2019-2020
ANNUAL REVIEW
Milk Crate Theatre pays respect to the traditional custodians of our land, and to elders past, present and emerging. We are grateful to work and create theatre on land historically owned by the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora Nation – always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Front and inside cover: The cast of Natural Order 2019, Photographed by Patrick Boland.
02 From the Chair 04 From the CEO 06 About Milk Crate Theatre 08 Artistic Directors Report 10 Workshops 12 Interim 2019 14 Natural Order 16 COVID Transition to an Online Story 18 Tiny Universe 20 Our Impact 22 Our Community 26 Social Impact 28 Theory of Change 30 Board of Directors 32 Staff Members 34 Facilitating Artists 36 Artistic Advocates 38 Financial Snap Shot 40 Thank You
FROM THE CHAIR
I
write this at the start of Milk Crate Theatre’s 21st year. Our 20th birthday in 2020 was not quite what we had planned or anticipated. As you probably know, our mission is to provide opportunities for people whose voices are under-represented to engage in artistic practice to build confidence, skills and connection. Our work builds empathy and breaks down barriers. It brings audiences to the community and our community to an audience. It brings people closer. 2020 challenged that. The impact of “social distancing” was felt particularly hard by our community. It created barriers to programs that are deeply human and based on artistic collaboration. I am proud of the work the team did to break down many of those walls. They delivered an outstanding artistic program, which created real engagement and impact. They innovated, adapted and used technology to elevate what Milk Crate Theatre does and the way it is done. They made 2020 a year to be proud of, rather than one to forget. Special acknowledgement goes to our fabulous CEO, Jodie Wainwright, and Artistic Director, Margot Politis, for guiding the management team - and our broader Milk Crate community – so fearlessly through the period. I am grateful for the flexibility, generosity
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and collaboration of our people and community. Thank you also to my fellow directors and our Artistic Advocates for their genuine care, valued advice and unstinting support. A reflection on a year like 2020 must particularly acknowledge those who funded us. Among those, thank you to Create NSW, City of Sydney, Australia Council for the Arts, Office of the Arts, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, Parramatta Council, Sally White and the White Family, Matana Foundation for Young People, Robertson Foundation, James N Kirby Foundation, St.George Foundation, Westpac Foundation, Macquarie Bank Foundation, Community Sector Banking Foundation, ATC Foundation, Mirvac, Edward C Dunn and our many other donors. We are so appreciative of your strong (and growing!) support, as well as your faith and belief in our community and the value of our work as part of Sydney's cultural landscape. We hope to do you proud and earn your continuing support. While Milk Create Theatre could not have the 20th birthday it deserved last year, I anticipate 2021 will be a great 21st birthday celebration.
MICHAEL SIRMAI
"Im so very proud of my achievements, the achievements of us as a cast, and as an entire huge team, inluding the cast, crew, support and management." Natural Order Collaborative Artist
Image Credit: Cast member of Natural Order, 2019. Photo by Patrick Boland.
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FROM THE CEO
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hen I joined Milk Crate Theatre in 2019, I never could have predicted the rollercoaster ride that was ahead.
2019 was a year of highs with a full schedule of creative workshops, the presentation of INTERIM with the Waterloo Housing Estate residents, and presentation of our most ambitious work yet, NATURAL ORDER. We rolled into 2020 with a full program, and then as the world locked down because of COVID-19 in March, we had to suspend programming. Our team quickly pivoted to offer the opportunity for the community to connect online. Then in our Milk Crate way, amazing things started to happen. New characters and a narrative developed into a beautiful new work, DUST STORM, which was performed online via Zoom. September arrived. We were finally able to come back to the floor with workshops, and the creative development of an exciting new Australian theatre work, TINY UNIVERSE, in partnership with Shopfront Arts Co-op. We took the opportunity to look at our strategic plan behind the scenes - going back to basics and asking what we are actually here for! And I'm delighted to say that whilst the basics haven't changed, we have made some significant changes that provide a stronger and clearer direction for the future. The support we have received from Milk Crate's many friends and partners this year has been incredible. It is with sincere gratitude that we have been able to secure the funding to schedule a remarkable and exciting program for 2021 - a program that's big, ambitious, exhilarating, and we can't wait to share it!
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I am so incredibly proud of the team and our community and how much we've managed to achieve in the face of what some would describe at times as an insurmountable test on our courage and resilience. I would like to personally thank Margot Politis and artistic team, who in many instances put the community's needs ahead of their own. I am also grateful to our dedicated Board of Directors for contributing their time, expertise and personal support to guide us through this uncertain year. This Annual Review features the highlights across both 2019 and 2020, sharing some of the exciting work our community has created through this time. We hope you enjoy it!
JODIE WAINWRIGHT
"I felt heard when creating my character and some of my lines. I will take away from Natural Order, that I can achieve anything." Natural Order Collaborative Artist
Image Credit: The cast of Natural Order, 2019. Photo by Patrick Boland.
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ABOUT MILK CRATE THEATRE
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ilk Crate Theatre works in a Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) best practice framework, meaning our work is community-centred and collaborative, utilises a strengths-based approach and aligns with the Social Model of Disability. We employ professional practicing artists to facilitate programs where all participants engage in creative expression and contribute genuinely to decision-making which forms the final work. MCT works across a range of art forms so that people can contribute as they wish, supporting ownership, autonomy, and self-efficacy. We believe that by bringing communities together and working from a strengths-based approach, we can make positive impact on participant wellbeing.
Milk Crate Theatre effects social change through the power of performance.
Milk Crate Theatre provides opportunities for people whose voices are under-represented to engage in artistic practice to build confidence, skills and connections; and shares bold and resonant stories to build empathy and break down barriers.
Our community of Collaborative Artists are people whose voices are underrepresented. They are generally living with, have experienced or are at risk of homelessness; living with mental health or disability support needs; have experienced domestic violence or come from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. We work with arts, social purpose, government, corporate and funding partners who can increase our participant and audience reach and impact.
COLLABORATION
ARTISTRY
We work collaboratively within our creative processes, and in partnership with arts, social purpose, government, corporate and funding partners to further our reach and impact
We use a range of creative practices to develop skills and foster confidence and provide platforms for expression and open discourse for social justice and change.
BELONGING
RESPECT
We put our Artists at the heart of everything we do, providing a safe and accessible environment for the community to connect and personally develop through creative practice.
We create an environment where the experiences, feeling and rights of everyone are respected and valued.
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Image Credit Right: The cast of Natural Order 2019, photo by Patrick Boland.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR REPORT
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n 2019, Milk Crate Theatre's Artistic Program reached remarkable new heights. Major work Natural Order was a highly ambitious cross-company project – offering Collaborative Artists an array of art forms to express their feelings and experiences about social mobility. The outcome was as planned – massive, bold, ambitious! Beautiful, resonant and authentic. After such a feat, our plan for 2020 was to take it easy and get back to basics. Unfortunately, the world had different plans! However, the challenge of COVID 19 essentially demonstrated our steadfastness as a community and as a company. Finding ways to keep people connected and creative is what we do – breaking barriers to access, offering platforms for people to activate expression, and providing skills development and growth spaces.
Even COVID 19 couldn't stop us from making our art, and we are so excited for a future of more performance making, reaching more people, and sharing more of these most vital messages to the world.
Image Credit left: Artistic Director Margot Politis; Right: the Cast of Natural Order 2019. Photo by Patrick Boland.
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"Milk Crate Theatre is Amazing. It fills a very special role in society to support people in need. I loved working with people whose needs are different to my own and seeing how the company works this into their ethos." Natural Order Collaborative Artist
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WORKSHOPS CABARET 2019
LIVE NARRATIVE 2019
Under the guidence of Tim Hansen (Composer), Vashti Hughes & Lucy Watson (Support Artists), a group of Collaborative Artists wrote and put to music the Cabaret number 'Sit in That Chair' for Natural Order at the Ozanam Learning Centre.
Facilitated by Artistic Director Margot Politis, Lucy Watson and Felicity Nicol (Support Artists), this workshop series looked at familiar narrative arcs and structures (and how to subvert them!), character, and scene creation. Here the Collaborative Artists created the script for Natural Order.
IN THE BEGINNING (FILM) 2019
WAGEC 2019
This workshop series saw the creation of the introductory film to the world of Natural Order, the fictional social services office, DAVO. The workshop was facilitated by Kay Armstrong, Margot Politis (Artistic Director) and Lucy Watson (Support Artists)
Women and their children living in the Womens and Girls Emergency Centre (WAGEC) housing precinct participated in a weekly workshop of play with visual arts, music and mask making. The workshops were facilitated by Cali Prince, Jacqueline Marriott & Ella Prince.
Image Credit: OLC workshop 2019. Photo by Kay Armstrong.
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Image Credit: Tiny Universe development workshop. Photo by Kay Armstrong.
THE REV BILL CREWS FOUNDATION 2019-2020
EVOLVE HOUSING YOUTH 2019-2020
Support Artists Alice Williams, Paul Walker and Jessica Saras lead RBC Guests on creating stories and scenes that were presented at the end of year celebration alongside RBC's in-house band, The Battlers.
The Exquisite Corpse workshop series looked at combining snippets of stories into a short film format with young people in Parramatta. The workshop was run by Felicity Nicol, Paul Walker & David Molloy.
SET & OBJECT (COSTUME) 2019 This workshop intensive was an exploration of costume and character. Facilitated by David Capra (Set Designer), Margot Politis (Artistic Director) and Lucy Watson (Support Artists), workshop participants played with objects, texture, and visual arts, to explore bringing their ideas to life.
SOUND 2019 Facilitated by James Brown (Composer), Margot Politis, Bella Martin and Felicity Nicol (Support Artists), in this intensive series, Collaborative Artists explored sound to create scenes and scenes to create sound!
OLC 2019-2020 A range of performance and storytelling workshops.
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INTERIM 2019
I
n 2015 news broke in the Waterloo Housing community that residents would have to move from their homes due to development plans in the area. Three years later and these residents – some of whom have lived in the Estate for many years – have still received no specific information about where they will be "relocated", let alone when. Addressing themes of bureaucracy, waiting, and facing the unknown, INTERIM was a new performance work in development by Milk Crate Theatre, commissioned by 107 Redfern, and encompassing the stories and experiences of residents of the Waterloo Housing Estates. This project also functioned as a supported mentorship, the making of the piece codesigned and facilitated by two Milk Crate Theatre's Developing Artists Program participants.
INTERIM was presented as a work-in-
progress showing in May 2019 in the 107 Performance Space and featured live performance and film.
Director & Mentor: James Dalton Artistic Director & Mentor: Margot Politis Developing Artists in Residence:
Georgina Wood & Pauline Trenerry Devisors & Performers: Anna North, Karyn Brown, May Dore, Adam Antonelli
Set Design: Margot Politis Social Worker: Laura Hurstfield Creative Producer: Lisa Walton Program Coordinator: Jessica Saras Counterpoint Community Services:
Adam Antonelli 107 Projects: Jess Cook, Dario Phillips, Amy Willing, Jackson Morphett Field, James McDonald
Additional Collaborators:
Marryanne Laumua, John McDonnell, Catherine Skipper
Image Credit: Interim showing 2019, Georgina Wood and Margot Politis. Photo by Patrick Boland.
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"We have been looking at healing, security and home. Those sorts of things are coming up all the time. I’m learning how to generate more discussion, more ideas, more understanding of how people see things. I haven’t had that experience before." Interim Developing Artist
Interim showing 2019, photo by Patrick Boland.
NATURAL ORDER Who or what determines our lot in life? How do we get to where we are? Is it all a consequence of the choices we make? Or is it determined by something bigger than us … Fate? God? The Universe?
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atural Order was a new multi-artform, performance installation work by Milk Crate Theatre, looking where individual effort and universal law collide. We examined how much is really up to us, the systems that keep us 'in our place', and why, despite repeated and exerted effort, the human right to dignified security is still so far out of reach for some of us. How do we challenge this? What are the actual consequences of resistance? Can we ever really get past where we are today or are we destined to be tied to the natural world order? Weaving together the Milk Crate Theatre Collaborative Artists' concerns and explorations with lived experience
of homelessness, Natural Order crossexamined the personal, political, and philosophical. An immersive installation experience comprising live performance, film, visual art, sound and movement, Natural Order was creatively led by Artistic Director Margot Politis and facilitated by some of Sydney's most exciting and dynamic contemporary arts practitioners. Natural Order was presented at the Petersham Town Hall in a non-traditional setting, with a set that moved around the audience and invited audiences to move among the work. After a two year crosscompany development, the performance took place during National Homelessness Week, August 2019.
Image Credit Left & right: Natural Order 'Cabaret' 2019, photo by Patrick Boland.
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Director: Margot Politis Devisors: Milk Crate Theatre Collaborative Artists and Key Facilitating Artists
Performers (Live & Film):
Aslam Abdus-Samad, Peter Birbas, Shane Davis, Desmond Edwards, Flor Garcia, Owen Gill, Alicia Gonzalez, Lisa Griffiths, Sandra Hickey, Eugenia Langley, Yen Mekon, Ray Morgan, Matthias Nudl, Ruth Oslington, Darlene Proberts, Steve Simao, Pauline Trenerry, Lucy Watson, Georgina Wood
Assistant Director: Jacqueline Marriott Dramaturge: Felicity Nicol Key Support Artist: Lucy Watson Support Performers: Lucy Watson, Alicia Gonzalez, Aslam Abdus-Samad Film Artists: David Molloy & Kay Armstrong Sound: James Brown & Bella Martin Cabaret: Written by Milk Crate Theatre Collaborative Artists, Composed by Tim Hansen Set Design: Margot Politis & Emma White Lighting Design: Liam O-Keefe AV: David Molloy Producer: Lisa Walton Production Coordinator: Jessice Saris Stage Manager: Emil Freund Stagehands and Volunteers: Emily Calder, Brandon Tan Zhi Yang, Ben Stort, Oskar O'Sullivan, Amy Abbott, Craig McPherson
Key Facilitating Artists:
Kay Armstrong, James Brown, David Capra, Sarah Emery, Tim Hansen, Vashti Hughes, Jacqueline Marriott, Margot Politis, Graeme Rhodes, Paul Walker, Lucy Watson, Scott Witt
Additional Collaborators:
Margaret Baldwin, Chris Barry, Anita Canning, Marianne Cenno, Desmond Edwards, Michael Gooch, Sandra Hickey, Michael Immanuel, Benjamin Kellaway, Michael Kenny, John McDonnell, Helmi Nasir, Jemima Pal
COVID TRANSITION TO AN ONLINE STORY
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e began 2020 like any other year with workshops starting up at the Ozanam Learning Centre Woolloomooloo. As the world shut down with the advent of COVID 19, Milk Crate Theatre also needed to do a digital pivot.
LIVE STREAMING TUESDAYS Every Tuesday, AD Margot Politis went live on Facebook and Instagram to maintain an online presence or face of Milk Crate for people feeling overwhelmed or alone. Every week we set a creative task that participants could complete during the week and shared the following week's outcomes. The sessions also included chats and readings from inspirational artists and thought leaders.
DEVISING THEATRE ONLINE Workshops The workshop series planned for the Ozanam Learning Centre was pivoted into an online format, so Margot and Lucy set about filming a video class every week that was followed up by a zoom session the week after. These video workshops were also typed up with images and mailed out to people who couldn't join us on zoom, and people completed some exercises over the phone.
ONLINE RESOURCES Margot created a series of videos with breathing exercises, warmth-ups, and stretches for people to do at home. We also typed these up with images and mailed them to people in our community who didn't have internet access.
Image Credit Right: OLC workshop 2019. Photo by Kay Armstrong.
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After ten weeks of looking at narrative arcs, creating characters, and exploring their relationships, we decided to spend another ten weeks developing this story into a script's beginnings. We presented our work-in-progress to a small invited audience via zoom, and the response was so positive that we have now put plans in place to develop Dust Storm into a full script for the eventual presentation. A wonderful surprise to materialise from a very confusing and challenging year.
TINY UNIVERSE
A
t the end of 2020, Milk Crate Theatre and Shopfront Arts Co-op led the first creative development of their new work co-production, Tiny Universe. What's happening in our private moments that no one else might be able to see or understand? What are the rituals we perform or self-soothing methods that help us make sense of our place in the world? Who are we "out there"? Who are we outside of our tiny universe? Co-directed by Milk Crate Theatre's Artistic Director, Margot Politis, and Shopfront's Creative Director, Natalie Rose, will present Tiny Universe at PACT Erskineville in May 2021
"As a 63 year old person I have very little contact with youth. So, this is a great opportunity to collaborate with youth. They speak a secret language and I’m ok with that." Tiny Universe Collaborative Artist
Image Credit left & right: Tiny Universe development workshop. Photo by Kay Armstrong.
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OUR IMPACT 2016-2020 STATS
Collaborative Artists Creative Workshops have participated in Milk Crate Theatre programs
2020 Finalist Mental Health Matters Award Mental Health Association NSW
Image Credit: Natural Order 2019, photo by Patrick Boland.
offered
New T
works p
Theatre
produced
11,723 000 Audience
Professional Artists
members have watched our performances and productions
have supported programs
2019 Financial Inclusion Network
2019 Women’s Workshop for Homelessness NSW Lived Experience Advocates
2019 University of Sydney CREATE Centre and Milk Crate Theatre "Re-storying Homelessness Through the Arts"
2020 UNSW online ADSA Conference (Acts of Gathering) The agenda was “Performing Care.” convened by Michael Balfour
2020 Training Workshop at the Centre for Social Impact Lived Experience Advocates
2020 Presentation The Mental Health Services Learning Network Summer Forum
OUR COMMUNITY
O
ver the last 20 years, Milk Crate Theatre historically has worked with community members who are living with, have experienced or are at risk of homelessness. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that 116,000 people were homeless on census night in 2016, representing 50 homeless people per 10,000. This includes those sleeping on the streets, in cars, at crisis centres and in overcrowded accommodation. This is an increase of 14 per cent from the last census in 2011.
In 2020 as part of our strategic planning, we consulted with our community and decided to remove labels that community members did not personally identify with or did not support our strengths-based approach. Our community of Collaborative Artists now includes all people whose voices are under-represented in mainstream discourse.
In 2019, our community of Collaborative Artists disclosed the following support needs:
identify as having a disability or mental health concerns
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identify as having a physical disability
identify as being a survivor of trauma
identify as having a neurological or learning disability
identify as experiencing problems with alcohol & other drugs
36%
living in private market accommodation
58% living in government supported housing
6% living in crisis housing, boarding house, sleeping rough
of Milk Crate Theatre's Participants identify as having complex support needs, defined as having three or more co-occurring lived experiences or issues.
Image Credit: OLC workshop collaborators. Photo by Kay Armstrong.
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Image Credit: The cast of Natural Order 2019, photo by Patrick Boland.
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SOCIAL IMPACT PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION
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ilk Crate Theatre is the leading arts organisation in Australia working in the unique intersection of the arts, homelessness, mental health, and disability, providing professional development pathways and opportunities for collaborative artists to engage in creative practices as both performers and theatre and film creators of works. We bring communities together and work in a strengths-based approach for a positive impact on wellbeing. We work within the Social Model of Disability, believe in the dignity of risk, and facilitate programs that are not based on respite or therapy but have a firm focus on the arts to enable and build capacity. Our programs are facilitated by Sydney's most exciting contemporary practitioners, who possess the insight
felt more confident and felt a better ability to connect socially with their peers
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and competency to challenge and inspire our sommunity to work in expansive new ways. They are supported by Social Workers. They can provide personal support and connect people with other services in the community where needed. Professional and Collaborative Artists work together to explore social themes from an arts base – we do not ask people to go into typecast or to tell their personal stories of trauma to inform the depth of the work we produce. We are diligent about the avoidance of rehashing, retelling or re-traumatisation. All Milk Crate Theatre programs are designed in line with our Theory of Change. We utilise a Social Impact Measurement framework to measure our programs' impact across a number of domains of overall wellbeing.
had developed new performance-based and life skills
said that workshops had supported them to make changes in their lives
INFLUENCING CHANGE Our works share stories that need to be told and offer a unique and original perspective not often heard in the mainstream cultural landscape. All works are created with and by our Collaborative Artists, and the impact on audiences is often profound and lasting.
Our performances engage a wide variety of non-traditional audiences. We continue to look for opportunities to develop new audiences and engage key decision-makers, providing participants with an advocacy platform to change perceptions and decisions around what it means to be homeless.
Image Credit: The cast of Natural Order in development, 2019. Photo by Lisa Walton.
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THEORY OF CHANGE ISSUE Disadvantage generates a sense of voicelessness, invisibility and social exclusion that negatively impacts individual life potential and erodes community, humanity and belonging.
Participants
Activities
Our participants are people whose voices are under-represented in society. They are generally living with, have experienced or are at risk of homelessness; living with mental health or disability support needs; have experienced domestic violence or come from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
We engage community members in artistic programs using CACD best practice.
We work with social purpose, government, corporate and funding partners who can increase our participant and audience reach and impact.
Creative workshops for participants both directly and through partners. We work with participants to create and share original artistic works with audiences. We generate powerful performance works and partner with others to help it gain audience reach.
Our audience includes the general public and decision makers who influence the lives of our collaborative artists.
Image Credit left & right: The cast of Natural Order 2019, photo by Patrick Boland.
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IMPACT Through the process of creating unique and original stories we provide opportunities for people whose voices are under-represented in society to build confidence, skills and connections to help them make positive changes in their lives; and by sharing their stories with audiences we build empathy and break down barriers which contributes to a society with more humanity, connection and belonging.
Outputs
Outcomes
For participants: • Confidence • Self-worth • Skills - performance based as well as communications and life skills • Improved social connections and links to community
Improved Personal Wellbeing of participants: • Connection to Community, Social cohesion, • Belonging • Productivity • Increased life Aspirations
An artistic program that taps into the original stories of our participants and adds their voices to the mainstream cultural landscape.
Tolerance, inclusion and decisions that increase the life potential of our participant population.
Share work with audiences to change community perceptions and influence decision makers in order to transform communities for the better.
Add unique and resonant works sharing the unique perspectives of our participants to the Australian cultural landscape.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MICHAEL SIRMAI
RICHARD LEVINE
LAUREN O'SHAUGHNESSY
Chair
Treasurer
Board Member
Michael advises companies, executives and boards on strategy, growth, governance and change. Michael has served in key roles, including general management, strategy, distribution, treasury and product. He is currently Strategic Consultant to the co-founders of Harrison.ai, a leading clinician-led healthcare artificial intelligence company. He spent more than a decade at the Westpac Group and started his career as an M&A and capital markets lawyer in top tier law firms in Sydney and New York.
Richard has worked in various financial, operation and general management roles, from start-ups to large corporates. He spent many years with Metcash (IGA, Mitre 10, Campbells Cash and Carry) before owning and operating independent supermarkets, focusing on turnaround opportunities. He also runs an operational consulting and outsourcing business, assisting medium-sized companies with their financial and operational processes.
Lauren is passionate about philanthropy and has spent the last 15 years working in the philanthropic sector for corporate foundations at Macquarie Group, Clayton Utz and AMP; and in the non-profit sector at MS Research Australia. Lauren is currently Grants Director for the Macquarie Group Foundation and is responsible for the Foundation's grant portfolio in Australia.
He is Chair of the Young Ambassadors Committee, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, a member of St. Vincent's Health Australia's NSW Advisory Council, and a member of the UNSW Law Advisory Council. Michael holds Bachelor degrees in Arts & Law from UNSW and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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auren completed a Bachelor L of Arts in Communication and Social Inquiry at UTS, and in 2017 Lauren was a member of The Observership Program with the Sydney Theatre Company board.
VICTORIA TURNER
DIGBY HUGHES
LENORE ROBERTSON
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Victoria is a senior executive with over 20 years' experience in strategic marketing, distribution, operations and general business management in the financial services, media and performing arts industries in Australia and internationally for companies including Macquarie Bank, AMP, Perpetual and News Corp Australia. Currently, Victoria is consulting companies in multiple industries on business and marketing strategies to enable transformation and growth. Victoria has been a Director of Milk Crate Theatre since June 2013, has an MBA from AGSM UNSW and is a GAICD from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Digby is currently the Senior Policy and Research Officer for Homelessness NSW, a peak not for profit organisation that works with its members to prevent and reduce homelessness across NSW. He looks forward to the day when homelessness can be eliminated.
Lenore is a passionate philanthropist and lover of performing arts. Previously a secondary teacher, Lenore has also been a performer, a director and a producer at the Artistic Director of Epicentre Theatre Company. Lenore serves as a Director of the Griffin Theatre Company and is the Chair of the Robertson Foundation. Lenore is also the Chair of Milk Crate Theatre's Artistic Advocates.
He has worked in the community sector for over 20 years in a range of roles, including service delivery, advocacy and management. He is a Board member for Amelie Housing and has previously served on Shelter NSW's boards, The Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and Ability Technology. Digby has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) with a double major in Political Science and spends far too much time dabbling in politics. In his spare time, he participates in ultra-marathons and rock climbs.
GRACE LOGVYN Company Secretary
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JODIE WAINWRIGHT
MARGOT POLITIS
CEO
Artistic Director
With 20 years of experience working in the not for profit sector for organisations such as Cancer Council, Sydney Opera House and the Red Cross, Jodie brings a wealth of Marketing, Development and Leadership skills to Milk Crate. Jodie is a passionate believer in the power of stories and their ability to bring communities together, bridge differences and most of all, connect with audiences and create change.
With over 18 years of practice, Margot has become a recognised leader in NSW inclusive arts practice as a performer, choreographer, film director, and devisor of new dance theatre. Margot was appointed Artistic Director of Milk Crate Theatre in 2018, after two years serving as Associate Director, and designed and directed the company's 2019 primary production, Natural Order. Previous to this, she spent 2009-2016 as the Accessibility Director at Shopfront Arts Coop, where she established the Accessibility Program in which her directed work ‘ ‘Reaching Out Over & Over’, which was an official selection of the 2016 NYC Indie Film Festival.
In her previous role at Holdsworth Community, Jodie worked closely with Social Workers teams delivering Aged Care and Disability support to secure funding and develop innovative programs. While at Holdsworth Community, Jodie secured seed funding and developed partnerships to deliver supported arts programs, including Dance and Drama, for participants living with intellectual disabilities. This included a collaboration with Sydney Theatre Company to providing facilitating artists to lead Drama workshops.
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In 2017 Margot choreographed the Shopfront Arts Co-op and ATYP co-pro, Dignity of Risk alongside Natalie Rose, which won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People. In 2013 was awarded a Cultural Leadership Grant from The Australia Council for the Arts, working with several companies in the UK including Candoco Dance Company.
JESSICA SARAS Artistic Program Coordinator
Jess is a professionally trained and working actress with over 15 years of experience in this field, holding a BA in Acting for Screen and Stage from CSU Wagga. Jess has been a part of the Milk Crate Community in various roles since 2016, currently serving as Artistic Program Coordinator, providing key support for the staff and artistic team in productions.
LAUREN VASSALLO Marketing & Business Development Manager
Lauren has been working in the creative arts for over 15 years. She has a Bachelor of Design (Honours) and a Master of Design (Research) from UNSW. Lauren previously worked at Ausdance NSW for five years as Marketing & Engagement Manager and as Festival Manager for March Dance. She is passionate about artist advocacy and highlighting their stories.
DALE HOLLINGSWORTH Finance Manager
For over 17 years, Dale has worked with some of the most ambitious arts companies in Australia. He founded ARTSANDBUSINESS to share his unique understanding of arts and not-for-profit organisations' financial and organisational requirements. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Psychology and has studied Social Impact at the University of New South Wales.
LAURA HURSTFIELD Social Worker
Laura is a Social Worker with over 15 years of experience. She has been working as a Consultant in Social Work and Welfare projects since January 2017. In 2013 Laura was voted International Triple P Practitioner of the Year. She is trained in Teen Triple P, Triple P standard, Incredible Years, Circle of Security, 1-2-3 Magic and Engaging Adolescents programs.
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FACILITATING ARTISTS
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ilk Crate Theatre employs some of Sydney’s most exciting community-versed contemporary artists to work alongside our community to make dynamic and impactful performance work that integrates film, sound, movement and aesthetic to achieve high level outcome in the expression of integral social justice subject matter.
ALICIA GONZALEZ Natural Order Support Performer 2019
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ALICIA WILLIAMS
FELICITY NICOL
The Rev Bill Crews Foundation Workshops 2019
Natural Order Dramaturge, Sound Composition and Live Narrative workshops 2019; Evolve Housing for Youth Workshops 2019-20
ASLAM ABDUS-SAMAD
GRAEME RHODES
Natural Order Support Performer 2019; Rev Bill Crews Foundation workshops 2020
Natural Order Screen Acting workshops and coach, Your Self in the Scene Workshops OLC 2019
DAVID MOLLOY
JAMES BROWN
Natural Order Videography and AV 2019; Evolve Housing for Youth workshops 2019-20
Natural Order Sound Composition and workshop facilitator 2019
EMMA WHITE
JAMES DALTON
Natural Order Set Design 2019
Interim Director and Mentor 2019
JACQUELINE MARIOT
LIAM O'KEEFE
Natural Order Assistant Director, WAGEC workshops 2019
Natural Order Lighting Designer 2019
JESSICA SARAS
LUCY WATSON
The Rev Bill Crews Foundation Workshops 2019
Natural Order Key Support Artist, Support Performer, Live Narrative and 2019; Devising Theatre Online Workshops, Tiny Universe Key Support Artist 2020
KAY ARMSTRONG
PAUL WALKER
Natural Order film maker and facilitator, 2019; Rev Bill Crews Foundation workshops 2020
Evolve Housing for Youth, The Rev Bill Crews Foundation workshops 2019
BELLA MARTIN
DAVID CAPRA
LUKE YAEGER
Natural Order Sound Composition and workshops 2019
Natural Order Set & Object Design workshop facilitator
OLC Support Artist
TIM HANSEN
VASHTI HUGHES
Natural Order Cabaret composer and workshop facilitator
Natural Order Cabaret workshops
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ARTISTIC ADVOCATES
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ilk Crate Theatre Artistic Advocates are a group of experienced professionals from across the sector who work collaboratively with our Artistic Director to promote, support and elevate our works by connecting us with artists and organisations across the sector, provide feedback on our program and works and collaborate on projects.
LENORE ROBERTSON Chair, Joined 2017
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Milk Crate Theatre
DONNA ABELA
GRAEME RHODES
Joined 2017
Joined 2017
JONATHAN BOLLEN
NATALIE ROSE
Joined 2017
Joined 2020
DINO DIMITRIADIS
KRISTINA TITO
They / Them Joined 2020
Joined 2017
LEX MARINOS OAM
RHIANNA WALCOTT
Joined 2017
Joined 2020
"I loved being in a professional team. It was my very first 'acting' show, and unforgettable experience." Natural Order Collaborative Artist
Photo Credit: The cast of Natural Order 2019. Photo by Patrick Boland.
FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT
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ilk Crate Theatre operated in deficit in 2019, utilising funds that had been secured in previous years to stage Natural Order. 2020 was an anomalous year with the advent of COVID-19 which reduced our ability to earn income and deliver on projects which were previously funded. Milk Crate Theatre was able to contract expenses and secure support through Government and Philanthropic sources to deliver 2020 programming online.
REVENUE ($000s) 2019 2020 Commonwealth Govt 171.4 0 State Govt 160 83.5 Local Govt 52.1 20 Corporate 22.2 45.6 Donations & Fundraising 109.5 151.1 Performance & Workshops fees 40 2.7 Other Income 22.5 1.1 COVID Support 0 168.9 TOTAL INCOME 577.7 472.9 EXPENSES People 538.7 350 Production 32 1.8 Marketing 30 3.9 Other 60.9 44 TOTAL EXPENSES 661.6 399.7 The above figures provide a summary of our 2019 and 2020 financials and should be read in conjunction with the audited Financial Reports (produced separately).
Image Credit: OLC workshop collaborator. Photo by Kay Armstrong.
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Milk Crate Theatre
THANK YOU
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e acknowledge the generous and going support of the following funders who have generously supported our program and projects in 2019-2020. Many of these organisations have provided funding to Milk Crate Theatre for many years and we sincerely thank them for their ongoing support.
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Milk Crate Theatre
FRIENDS OF MILK CRATE THEATRE
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e gratefully acknowledge all of our supporters who have helped Milk Crate Theatre make a real difference in the lives of the communities in which we work. We would not have been able to deliver many of our programs without the help of the following community members. We also thank the many other individuals who have contributed smaller amounts, donated anonymously, or supported our fundraising throughout the year. We greatly appreciate your generosity.
Aarin Starkey Adrian Hondros Alex Barthel Amanda Martin Amy Abbott Amy Gill Angela Jaeschke Anna Le Masurier Ashley Gray Belinda Farr-Jones C & P Timbrell Carla Cotsaris Carolyn Grant Chathurika Siriwardena Clare Grant Clare Mannion Dean Walsh Digby Hughes Edward C Dunn Elspeth Blunt Emma Campbell Este Darin-Cooper Eugenia Langley Fakhrurrozi Masyhur Fran Egan Gay Maynard Georgina Wood
Hannah Grant Helen Bauer Helen Lynch AM Helen Taylor Hugh Monaghan Janelle Ryan Jenny Stewart Jim Brown Jodie Wainwright Judy Harwood Karen Fisher Karen Loblay Karen Muller Kate Canove Kathie Elliot Keith Marshall Kevin Ng Keziah Knight Kristen Glindermann Kristen Moon Kristina Tito Laura McMillan Lauren O’Shaughnessy Laurene McKenzie Les Scott Lisa George Marie-Louise Harvey
Meg Mumford Michael Sirmai Michelle Brown Natalie Motto Nelly Assayag Nick Chadwick Nina Walton Oliver Burton Pamela Amores Pauline Trenerry Richard Levine Rosemay Thorburn Ruth Oslington Sacha Walters Sally White & the White Family Sandra Eldridge Sarah Emery Shannon Thompson Tanya Kaploon Terry Scott Tim Cecil Tom Christophersen Tori Edwards Victoria Turner Vivienne Skinner William Cook
Annual Review 2019-2020
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Milk Crate Theatre Alexandria Town Hall 73 Garden Street Alexandria, NSW 2015 Phone: 0481 348 218 mail@milkcratetheatre.com www.milkcratetheatre.com
