interests and skills;

• be supported to establish accessible drama programs in regions that do not currently have programs, or extend and strengthen programs currently being delivered; and

• form a NSW network of emerging and established Teaching Artists for sharing resources, support, opportunities and expertise.

National Studio

“National Studio is so clearly a masterfully designed program by a theatre company truly dedicated to their mission statement. The Studio was exactly what it said on the tin and more.” – Blake Hohenhaus, QLD. 2023 participant

Established in 2008, the ATYP National Playwright’s Studio is the country’s most successful professional development program for emerging playwrights. The alumni read as a who’s who of emerging talent over the past two decades. This one-week retreat at Riversdale, part of the Bundanon Trust, involves masterclasses, industry discussions and the generation of short scripts that go on to be published by Currency Press and performed by schools as part of the annual Intersection Festival.

Pictured: National Studio, Riversdale, 2023. Photo by Meg Goodfellow.

Annual Program

Writing Youth Engagement Education Workshops

Writing

Cultivate

Cultivate was established in 2023 as a dedicated space for artists who identify as people of colour, with Cultivate Dramaturgy offered as the first instalment of the program in 2023. Over three years, ATYP is growing the program to support the development of Australian plays reflecting the diversity of our backgrounds. Cultivate will be back in 2024, so stay updated on our social media accounts to find out more.

Foundation Commissions

Established in 2012, the ATYP Foundation Commissions are building a body of professionally developed work for young people aged 10–17 to perform. Two commissions are awarded each year, one for 10–13-year-old performers, and one for 14–17-year-old performers. The successful playwrights then develop their script with ATYP’s Resident Dramaturg Jane FitzGerald through workshops with young people, before it is published through our partner Playlab. Once published, the script debuts at The Rebel Theatre through ATYP’s Young Industry Studio program.

Applications for the 2024 Foundation Commissions open in early 2024.

Fresh Ink National Mentoring

ATYP’s celebrated Fresh Ink National Mentoring Program for emerging writers runs annually in collaboration with leading companies around the country. The initiative has been running for 16 years in varying forms and engages industry professionals to mentor young writers, with a focus on developing a writer rather than developing specific work. Fresh Ink is running in Brisbane, Hobart, Perth and Sydney in 2024, with applications opening in February.

Youth Engagement

ATYP builds youth engagement and consultation into everything we do. The structure for consultation varies depending on the groups involved and the purpose of their contribution. Examples include:

Youth Advisory Board (YABbies) — A group of 60 young people from around Australia who meet online monthly with the Artistic Director and staff to discuss and inform programming, marketing and the operational impact of the company.

Board Observers — The co-Chairs of the YABbies participate in Board meetings as youth representatives, offering a participant voice directly to Governance and leadership.

Selection panels — Young people representing the target ages of commissions are appointed to selection panels for the ATYP Foundation Commissions and the Cultivate Commission, along with similar open-access application programs.

Social mapping — ATYP specialises in tailoring youth consultation to meet partnership goals. Examples include working with young people experiencing homelessness, young people in the justice system, suicide prevention and addressing needs in regional and remote communities.

Dramaturgical development — While commissions can involve established artists, all ATYP works require consultation and feedback with groups of young people to determine the authenticity and effectiveness of characterisation and dialogue. It is a condition of ATYP commissions that the playwright will demonstrate how this feedback has been incorporated into the redrafting process.

Education

SmArts Program (Smith Family)

SmArts is designed to provide students in Years 8 to 12 who are interested in creative arts with links to art organisations and relevant career information. It aims to raise students’ education aspiration and career knowledge of the creative arts through an interconnected creative program.

Delivered in partnership with The Smith Family, the SmArts Program offers involvement in the arts for young people experiencing disadvantage across Australia. To date, ATYP’s SmArts Programs in drama and musical theatre have been delivered across NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT.

ATYP On Demand

ATYP On Demand is ATYP’s digital classroom and the best of its kind. The platform is designed to make it easy for teachers to include quality, relevant theatre in their lessons no matter where they are in the country. This FREE platform offers unlimited access to a growing library of high-quality, live-streamed productions as well as curriculum-linked support material.

All of the productions and resources on ATYP On Demand link to Australian and statebased Creative Arts curricula, making it easy to incorporate them into lesson plans.

ATYP On Demand Plus

ATYP On Demand Plus is a digital platform that provides primary educators access to a series of detailed, multi-week units of work that use Drama and Literacy strategies to teach content and concepts within the Primary Curriculum. This subscription-based program can be accessed by any primary school in the country.

The program has been developed with academics from The University of Sydney including Professor Emerita Robyn Ewing AM.

Education Workshops

ATYP’s Education Workshops give students practical experience in specific areas of drama, performance and the drama curriculum. As the national youth theatre company, we are experts in youth practice and can tailor our workshops to secondary drama classes and primary year groups. ATYP’s team of professional Teaching Artists has a range of skills in theatre and performance and can deliver innovative, practical workshops at Pier 2/3, in schools or online—beamed live directly into classrooms.

Intersection Festival

Intersection Festival provides students and teachers the opportunity to work with ATYP to present new Australian stories and showcase their work in the state-of-the-art Rebel Theatre. This program offers students the chance to develop their acting and staging skills and provides professional learning opportunities for teachers to refine their skills in directing. In 2024, school groups will choose scripts from the Intersection: Dawn publication — a collection of brand-new, ten-minute scripts written for highschool-aged performers by emerging writers at the ATYP National Studio.

Theatre Flat-Pack

Theatre Flat-Pack is an all-in-one kit for educators looking to stage an ATYP play at their school. ATYP provides support from the very beginning including choosing the script, holding auditions, and scheduling rehearsals, all the way to preparing for opening night! Taking place over one or two terms, Theatre Flat-Pack can be customised to suit every schools specific needs. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to work with an industry theatre director, as well as a professional learning opportunity for educators to gain new skills and processes for directing theatre.

Work Experience

ATYP offers an immersive Work Experience program at our home on Pier 2/3. Students join the ATYP team for an entire week to find out just what it takes to run a professional theatre company, taking part in practical sessions in acting, directing, design, marketing, development, producing, education, and writing. Students in Year 10 or Year 11 who have an interest in Drama or Entertainment are invited to apply to be part of this unique experience.

Workshops

At ATYP we believe the best way to learn is by creating and by doing. Our high-quality workshop courses give young people the opportunity to work together to create their own show, express their own views and perform it to an audience. Led by some of the industry’s most experienced teaching artists, all of whom are working professionals, young people build self-confidence, are challenged and discover valuable insights into the dramatic process. At ATYP you don’t just join an acting class, you join a community!

Our popular workshops are designed to be both accessible and affordable for young people. 10% of our workshop places are given to scholarship recipients to support young people experiencing disadvantage or those from regional communities.

ATYP workshops run all year round and include:

• Weekly ensemble classes

• School holiday intensive classes

• Young Industry Studios — audition-based for young people under 18yrs

• Industry Studios — for emerging artists aged between 18–26

• Regional partnerships — delivering programs in regional communities

Weekly Workshops

ATYP’s weekly drama classes are broken into two semesters annually and run six days a week throughout school terms. Classes are open to all experience levels and are led by dedicated, industry-trained actors and directors who will improve your acting skills in an exciting and encouraging environment.

When joining a class for a semester, students will spend the first term developing performance skills, and in the second term continue developing these skills while working with their teaching artist to create an end-of-semester performance showcased in our very own Rebel Theatre.

School Holiday Workshops

During each school holiday period, ATYP offers a range of short, intensive courses designed for all ages K–12 and all experience levels. These short courses are a fantastic way for young people to develop their performance skills in a safe and inspiring environment, get a taste of the drama room, and, of course, make new friends. ATYP’s Holiday Workshops are held in our venue at the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, as well as Bondi Pavilion, Darlo Drama, Balmain Town Hall, Brand X, and more!

Young Industry Studio (U18)

ATYP’s Young Industry Studio is designed for experienced young creatives who want to take their skills to the next level. Learning from industry professionals, the ATYP Young Industry Studio brings the arts industry and young people together to grow and develop the creative leaders of the future. Participants attend workshops over two school terms, building to a performance outcome in The Rebel Theatre.

Members of the ATYP Young Industry Studio program learn valuable information and techniques that enhance their performance and theatre-making skills and provide valuable connections with the arts industry. Across a range of disciplines, these programs provide practical training in a challenging, creative and collaborative ensemble environment.

Admission to the ATYP Young Industry Studio is by application or audition only. 10% of our workshop places are given to scholarship recipients to support young people experiencing disadvantage or those from regional communities.

Industry Studio (18+)

Industry Studio is a series of intensive courses for emerging artists aged 18–26, dedicated to improving skills across acting, writing, directing, voice and movement, devising, and so much more. Participants are offered a rare opportunity to work with leading industry professionals in a close-knit environment, building to a performance outcome in The Rebel Theatre.

Pictured top left to bottom right. The Resistance, 2023 / Reboot, 2023 / Holiday Workshops, 2023 / Reboot Youth Classes, 2023 / Intersection Festival Rehearsals, 2023 / Shack, 2022. All photos by Clare Hawley.

The ATYP Team

Artistic Director & CEO

Fraser Corfield

Executive Director

Matthew Hall

Business Manager

Chrissy Riley

Operations Manager

Heidi Brosnan

Education Manager

Jacqui Cowell

Workshops Manager

Alana Dunn

Resident Dramaturg

Jane FitzGerald

Artistic Associate & Producer

Hayden Tonazzi

Archivist

Judith Seeff

Creative Technologist

Daniel Andrews

Venue & Events Coordinator

Catherine Tomsen

Education Coordinator & Resident Artist

George Kemp

Development Coordinator

Aden Abeleda

Digital Communications & Engagement Coordinator

Bec Herkess

Workshops & Administration Coordinator

Emily Johnson

Digital Engagement Designer

Lillie Bailey

International Artist in Residence

Ryo Harada

Front of House Managers

Lillie Bailey

Aidan Hale

Bec Herkess

Catherine Tomsen

Front of House Attendants

Tahlia Merlino

Ez Waygood

Teaching Artists

Abbie-lee Lewis

Alex Lee-Rekers

Ally Jensen

Amy Hume

Ana Maria Belo

Anthony Gooley

Benjamin Purser

Branden Christine (Munyan)

Cait Burley

Callan Purcell

Carissa Licciardello

Catherine Martin

Charlene OSullivan

Charlie Garber

Chelsea Zeller

Chris Tomkinson

Claudia Osborne

Curtis (Curly) Fernandez

Danielle O’Keefe

Danny Ball

Duncan Jeavons-Fellows

Eloise Snape

Emily Buxton

Emma Jackson

Emma Wright

Eve Beck

Felicity McKay

Felix Jozeps

Gabe Fancourt

George Kemp

Grace Smibert

Gretel Vella

Hayden Tonazzi

Heather Campbell

Helen Kim

Helen Stuart

Jacqui Cowell

Janine Watson

Jena Prince

Jenna Lind

Jo Bradley

Jo Turner

Jordana Wegman

Joshua Anderson

Jules Orcullo

Kate Walder

Kate Wooden

Kaylee Hazell

Keelan Ellis

Keira Fairley

Keshini De Mel

Kian Pitman

Kira Leiva

Lucy Clements

Lucy Heffernan

Lycia Gunawan

Madeleine Diggins

Matilda Ridgway

Matthew Whittet

Molly Haddon

Natasha McNamara

Nathalie Fenwick

Nicholas Hiatt

Nick Atkins

Nicolas Witte

Rachel Chant

Raechyl French

Randa Sayed

Rebecca Attanasio

Robert Jago

Robert Maxwell

Romy Bartz

Rowan Freeman

Sally Dashwood

Sam O’Sullivan

Sarah Furnari

Sean Cartwright

Sophie Kelly

Tahlia Merlino

Tasnim Hossain

Tegan Arazny

Thomas Filer

Tim Dashwood

Tim Hansen

Tom Hughes

Tom Matthews

Violette Ayad

Ziggy Resnick

Zoe Hogan

Assistant Teaching Artists

Adam Stepfner

Annika Bates

Brenton Bell

Camila Ponte Alvarez

Caspar Hardaker

Courtney Bell

Damien Carr

David Catterall

Dylan Nyerges

Elliott Falzon

Haylee Muir

Holly Matthews

Izabella Louk

Jake Fryer-Hornsby

Janine Lau

Jasper Lee-Lindsay

Jasper Reucassel

Jeremi Campese

Jollee Hacadurian-Sacco

Kiara Fung

Laneikka Denne

Lara Heath

Marvin De Vera (Rowland)

Michael Howlett

Mina Asfour

Miranda Michalowski

Mischa Hudson

Phoebe Tow

Ryan Hodson

Samuel Walsh

Sofia Nolan

Storme Bauchop

Varuna Naicker

Partners & Supporters

Government Partners

Trusts & Foundations

Industry Partners

Venue Partners

YIM FAMILY FOUNDATION

EUROPEAN UNION CULTURAL FUND

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Australian Theatre for Young People

Eora Country Pier 2/3

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Dawes Point

NSW 2000

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