Playwriting Australia Annual Report 2013 by playwritingaustralia

playwriting australia

Annual Report 2013

Contents

Image (above) and cover image by Meg Hewitt

Page Company Profile

Chair’s Message

Artistic Director’s Report

Artistic Programme

2013 in production

Key Performance Indicators

Audited Financial Statements Corporate Information

Directors’ Report

Financial Statements Auditor’s independence declaration

Statement of comprehensive income

Statement of financial position

Statement of changes in funds

Statement of cash flows

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements

Directors’ Declaration

Independent Auditor’s Report

Additional Financial Information

Image (above) and cover image by Meg Hewitt

Company Profile partners Government Australia Council for the Arts Arts NSW Arts SA Dept of Culture and the Arts, Western Australia Lotterywest Australian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore United States Embassy in Australia

Philanthropic Ian Potter Foundation Max Afford Playwrightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Award RE Ross Trust Playwrights Script Development Awards Perpetual Foundation and the JS Love Trust WeirAnderson Foundation

Industry & community partnerships Australian Theatre for Young People Australian Script Centre Avant Card Belvoir Black Swan State Theatre Company Blue Room Theatre Carriageworks Checkpoint Theatre Singapore City of Sydney Footscray Community Arts Centre Goolarri Media Griffin Theatre Company La Boite Theatre Company Malthouse Theatre Melbourne Theatre Company Metro Arts Milk Crate Theatre

Moogahlin Performing Arts Mt Druitt Chifley College National New Play Network US Playmarket New Zealand Perth International Arts Festival Perth Theatre Company Perth Theatre Trust Seymour Centre Stages WA State Library of Victoria State Theatre Centre WA Sydney Opera House Sydney Posters Sydney Theatre Company Sydney University Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company

Playwriting Australia cultivates great Australian stories. As the national peak body for playwriting, we work with playwrights and theatre companies to connect talent with opportunity through grassroots outreach and national events. We utilise innovative script development models, provide industry-wide leadership and drive the diversity and sustainability of Australian theatre culture. Established in 2007 by the Australia Council for the Arts, Playwriting Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact is evidenced in the number of new works invested in, the diversity and number of playwrights supported, as well as the broad range of theatre companies we partner with. Each year in our theatres we are seeing more and more plays and playwrights that Playwriting Australia has supported, ensuring our work is reaching an ever-widening audience.

the team (at Dec 2013) Artistic Director Tim Roseman General Manager Amanda Macri Associate Artist Jane Bodie Administrator Alice Poujois International Development Manager Dan Prichard Outreach Coordinator Teik-Kim Pok

Advocates Chris Bendall (WA) Geordie Brookman (SA) Liz Burcham (QLD) Jon Halpin (NSW) Van Badham (VIC) Charles Parkinson (TAS)

Board of Directors Peter Wilson, Chair Andrew Bovell Tom Gutteridge Julian Leeser Rachael Maza Bruce Meagher Joanna Murray-Smith Desmond Sweeney Deanne Weir

Chair’s Message 2013 marked a turning-point in PWA’s history. It was our first full year under the artistic leadership of Tim Roseman, and in that context it brought major changes to our artistic programmes, funding strategy and staffing. As we have re-imagined and re-focussed our activities to place the workshop process at the core, and to increase our capacity to offer more workshops to more artists in more places and in a variety of formats, so we have reconsidered our approach to our festival, outreach and international programmes and restructured our team and fundraising platform to match. It has been a transformational year. Tim’s report gives full details of everything we have done and the outcomes of that work. I would simply like to point to some highlights:  Deanne Weir, Andrew Bovell and Julian Leeser joined our Board. We could not have wished to have among us a more committed and passionate philanthropist than Deanne, nor a more distinguished Australian playwright than Andrew, nor a more thoughtful public policy thinker than Julian. The quality of these new Board members reflects and enhances the reputation and capability we have built for doing important work and doing it well;

 Our new business plan was formulated under the leadership of Tim and Amanda, tightening our focus on the workshop programme, setting out a bold long term vision for the place of playwriting in the national dialogue and identifying a pathway to achieve it;

 Our triennial funding from the Australia Council was renewed with an increased grant. I could not be more proud of the achievement of Tim and Amanda and the team in securing this exceptional outcome against a backdrop of ever-tightening public funding for the arts across all levels of government. It proves not only that we are delivering great artistic programmes but that we are doing so in a responsible and cost-effective way;  Our private philanthropic fundraising programme took a giant step forward with the creation of our new fundraising strategy, the appointment of our Fundraising Advisory Council consisting of Helen Lynch AM, Kim Williams AM, Craig Hassall, Liz Nield and Helen Salmon to help implement it, and the raising of $100,000 in donations and matched funding to create a full-time position of Development Director, which we hope to recruit for imminently. We also said some farewells, notably to Irene Stevens, who retired from the Board in September 2013, and to Bruce Meagher, who after several unsuccessful attempts will be allowed to retire at this AGM. Both have brought energy, ideas, contacts and support to PWA over many years, and while we are very sorry to lose them, they go with our thanks and our very best wishes for the future. As always, we remain deeply grateful for the support we have received from our funders and donors – in particular from our major funders, the Australia Council for the Arts and Arts NSW, as well as the state governments of

South Australia and Western Australia, the theatre companies whose contributions of people and resources make the festival and the workshops possible, and all of our private donors, with a particular thanks to our largest private donor, the WeirAnderson Foundation. On behalf of the Board I would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful team including Tim Roseman, Amanda Macri, Jane Bodie, Alice Poujois, Teik-Kim Pok and all our volunteers. We are immensely grateful for your dedication and support. 2014 holds many challenges for PWA. We are larger, we are doing more work, we are moving to new offices, and most importantly we are in the thick of implementing all the changes implied by our new business plan. As we continue to grow, we will draw on the support and inspiration of our artists, our staff, our funders and donors and our friends to help move playwriting in this country further towards the centre of our national artistic life. It will be an exciting and rewarding ride. Come with us.

Peter Wilson Chair

Artistic Director’s Report 2013 was a year of evolution for Playwriting Australia. Following six years of inspired and dynamic leadership by Chris Mead, his departure to Melbourne Theatre Company at the end of 2012 and my subsequent employment gave the organisation cause to take stock of our many successes and the potential for new explorations. Much of the first half of the year was spent listening to stakeholders throughout Australia – theatre companies, dramaturgs, funding bodies and, above all, playwrights. The level of warmth and respect towards Playwriting Australia is extremely high, and the areas for development gradually felt clearer and clearer. Above all, it was evident that the first stage of Playwriting Australia’s mission was complete – there are more new plays on the Australian stage, and they are of a higher quality than before we were founded. Assembling our 2014-16 artistic and strategic plan presented an opportunity for a longerterm vision, a chance to imagine a future for Australian new plays that stretched to the next generation. This is a mission to redefine the place of the playwright in our theatre culture and our wider society. It is a deliberate provocation to all theatremakers to broaden the range of stories on our stages, with a particular focus in this triennium on increasing cultural diversity in national programming. It is a statement of intent that playwrights must be cultural beacons for our society and we must act now to create a legacy of Australian plays. Above all, it is a fierce commitment to leaving no stone unturned to find the greatest stories for our stages. I am pleased to report that this program was supported with an increase in our funding levels from the Australia Council.

National Script Workshops The most crucial element of our work, the National Script Workshop is our incubator of new plays for the Australian Stage, and typically 70% of these plays go on to receive full productions. In 2013 we undertook a series of modifications to this program to reflect our new practices and priorities. Firstly, in response to feedback from playwrights, we expanded the two-week process. Retaining the halfday in the rehearsal room/half-day writing model, certain plays were workshopped for a fortnight and others for only one week. All work received further dramaturgical support beyond the workshops when requested. Secondly, we separated theatre companies from individual playwrights in the submissions process. We have often been questioned as to why we are developing work for major theatre companies considering their resources, and the playing field is clearly not level between an emerging, unproduced playwright and a state theatre company. In 2013, the majority of our workshop opportunities were reserved for unattached scripts, including an entirely unproduced writer. We also separately invited companies to propose plays by Indigenous and/or culturally and linguistically diverse playwrights, in line with our renewed prioritising of multicultural scripts. The scripts workshopped were varied and robust. In the first session, Patricia Cornelius’ Big Heart was a modern parable of an Australian businesswoman who adopts a child from each continent. Vanessa Bates wrote of estranged sisters trying to connect as their mother dies in Chipper. In The House on the Lake, Aidan Fennessy created a murder mystery that is at once intriguing and unsettling.

The second session of workshops was reserved for multicultural and Indigenous work. We partnered with Melbourne Theatre Company for Jane Harrison’s The Visitors, a retelling of Twelve Angry Men relocated to a council of Aboriginal elders witnessing the landing of the First Fleet. A Sri Lankan Tamil Asylum Seeker’s Story as Performed by Australian Actors under the Guidance of a Sinhalese Director by Dhananjaya Karunaratne was proposed by Merrigong Theatre Company and used the process of performing a play as a vehicle to explore pertinent questions of civil war and asylum. Rosalba Clemente’s Swimming to New York was a highly theatrical and playful examination of broken family dynamics and old age. This session also contained this year’s RE Ross Award workshop, Vile by Didem Caia, a stark and powerful suburban tale of family, oppression, abuse and loyalty. The final session of the year saw Tom Holloway explore sadness and alienation in a large-scale play, Dark Clouds Will Gather. Jada Alberts developed her PWA commission, Skywalker, the tale of a hospitalised Indigenous boy who rediscovers his heritage in his unconscious dreaming. Julian Larnach’s Umami was an epic history of the last 40 years of the conflict in Afghanistan and Mari Lourey’s Dirt Music is a very human story about the different ways generations use and abuse our land. In partnership with Sydney University and Griffin we also workshopped Donna Abela’s play Jump for Jordan which is slated for production in 2014. All the scripts that were workshopped are eligible for the 2014 National Play Festival.

National Play Festival Decamping to WA for the first time, the National Play Festival showcased the very best of Australian new writing for a public audience. With the generous support of the State Theatre Centre, over four days we presented full readings of seven new works, as well as work by four Western Australian emerging playwrights, two American plays and a tribute to Deckchair Theatre. For the first time we selected the program from work we had already been developing through our core programs. A buoyant and eclectic mix of public panels and closed industry sessions added to the debate in a packed four-day program that coincided with the Perth International Festival. Highlights of the program included: Winyanboga Yurringa by Andrea James. The first time an Indigenous play has been part of the core Festival program, telling of a group of women reconnecting to the land and their history when they go bush. M-Rock – Lachlan Philpott’s uplifting and funny play imagined a granny as a superstar DJ. Scowl by Angus Cerini - An interrogation of Australia’s past through the eyes of two foulmouthed elderly sisters Love Boy - Casey Nichols’s profound and haunting world where two troubled wards negotiate the daunting word of state care. 8GB of Hardcore Pornography by Declan Greene - A dark comedy as painful as it is hilarious. We were particularly pleased to welcome colleagues from throughout Australia as well as the US, UK, Singapore and New Zealand.

Artistic Director Report continued Commissions

Songrites

We offered a seed commission through our Re-Gen program to a young and emerging playwright, attracting 89 submissions. It was particularly exciting that by far the strongest proposal was from Jada Alberts, an Indigenous actor who is at the start of a hugely promising playwriting career. Her play Skywalker was developed at the National Script Workshop.

In partnership with Sydney Opera House, we introduced three very prominent Indigenous songwriters to playwriting. Casey Donovan (winner of Australian Idol), Troy Brady (Aim4More) and Abe Wright (the Street Warriors) spent a week with PWA artists Iain Sinclair, Leah Purcell and Sopa Enari learning the fundamentals of writing for the stage. Early parts of the work were presented at Corroboree at the Opera House. We will continue working with these artists next year and hope to showcase their plays at the National Play Festival.

It was especially inspiring to see a syndicate of many of Australia’s leading playwrights assembled by Tom Holloway to support a co-commission with Griffin Theatre. Moths - a verbatim interrogation of Asian Australian relationships and sex lives - marks Michele Lee as not just a significant new Asian Australian voice but as a vibrant addition to the Australian theatre landscape. The award, which will be annual, is named in memory of Betty Burstall, the founder of La Mama Theatre, a true pioneer. Mortido by Angela Betzien, our co--commission from 2012with Belvoir, received two workshops directed by Leticia Caceres (MTC) with dramaturgy by Anthea Williams and Tim Roseman.

Resident Playwrights It is central to Playwriting Australia’s mission that writers are immersed in theatre buildings, ensuring playwrights lead rather than respond to the debate. We worked with four playwrights-in-residence at La Boite in Brisbane – Maxine Mellor, Kathryn Marquet, Julia-Rose Lewis and Future Fidel, and also with Tim Spencer at Belvoir whose residency formed part of our Hive partnership there.

Outreach Our outreach and diversity programs work with people new to writing for the stage, creating over time a critical mass of new playwrights from underrepresented communities. We returned to Broome, WA to conclude a threeyear project to discover and train new voices in playwriting skills. Over time this group of artists has been committed and dynamic, as was evident in a showcase program so big it had to be stretched over two evenings at Goolarri our partner venue. Some of this work is being seriously considered for production by professional producing companies. We worked for the first time in Footscray, western Melbourne. A group of local spent time developing basic playwriting techniques which were then furthered in our Salon over a six month training and mentoring period, leading to a showcase at Footscray Community Arts. Plays created in our Broome and Redfern Salons were read at the Yellamundie national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playwriting Festival.

Dramaturgy Interns Continuing our commitment to expanding sound dramaturgical practise in Australia, we selected a group of twelve emerging artists to spend six months with Playwriting Australia. These writers, directors and theatre-makers learnt the rudiments of dramaturgy through masterclasses, scripts assessments and workshops.

International In the last year of our funding for our international program, we partnered with Checkpoint Theatre in Singapore. Lachlan Philpott’s Silent Disco and Jessica Bellamy’s Shabbat Dinner were given staged readings, and we co-presented a panel on Australian and Singaporean theatre at the Singapore Writers Festival. Plans are underway for a reciprocal exchange at the 2014 National Play Festival. Declan Greene’s 8GB of Hardcore Pornography was read at the Playmarket new writing festival in Auckland. Jane Bodie and I were also invited to teach and speak at the Festival.

2014 saw the retirement of Irene Stevens after six years exceptional service to the Board. We were delighted to welcome to the Board playwright Andrew Bovell, artistic director of Ilbijerri Theatre Company Rachael Maza and Deputy Chair of Screen Australia, Deanne Weir. My profound thanks to all the Board, and especially our Chair, Peter Wilson, for his meticulous and devoted leadership. None of this highly ambitious program would be possible without the monumental commitment of the Playwriting Australia team Amanda Macri, Alice Poujois, Teik-Kim Pok, Jane Bodie and Dan Prichard. Their vision and unstinting expertise ensures that Playwriting Australia makes indelible footprints on Australian culture.

Tim Roseman Artistic Director April 2014

Artistic Program 2013 2013 Highlights Go west With the National Play Festival in Perth and the final stage of our Broome playwriting initiative, there was an unprecedented engagement with Western Australian artists and the results were thrilling. The new talent unearthed by our Re-Gen WA initiative showed a brighter future for WA voices on the national stage.

Diversity Taking on the challenge of changing the face of Australian playwriting within a generation, we approached the question of cultural diversity head on, creating new outreach partnerships as well as working in sync with theatre companies that are developing works by writers from Indigenous or CALD backgrounds. Important first steps towards a long-term goal.

International presence The final year of our International Market Development Strategy saw a number of international partnerships come to fruition, including our long-term exchange with the United States and the presentation of a series of Australian plays in Singapore. Our close ties with overseas colleagues has seeded a number of opportunities for our playwrights to travel as we connect, promote and create a dialogue beyond Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s borders.

Songrites It was a year of amazing highlights for Indigenous playwriting: the Yellamundie National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playwriting Festival; the first Indigenous play showcased at the National Play Festival and introducing Broomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest artists to Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company. However, the Songrites Cultural Lab in partnership with the Sydney Opera House and Corroboree Festival was a standout: inviting talented Indigenous musicians to consider applying their storytelling skills to playwriting.

Throughout 2013, Playwriting Australia increased its offer to playwrights, providing a suite of opportunities for artist development unmatched throughout the sector. The breadth of the program is reflected in the range of artists who worked with us this year: from the unexpected sparks of first-time playwrights to the fiery genius of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most respected senior writers; an expansive roster of readers and dramaturgs; and inspired thinkers from across the industry. In his first year as Artistic Director, Tim Roseman brought fresh perspectives to Playwriting Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core programs and an openness to new ideas. Through Tim, we reached out to all stakeholders, took stock of what works and what is still needed and ambitiously re-imagined the future of Australian playwriting.

2013 in numbers

38 playwrights employed

22 internship opportunities

340 scripts submissions

Performance Summary Measure Artists Engaged New Works Supported Script Submissions Presentations and Workshops Attendances

2013 260 54 340 36 1772

2011-13 684 168 1076 108 4865

13 supported plays in production

1,680 new social media followers

13 13

National Play Festival

Festival Producer Kristy Austin Company Stage Manager Craig Williams Guest programmer Chris Bendall Marketing Sian Roberts Directors

Interns

Speakers

Chris Bendall Melissa Cantwell (PTC) Fraser Corfield (ATYP) Susie Dee Chris Mead (MTC) Leah Purcell

Melissa Egan Alexander Fisher Sophie Joske Michael Nield Mariah O'Dea Ian Sinclair Kevin Wangai

Van Badham, playwright (VIC) Gita Bezard, playwright, The Duck House (WA) Jane Bodie, playwright (NSW) Humphrey Bower, playwright (WA) Angus Cerini, playwright (VIC) Reg Cribb, playwright (WA) Chis Kohn, director (QLD) Carson Kreitzer, playwright (USA) Damon Lockwood, Literary Manager, Black Swan State Theatre Company (WA) Casey Nicholls, playwright (VIC) Lachlan Philpott, playwright (NSW) Sally Richardson, director (WA) John Sheedy, Artistic Director, Barking Gecko Theatre Company (WA) Hellie Turner, playwright (WA) Tim Watts, playwright (WA)

Dramaturgs Jane Bodie Kirsty Hillhouse

Cast Heath Bergersen Humphrey Bower Joshua Brennan Gemma Cavoli Jessica Clarke Elaine Crombie Benj Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Addario Siobhan Dow-Hall Kylie Farmer Michelle Fornasier Arielle Gray Luke Hewitt Rae Johnston Geoff Kelso Rosemarie Lenzo Caroline McKenzie Jenny McNae Jo Morris

Lynette Narkle Will O'Mahony Alastair Osment Whitney Richards Katya Shevtsov Tim Solly Miranda Tapsell Steve Turner Alison Van Reeken Sean Walsh Alex Williams Irma Woods Meyne Wyatt Ursula Yovich

Industry sessions Chris Bendall, Chair, Stages WA Mel Cantwell, AD, Perth Theatre Co Helen Hristofski, Theatre Board Australia Council Kim Peter Kovac, Director New Visions / New Voices (USA) Christian Leavesly, Artistic Director, Arena Theatre Co (VIC) Murray Lynch, Director of Playmarket (NZ) Tracie Pang, Director and Producer (Singapore) Seth Rozin, Artistic Director of InterAct Theatre (USA) John Sheedy, Artistic Director, Barking Gecko Theatre Company (WA)

21-24 February 2013 State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth The 2013 National Play Festival travelled to Western Australia for the first time, presenting four days of readings, forums and discussion as we unveil the best new plays in the country. We showcased some of the most exciting voices; defied expectations of what plays for younger audiences might be; we turned the spotlight on Western Australian talent and on the juiciest new writing from the USA. Our industry discussions began with an exploration of playwriting for young audiences and the New Visions New Voices model from the Kennedy Centre in Washington. Our international guests from the US, Singapore and NZ also chaired a session on new writing programs that have had success at home. We also discussed the future of playwriting in WA, a discussion that was mirrored in the public panel discussion.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;New plays are the lifeblood of theatre. They explode our preconceptions, ask unanswerable questions, and reflect the burning momentum of our societyâ&#x20AC;?

Showcase plays Close by Kit Brookman (NSW) Scowl by Angus Cerini (VIC) Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography by Declan Greene (VIC) Winyanboga Yurringa by Andrea James (NSW) Love Boy by Casey Nicholls (VIC) M Rock by Lachlan Philpott (NSW) The Paperbark Shoe by Hellie Turner (WA)

RE-GEN WA Emerging Playwrights House And Brood by Gita Bezzard (WA) Up In The Flood by Chris Isaacs (WA) City Of Cranes by Steve McCall (WA) The Night Guardian by Jess Messenger (WA)

The United States of Playwriting Lasso of Truth by Carson Kreitzer (US) Pluto by Steve Yockey (US)

Lunchtime forums WA Playwrights VS the East Coast Making a Successful Career as a Playwright Making great plays for young audiences Perth Writers Festival - Plays as Literary Texts Deckchair Theatre Retrospective

Tim Roseman

National Script Workshops Directors

Cast

Chris Bendall Susie Dee Chris Mead (MTC) Leah Purcell Anne-Louise Rentell (Merrigong)

Camilla Ah Kin Alice Ansara Sermsah Bin Saad Kate Box Joshua Brennan Nicholas Brown Brandon Burke Travis Cardona Jason De Santis Guy Edmonds James Evans Arianthe Galiani Lucy Goleby Sandy Gore Geraldine Hakewill Aileen Huynh Emma Jackson Robert Jago Chantelle Jamieson Russell Kiefel Andrew Lindqvist

Dramaturgs Jenni Medway Iain Sinclair

Cultural Consultant Bilquis Ghani

Interns Lawrence Ashford Tammy Brennan Sopa Enari Emily Kennedy Melissa Lee Speyer Julia-Rose Lewis Emma McManus Grace Pundyk Luke Rogers Steph Walker Pierce Wilcox

Nathan Lovejoy Frank Mainoo Lucia Mastrantone Glenn Maynard Amanda McGregor Kirk Page Nicholas Papademetriou Leroy Parsons Lyn Pierse Oscar Redding Ella Scott Lynch Shari Sebbens Terry Serio Glenn Shea Carlos Sivalingam Kate Skinner Sara West Ben Wood Matthew Zeremes

Script Readers Jada Alberts Chris Bendall Nicki Bloom Patricia Cornelius Caroline Craig Susie Dee Robin Dixon Marcel Dorney Jane Fitzgerald Katrina Foster Tanya Goldberg Kirsty Hillhouse Cathy Hunt Petra Kalive Lara Kerestes Peter Matheson Jennifer Medway Dominic Mercer Damien Millar Janice Muller Felicity Pickering Katie Pollock Charles Purcell Paige Siran Rattray David Ryding Olivia Satchell Annette Shun-Wah Eleanor Skimin Francesca Smith Augusta Supple Leonie Tillman Ashley Walker Pierce Wilcox

The workshop program exploded in scope and popularity in 2013, with 10 scripts selected from an unprecedented 174 submissions. Our intensive workshop opportunity for the creative development of new plays, the National Script Workshops provide playwrights with up to two weeks to collaborate with a creative team to develop a script through intensive practical investigation. For the first time in 2013, theatre Companies were invited to nominate a script by Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and Indigenous playwrights for a week-long workshop. As a way to ensure that the repertoire of stories on our stages is reflective of our society and the various communities that shape it, we sought the brightest new theatre talents in Australia, whose artistic voices have already been identified by the companies working on the ground.

Workshops in 2013 Chipper by Vanessa Bates (NSW) Vile by Didem Caia (NSW) Winner of the RE Ross Trust Award 2013 Swimming by Rosalba Clemente (SA) In partnership with the State Theatre Company SA Big Heart by Patricia Cornelius (Vic) Sea Monster by Aidan Fennessy (Vic) The Visitors by Jane Harrison (Vic) In partnership with Melbourne Theatre Company Dark Clouds Will Gather by Tom Holloway (Vic)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an established artist but still emerging playwright I found working with Tim and Jane simply invaluable. I was in a position to learn through a process of feedback, dialogue and collaborative 'grappling' - which is what I want to do more than anything so I can begin to realize the more ambitious scope of my ideas as a writer.â&#x20AC;? Rosalba Clemente

A Sri Lankan by Dhananjaya Karunarathne (NSW) In partnership with Merrigong Theatre Company Umami by Julian Lanarch (NSW) Dirt Cloud by Mari Lourey (Vic)

Projects

State Exchange Selected from 20 applications from around Australia, the State Exchange funding supported interstate collaborations for artists creating new work. Remains by Maxine Mellor (QLD) in collaboration with Van Badham and Malthouse Theatre (VIC) Alienation by Lachlan Philpott (NSW) in collaboration with Mel Cantwell and Perth Theatre Company (WA) The Awkward Man by Finegan Kruckemyer (TAS) in collaboration with Stephen Noonan and the Adelaide Arts Centre (SA) Prehistoric by Marcel Dorney (VIC) in collaboration with Actors ensemble and Metro Arts (QLD) 419 by Maryanne Jaques(NSW) in collaboration with Robert Reid (VIC) and Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (NSW) Big Baby: Boss of the World by Van Badham (VIC) in collaboration with Sam Routledge and Terrapin Puppet Theatre (TAS)

Erin Thomas Playwright Fund Ahead of the official launch of the program in 2014, support was made possible by donations to the newly established fund for playwrights living outside the major capital cities. Brian Obiri-Asare (ACT) Griffin Story Lab 2013

Betty Burstall Co-commission Twelve well-known Australian playwrights have donated to Playwriting Australia to create a new cocommission syndicate. Named in honour of the beloved theatre pioneer, Betty Burstall, founder of La Mama Theatre in Melbourne, who died in June 2013, the playwrights are keen to see this become an annual commission. The 2013 Betty Burstall Commission was awarded to emerging Victorian playwright, Michelle Lee, in partnership with Griffin Theatre Company, who will match the donation.

“I'm very humbled to have been selected for this inaugural commission, particularly with the calibre of playwrights behind it. It's an innovative way too to enrich the sense of community amongst playwrights.” Michele Lee

postscript Over 70 scripts were submitted to the postscript service in 2013, from playwrights at all stages of their career. The scripts submissions are read free of charge by Playwriting Australia’s dramaturgy interns who provide feedback to the writers. Information about the plays is then shared via the on-line Postscript database.

projects

Songrites In partnership with the Sydney Opera House, we hosted a five-day cultural lab for three accomplished, mid-career Indigenous musicians and songwriters. Working with PWA artists and mentors, the artists began exploring their personal stories with a view to creating new theatre works. The workshop culminated in an ‘in conversation’ event with Rhoda Roberts as part of the Opera House’s Corroboree Festival program. Songrites Artists Casey Donovan Troy Brady Abe Wright

Creative Development Studio With the support of key industry partners and the generosity of private donations, Playwriting Australia was able to offer two additional creative development opportunities. In a new collaboration with the Department of Performance Studies at the University of Sydney, we open up the script development process to students studying dramaturgy.

Jump for Jordan by Donna Abela (NSW) in collaboration with University of Sydney and Griffin Theatre Company (NSW)

Director Iain Sinclair

Mentors Tim Roseman, Leah Purcell, William Zappa, Rhoda Robert, Head of Indigenous Programming Sydney Opera House

Cast Camilla Ah Kin, Alexandra Aldrich, Fayssal Bazzi, Lyn Pierse, Billie Rose Prichard

Facilitators John Shrimpton Latai Taumoepeau, Sopa Enari

Dramaturg Jane Bodie

Mortido by Angela Betzien (NSW) in collaboration with Belvoir and made possible through a donation from Rhonda McIver Director Leticia Caceres Dramaturg Anthea Williams Producer Tahni Froudist Cast Tom Conroy, Nathanial Dean, Kate Mulvany, Marshall Napier, David Valencia

Emerging Artists

Re-Gen Seed Commission Supported by the Australian Council for the Arts’ Opportunities for Young and Emerging Artists Fund, this seed commission provided a $5,000 fee for an emerging playwright to write the first draft of a new play and receive a script development workshop, mentoring and dramaturgical advice from Playwriting Australia.

Sky Walker by Jada Alberts (NSW) Director Leah Purcell Dramaturg Tim Roseman Cast Emma Jackson, Amanda McGregor, Ursula Yovich, Aaron McGrath and Lasarus Ratuere Readers David Ryding, Nicki Bloom and Jenni Medway

“This support is vital to my professional development through these early stages of what I hope will be a successful career as a playwright. With PWA’s guidance over this draft, as foundations are laid, I feel I really am in the best possible hands.” Jada Alberts

Playwright Residencies

Dramaturgy Internships

Following on from our enormously successful NSW playwright residency project in 2011-2012, we were thrilled to be approached by theatre companies wanting to create similar residencies for playwrights in 2013.

After a hugely positive response to our pilot internship in 2012, Artistic Director Tim Roseman brought together a new group of 12 dramaturgy interns. Over six months, Tim led fortnightly meetings with the group, aided by prominent dramaturgs and playwrights to explore the role of the dramaturg in programming, providing feedback and in new play development.

La Boite Playwrights-in-Residence 2013 Future Fidel (Qld) Julia-Rose Lewis (Qld) Kathryn Marquet (Qld) Maxine Mellor (Qld) Through our partnership, PWA’s Tim Roseman and Jane Bodie provided masterclasses for the residency playwrights and Jane returned to Brisbane to work with Kathryn Marquet on a script development workshop for her play, Pale Blue Dot. Belvoir ‘The Hive’ Resident Playwright 2013 Tim Spencer (NSW) The Hive is a new donor syndicate established by Belvoir in partnership with Playwriting Australia. The group supports productions in the downstairs theatre as well as a residency and seed commission for an emerging playwright.

The interns were also involved in PWA's scripts selection process, gaining valuable experience in writing script assessments and taking part in group conversations about plays they've read, seen or are currently working on. Dramaturgy Interns 2013 Lawrence Ashford Tammy Brennan Sopa Enari Victoria Haralabidou Brenden Hooke Julia-Rose Lewis Emma McManus Luke Rogers Alison Rooke Erin Taylor Steph Walker Pierce Wilcox Guest mentors Peter Matheson, Hilary Bell, Tom Holloway We were also able to provide interns with tickets to professional theatre productions at Belvoir, STC and Griffin as well as publications through Currency Press and on-line library pass to AustralianPlays.org.

Outreach

200 Stories High

The Salon

200 Stories High works with artists and communities in Western Sydney to promote the craft of playwriting and stir a passion for storytelling skills in young people with minimal exposure to the arts.

Since 2009, we’ve invited more than 40 writers to join the Salon, an extended professional skills development course led by established playwright mentors.

We also continued working with the ensemble at Milkcrate Theatre, comprising artists who have experienced homelessness or social marginalisation.

In 2013, three Salon groups presented their work-inprogress across three states, showcasing exciting new talent from Indigenous and non-English speaking backgrounds.

Facilitators Catherine Davies Sopa Enari Kenneth Moraleda John Shrimpton Latai Taumoepeau Seini Taumoepeau 2013 Workshops Ashfield Youth Theatre Intro 22-24 January Milk Crate Theatre 18-21 March Mt Druitt Chifley College Intro 1 - 22-25 October Intro 2 – 19-11 November Performance – 29 November

Redfern Salon (NSW) Presented at Carriageworks as part of the Yellamundie National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playwriting Festival in February 2013. Weight by Jada Alberts Battle of Waterloo by Kylie Coolwell Who’s Your Mob by Victoria Kennedy Little SSSissster by Leanne Lovegrove Cuz by Billy Macpherson I Be The Sisters Three by Lorna Munro Mentor Tommy Murphy Director Sarah Goodes Cast Katherine Beckett, Shane Bell, Kirk Page, Angeline Penrith, Robert Preston, Shari Sebbens

Broome Salon (NSW)

Footscray Salon (Vic)

After wowing audiences at the National Play Festival 2012 in Melbourne and the Yellamundie Festival in Sydney, we brought these astounding plays back to the Broome community.

Working in partnership with Footscray Community Arts Centre, seven local artists undertook the Salon course, meeting with Facilitator Jane Montgomery Griffiths over eight weeks.

In June 2013 we presented two nights of free readings at Broomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gimme Club in partnership with Goolarri Media and Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.

In the second stage, four writers were paired with a playwright mentor and showcased their new work at a performance in December 2013. Tania Canas (Untitled)

Dust by Jub Clerc Solid Ground by Deb Hannigan Frogs Cry Wolf by Dan Lee The Lighthouse by Sermsah Bin Saad The Telling by Jacqueline Wright

Dominic Golding (Hiroshima Dead Souls) Simon Miles (Death and Apathy) Grace Pundyk (The Letter) Emeretta Cross Tina Waru

Director Kyle Morrison (Yirra Yaakin)

Pauline Vetuna

Dramaturg Mari Lourey

Director Chris Mead

Cast Uncle Steven Alberts, Aunty Sylvia Clarke, Jub Clerc, Peter Docker, Keenan Martin, Brandon McCarthy, Katya Shevtsov and Sandra Umbagai Clarke

Mentors Van Badham, Tom Holloway, Damien Millar and Melissa Reeves Cast Kane Felsinger, Nicole Lee, Naomi Rukavina and Leighton Young

International Development Through our international market development strategies our goal is to open a dialogue with international producers and artists as way to create opportunities for Australian playwrights overseas. Our strategies have facilitated playwright exchanges, residencies, commissions and productions, as well as bringing key contacts to our major events as a way to forge new networks and raise awareness of the breadth of talent here.

American/Australian Playwright Exchange Through our long-term exchange program with the National New Play Network (NNPN) in the United States, two Australian playwrights, Declan Greene and Vanessa Bates, attended readings of their work at the NNPN’s National Showcase of New Plays in Washington in November 2012. For the first time in 2013, we worked with the NNPN to invite two bright new American playwrights to showcase bold, engrossing and imaginative new works from America: Steve Yockey’s Pluto and The Lasso of Truth by Caron Kreitzer. Hosting the writers in Perth and Sydney we continued to explore the most exciting global playwriting cultures, including an additional reading and forum in Sydney, Finding the Words, in partnership with the National Institute of Dramatic Arts. The exchange has already led to production outcomes: following on from his reading at the NNPN’s Showcase in 2012, Declan Greene’s play Moth was subsequently programmed by the Studio Theatre in Washington in their 2013-2014 season.

New Zealand Exchange Our relationship with Playmarket in New Zealand also led to a playwright exchange program over 2012-2013. Sydney playwright, Phil Spencer, had travelled to Playmarket’s retreat in mid-2012 to continue working on his play, Grigore’s Estate, and to meet with NZ artists and producers. We then hosted Playmarket’s Artistic Director, Murray Lynch, and NZ playwright, Rachael McKinnon, at the National Play Festival in Perth. In July 2013, Playmarket held their biennial festival event in Auckland and invited a delegation of Australian artists to the event. Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography by Melbourne-based playwright Declan Greene was included in the Under Construction program of play readings, directed by Sophie Roberts at the Q Theatre. Tim Roseman and Jane Bodie also travelled to NZ , taking part in workshops, masterclasses and industry discussions.

Singapore: Tales of Two Cities Our discussions about an exchange with Singaporean theatre artists began in 2012, with playwright Huzir Sulaiman (Joint Artistic Director, Checkpoint Theatre) and director Tracie Pang (Pangdemonium Productions) visiting National Play Festivals in Melbourne and Perth. Checkpoint also sent two emerging playwrights Joel Tan and Faith Ng to atyp's Fresh Ink National Studio in Bundanon, NSW, with 16 young Australian writers and leading playwrights Declan Greene, Angela Betzien and Jane Bodie.

Australian Playwrights @ the Singapore Writers Festival Playwriting Australia partnered with Checkpoint on an Australian program of plays and talks in the 2013 Singapore Writers Festival . Silent Disco by Lachlan Philpott Director Claire Wong, Shabbat Dinner by Jessica Bellamy The playwrights travelled to Singapore for the event with Tim Roseman and Dan Prichard. In addition to the performances, the Singaporean and Australian artists participated on a Writers Festival panel discussion on the challenges and pleasures of putting the cities of Singapore and Sydney on stage.

Playwright Residency: Jessica Bellamy Following the Singapore Writers Festival event, Jessica Bellamy stayed on in Singapore for a six-week residency at Tiong Bahru, one of Singapore's most beloved housing estates. Continuing her collaboration with local playwrights Joel Tan and Faith Ng, Jessica explored the extraordinary relationship Singaporeans have with the food that they eat, and working with community groups, schools and Singaporean artists to create a response to Shabbat Dinner. Jessica documented her residency experiences as well as interviews with key Singaporean artists in her blog http://thetalesoftwocities.wordpress.com/

“Shabbat Dinner is a very culturally specific piece...I wondered how it might resonate in an entirely different country and culture. I realised I was in very safe hands with my friend and collaborator Joel Tan. He found a way of uniting our chorus of female performers via the universal links of the piece. Hearing Singaporean voices sing in Hebrew will be something I’ll never forget.” Jessica Bellamy

Key Performance Indicators 2013 PWA Supported Plays in Production Rust and Bone by Caleb Lewis (NSW) National Play Festival 2011 Presented by Griffin Independent and Stories Like These, January 2013 I'm Your Man by Roslyn Oades State Exchange 2011 Presented at Belvoir, January 2013 This Heaven by Nakkiah Lui (NSW) NSW playwrights in residency program Presented by Belvoir, February 2013 Girl in Tan Boots by Tahli Corin (NSW) (NSW playwrights in residency program) Presented by Griffin Independent and Collide SBW Stables Theatre, March 2013 Wulamanayuwi and the Seven Pamanui by Jason de Santis (NT) National Script Workshop 2010 Message Sticks Festival, Sydney Opera House March 2013 and National Tour 2013-2014 As We Forgive: 3 Morality Tales for an Amoral Age by Tom Holloway (VIC) State Theatre Exchange 2011 Ten days on the Island Festival, March 2013 One scientific mystery or why did the Aborigines eat Captain Cook? by Victoria Haralabidou (NSW) Western Sydney Salon 2011 National Play Festival 2012 Tap Gallery, April 2013

The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars by Van Badham (VIC) National Script Workshop 2012 Presented by Merrigong Theatre Company, HotHouse Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company April â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 2013 The Light Box by Natalia Savvides (NSW) Re-Gen Emerging Playwright Workshop 2011 Fat Boy Dancing at 107 Projects, July 2013 Alienation by Lachlan Philpott (NSW) State Exchange 2013 Presented by Perth Theatre Company, July 2013 I Love You, Bro by Adam J Cass International Market Development 2012 Presented by La Boite Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company, August 2013 Return to Earth by Lally Katz National Play Festival 2009 Arthur & Griffin Independent, September 2013 The Trouble with Harry by Lachlan Philpott (NSW) National Script Workshop 2011 Presented at Outburst Queers Arts Festival by TheatreofplucK (Belfast), November 2013

Artistic Vibrancy Measures

Target

2013

Number of works submitted/read Total number of works supported Number of works initiated Total number of artists employed Number of young/emerging artists

200 35

340 54 8 11 215 50

International Script Strategy

2013

Income-Generating Opportunities Visiting International Artists International Travel Playwrights Playwright Exchanges Key International Partnerships

4 7 3 4 5

Organisational efficiency measures Performance against budget Earned income ratio Operating costs ratio

Diversity Indigenous Artists: CALD Artists: Young & Emerging: Women in Theatre: Playwrights Directors/Dramaturgs

147 25

Target +/- 5% 6% 43%

2013 4.7% 11% 37%

Paid Unpaid 48 (22%) 29 (13%) 13 (36%) 50 (23%) 33(92%) 34 (65%) 50 (63%)

Audited Financial Statements

Playwriting Australia A Company Limited by Guarantee ABN 36 124 652 884

Annual report for the year ended 31 December 2013

Directors of the company Andrew Bovell Tom Gutteridge Julian Leeser Rachael Maza Joanna Murray-Smith Bruce Meagher Irene Stevens Desmond Sweeney Deanne Weir Peter Wilson Company Secretary Deanne Weir Registered office and principal place of business Carriageworks 245 Wilson Street Eveleigh NSW 2015 Auditors Steven J Miller & Co Chartered Accountants

Directors’ report Directors' report The directors of Playwriting Australia submit the annual report for the financial year ended 31 December 2013. The directors report as follows: DIRECTORS The names of each person who has been a director during the year and to the date of this report are: Date Appointed

Date of Cessation

Board

Finance

Andrew Bovell

26/09/2013

A 2

B 2

Tom Gutteridge

28/03/2007

Julian Leeser

10/12/2013

Rachel Maza

26/09/2013

Bruce Meagher

12/10/2007

Joanna Murray-Smith

01/01/2011

Desmond Sweeney

12/10/2007

28/3/2007

Deanne Weir

29/07/2013

Peter Wilson

29/7/2008

Irene Stevens

23/09/2013

Fundraising B

A Number of meetings held during the time the director held office during the year B Number of meetings attended Details of directors’ qualifications, experience and special responsibilities can be found on page 8 of this report. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Playwriting Australia works with Australian theatre artists to create and tell Australian stories. As the national development agency for playwrights, our mission is to support the quality and diversity of great new Australian writing for performance. We work with emerging and established Australian playwrights and the companies who produce their work to ensure that more of our local artists have the opportunity to develop their skills and see their work become part of our national repertoire. From grassroots outreach to major national festivals, Playwriting Australia’s broad program of activities encourages home-grown theatre to flourish by:  devising innovative and responsive models for the development of new scripts,  facilitating a national conversation about script development, and  driving the development, diversity and sustainability of Australian theatre culture.

Our primary function is the development of artists and repertoire and in this role we deliver projects and services to identify and nurture the skills of promising artists. Through our extensive workshop program we develop high quality new scripts and broker the relationship between theatre companies and playwrights. We also act as a creative research and development hub, delivering initiatives that identify new directions for Australian theatre, investigate models for best practice in play development and develop the capacity of the industry to better support Australian playwriting.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2011-2013 Playwriting Australia focuses on three overarching goals: More Australian plays in production Most Australian theatre companies have insufficient resources to significantly invest in the development of new plays or to identify and nurture the skills of promising artists. Playwriting Australia fills this gap through a range of programs to increase the number and quality of new plays that are suitable for production each year. A secure future for Australian playwriting In order for our new writing culture to remain relevant and sustainable, Australian playwrights need a champion to help shape new directions and develop the capacity of the industry to better support Australian plays through research, advocacy and communication. A vibrant, effective and sustainable organisation As an industry-focussed organisation with limited public engagement, Playwriting Australia has historically had very limited access to non-government sources of income. The organisation carefully balances sustainable growth with sound financial management and business development strategies in order to consistently offer high quality opportunities to artists into the future. Key objectives for 2011-2013 The areas in which we have achieved significant results over the triennium are: MORE AUSTRALIAN PLAYS IN PRODUCTION Objective:

Deliver a critical mass of high quality scripts to the sector each year Maintain innovative and effective programmes Find the best scripts to develop

Objective:

Effectively link high quality playwrights and theatre companies Work with high quality artists

Objective

Promote high quality works to theatre companies Connect Australian playwrights with production opportunities overseas Advocate directly to key overseas contacts Send playwrights overseas

A SECURE FUTURE FOR AUSTRALIAN PLAYWRITING Objective:

Lead the industry in conversation about key challenges in playwriting Create a dialogue around key issues Encourage company buy-in to our programmes Track progress and share research

Objective:

Create better access to professional theatre practice for playwrights from culturally diverse backgrounds Find talented writers in communities Encourage industry engagement in community practice

A VIBRANT, EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION Objective:

Increase operational capacity while preserving the quality of support for artists Strengthen organisational capacity Raise money from new sources Regularly review

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR In working towards our objectives, Playwriting Australia delivered a range of programmes, events and opportunities in 2013. More Australian plays in production Playwriting Australia delivered a wide range of new play development activities in 2013, providing artists with script development, mentoring, residencies and commissions:  We supported a total of 62 playwrights  We received and assessed 334 script submissions from every Australian state and territory  We invested in the development of 51 new Australian plays  We employed 174 artists and arts workers nationally. Our core activities in 2013 included National Script Workshop opportunities for 10 playwrights, travel funding provided to 8 State Exchange projects, a new Re-Gen commission and workshop for an emerging playwright, and the National Play Festival in Perth, which included performances of 13 new plays. Additionally, our outreach activities in Broome, Footscray, Redfern and Western Sydney mentored 16 playwrights, and our international strategy presented an Australian play reading in Singapore. We also partnered with La Boite Theatre in Brisbane and Belvoir in Sydney on new playwright residency projects. In delivering our annual program, Playwriting Australia regularly works with high-calibre professional artists around Australia. In addition to emerging and established playwrights, we regularly employ skilled and experienced directors, dramaturgs, performers and production personnel. These creatives include senior personnel seconded from major performing arts companies such as Melbourne Theatre Company, Perth Theatre Company, the Australian Theatre for Young People and Belvoir. This allows us to maintain a critical dialogue with practicing artists throughout the sector so that Playwriting Australia can ensure the quality of the work developed through our programmes. In total, we managed 16 industry partnerships throughout the year, including with the Sydney Opera House, the American Consulate in Australia, Black Swan State Theatre Company in Perth and the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. Our connection with a national network of producers enhances the opportunities for the writers and scripts we develop to reach a production and we are proud to say that 10 plays supported in 2013 have already been scheduled for production in 2014. A secure future for Australian playwriting Throughout 2013 we maintained a strong commitment to the development of emerging artists and playwrights from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. Through a range of targeted national initiatives designed to broaden participation in the artform, we worked to identify new talent, provide high quality skills development opportunities and create pathways into professional practice for a range of artists. Key activities include:  Showcase of new plays by 4 emerging playwrights as part of the RE-Gen WA presentation at the National Play Festival 2013 in Perth.  Showcase of new plays by 5 emerging playwrights in Broome following a three-year initiative to reignite theatre culture in one of Australia’s most vibrant and diverse regional communities.

ď&#x201A;§ Showcase of new plays by 4 emerging Aboriginal playwrights in Redfern at Yellamundie, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Playwriting Festival in Sydney. ď&#x201A;§ Hosting 12 dramaturgy internships, providing practice-based skills development training for emerging theatre-makers in Sydney. ď&#x201A;§ Mentoring 6 emerging writers from diverse cultural backgrounds in Footscray. We extended our commitment to the cultural diversity of new Australian playwriting with 3 National Script Workshops reserved exclusively for writers from Indigenous and non-English speaking backgrounds. We also commissioned sector research into diversity, building a consistent data source for reporting and tracking sector-wide progress over the coming three years. This activity has contributed to a significant increase in the proportion of emerging and culturally diverse artists employed in 2013: 29% were emerging artists; 26% were Indigenous and 15% were from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. A vibrant, effective and sustainable organisation This year, Playwriting Australia received core and project funding from a diverse range of income sources, including local, state and federal government funding. Non-government income represented 16% of turnover, including individual giving, philanthropic trusts and foundations, project management fees and box office receipts. In 2013 we again increased private donations to over $60,000, supporting new play co-commissions, script workshops, travel grants and the creation of a new Development Director position in 2014. The leadership of the organisation strengthened in 2013 with passionate headship from Chair Peter Wilson and Tim Roseman in his first year as Artistic Director. We undertook a board membership audit in early 2013, with recruitment of new members throughout the year, including prominent South Australian playwright, Andrew Bovell, Indigenous theatre leader Rachael Maza, and philanthropists Deanne Weir and Julian Leeser. One of our founding directors, Irene Stevens, stepped down from the board in September 2013 after more than 7 years of dedicated service to Playwriting Australia. Looking to the future, the sustainability of this thriving organisation was addressed with two important new strategic plans developed throughout 2013: a new triennial business plan for 2014-2016 and a new Fundraising Strategy. These documents interweave the financial growth of the organisation with our longterm artistic goals and priorities, consolidating and extending our most successful programs and creating new opportunities for artists, industry and stakeholders to benefit from our work.

MEMBERS’ GUARANTEE Playwriting Australia is incorporated in New South Wales as a company limited by guarantee. In the event of the company being wound up, each member undertakes to contribute a maximum of $10 respectively for payment of the company’s liabilities. As at 31 December 2013 there were 9 members of Playwriting Australia and the amount of capital that could be called up in the event of Playwriting Australia being wound up is $90.

AUDITOR’S INDEPENDENCE The auditor’s declaration of independence appears on page 9 and forms part of the Director’s report for the year ended 31 December 2013. Signed in accordance with a resolution of the directors made pursuant to s.298(2) of the Corporations Act. On behalf of the directors:

PETER WILSON Chair Sydney 25 March 2014

Directors' qualifications, experience and special responsibilities Name of Director

Qualifications and experience

Andrew Bovell

Noted playwright Director, Australian Writers Guild

Tom Gutteridge

Artistic Director, Union House Theatre B.A. (Melb Uni) Diploma of Arts - Drama (Vic College of the Arts)

Julian Leeser

Director, Government, Policy & Strategy Australian Catholic University BA (Hons) LLB (UNSW)

Rachael Maza

Artistic Director, Ilbijerri Theatre

Bruce Meagher Subcommittee

Director of Corporate Affairs, Foxtel;

Special responsibilities

Fundraising

Director, Save the Children Australia, Director, Griffin Theatre BA LLB Joanna Murray-Smith

Noted playwright Director, Wheeler Centre Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, Melbourne University BA Hons from Melb Uni

Desmond Sweeney

Lawyer, legal practice director at Argent Lawyers Previously partner of Herbert Smith Freehills for 12 years. Chair, Safe Childhoods Foundation. Director, Force Majeure. B.Sc. (UNSW), LL.B. (UNSW), LL.M. (UBC)

Deanne Weir

Media entrepreneur, company director and Company Secretary philanthropist with more than 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in media and communications. Director, WeirAnderson Foundation Director, International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Development Agency Deputy Chair, Screen Australia

Peter Wilson

Managing Director, Greenhill Australia Director, Belvoir St Theatre Ltd B.Com (Hons) (Finance) (UNSW), LL.B. (UNSW)

Treasurer Finance Subcommittee

Chair Finance Subcommittee Fundraising Subcommittee

Auditorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independence Declaration

Statement of comprehensive income Statement of comprehensive income for the year ended 31 December 2013

INCOME

2013

2012

41,681

28,142

5,022

10,006

2,250

101,104

56,869

Note

Inc ome Fees & services Box office income Merchandising & retail Sponsorship & donations Other income

13,516

25,365

683,155

703,611

844, 478

826, 243

Wages, salaries & fees

564,362

545,912

Program costs

123,258

155,388

27,103

22,203

Subsidies & grants Tot al Inc ome

5 Sch 2

E x pendit ure

Marketing costs Infrastructure costs Tot al ex pendit ure Net S urplus f or t he y ear Other comprehensive income Tot al c omprehens iv e inc ome

81,968

88,699

796, 691

812, 202

47, 787

14, 041

47, 787

14, 041

The current year surplus has been partially transferred to the donations reserve funds of $19,220 and the permanent reserve funds of $10,000. Refer to the Statement of Changes in Equity.

This statement of comprehensive income is to be read in conjunction with the attached notes

Statement of financial position Statement of financial position as at 31 December 2013

2013

2012

Note

Cash and cash equivalents

337,910

383,678

Trade and other receivables

1,569

12,681

1,851

2,417

341, 330

398, 776

9,603

16,182

A S S E TS Current as s et s

Prepayments and deferred expenditure Tot al c urrent as s et s Non-c urrent as s et s Intangibles

Plant and equipment

Tot al non-c urrent as s et s TOTA L A S S E TS

623

3,971

10, 226

20, 153

351, 556

418, 929

LIA B ILITIE S Current liabilit ies Trade and other payables

48,837

59,960

Provisions

14,377

13,530

Income in advance

2,273

Government grants

56,700

161,584

Tot al c urrent liabilit ies

122, 187

237, 347

TOTA L LIA B ILITIE S

122, 187

237, 347

NE T A S S E TS

229, 369

181, 582

47,369

28,802

182,000

152,780

229, 369

181, 582

FUNDS General Funds Designated Funds TOTA L FUNDS

This statement of financial position is to be read in conjunction with the attached notes

Statement of changes in funds Statement of changes in funds for the year ended 31 December 2013 Des ignat ed Funds General

Permanent

Donat ions

f unds

res erv e

f unds

27, 541

110, 000

14,041

Tot al Funds $

General Funds As at 1 J anuary 2012 Net surplus for the year Transfer (to)/from designated reserve funds

30, 000

167, 541 -

14,041

(12,780)

15,000

(2,220)

As at 31 Dec ember 2012

28, 802

125, 000

27, 780

181, 582

Net surplus for the year

47,787

Transfer (to)/from designated reserve funds As at Dec ember 2013

(29,220)

10,000

19,220

47, 369

135, 000

47, 000

229, 369

This statement of changes in funds should be read in conjunction with the attached notes

Statement of cash flows Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 December 2013

Note

2013

2012

Cas h f lows f rom operat ing ac t iv it ies Cash received in the course of operations

175,926

107,283

Receipts from appropriations/grants

636,098

759,069

12,503

18,074

Payments made to suppliers and employees

(869,895)

(857,232)

Net cash inflows/(outflows) from operating activities

(45, 368)

27, 194

Interest received

Cas h f lows f rom inv es t ing ac t iv it ies Payments for intangibles

Payments for plant and equipment

Net cash used in investing activities Net increase in cash held Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the

(19,070)

(400)

(19, 070)

(45,768)

8,124

382,678

374,554

336, 910

382, 678

financial year Cas h and c as h equiv alent s at t he end of t he f inanc ial y ear

This statement of cash flows is to be read in conjunction with the attached notes

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements 1 CORPORATE INFORMATION The financial report is for Playwriting Australia (the “Company”) as an individual entity for the year ended 31 December 2013 and was authorised for issuance in accordance with a resolution of the directors of the company dated 25 March 2014. The nature of the operations and principal activities of the Company are described in the Directors’ Report. 2

BASIS OF PREPARATION

(a) Statement of compliance The Company early adopted AASB 1053 Applications of Tiers of Australian Accounting Standards and AASB 2010-02 Amendments to Australian Standards arising from Reduced Disclosure Requirements for the financial year beginning 1 January 2010 to prepare Tier 2 general purpose financial statements. The financial report is a Tier 2 general purpose financial statement which has been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards – Reduced Disclosure Requirements (AASB-RDRs) (including Australian Interpretations) adopted by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) and the Corporations Act 2001. (b) Basis of measurement The financial report has been prepared on an accrual basis and is based on historical cost convention. It does not take into account changing money value, or except where stated, current valuations of non-current assets. Cost is based on the fair value of the consideration given in exchange for assets. The financial report is presented in Australian dollars. (c) Significant accounting judgements, estimates and assumptions The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other various factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making the judgments. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods. The key estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing material adjustment to the carrying amount of certain assets and liabilities within the next annual reporting period are: Provision for employee benefits Provisions for employee benefits payable after 12 months from the reporting date are based on future wage and salary levels, experience of employee departures, and periods of service, as discussed in Note 3(f). The amount of these provisions would change should any of the employees change in the next 12 months.

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued) The 2011 amendments to AASB 119 made a number of changes to the accounting for employee benefits, the most significant relating to defined benefit plans. The amendments:  eliminate the ‘corridor method’ and requires the recognition of re-measurements (including actuarial gains and losses) arising in the reporting period in other comprehensive income;  change the measurement and presentation of certain components of the defined benefit cost. The net amount in profit or loss is affected by the removal of the expected return on plan assets and interest cost components and their replacement by a net interest expense or income based on the net defined benefit asset or liability; and  enhance disclosures, including more information about the characteristics of defined benefit plans and related risks.  amended definitions of short-term and other long-term employee benefits, which will likely impact the measurement and classification of annual leave liabilities. The superseded AASB 119 defined shortterm employee benefits as those due to be settled with 12 months after the end of the period in which employees render the related services. The revised AASB 119 defines them as benefits that are expected to be settled wholly within 12 months after the end of the annual reporting period in which the employees render the related service. These amendments have had no significant impact on the entity. 3

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Australian Accounting Standards set out accounting policies that the AASB has concluded would result in a financial report containing relevant and reliable information about transactions, events and conditions. Material accounting policies adopted in the preparation of this financial report are presented below and have been consistently applied unless otherwise stated. (a) Revenue recognition Revenue is recognised when the company is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Revenues are recognised net of the amounts of goods and services tax (GST) payable to the Australian Taxation Office. Interest income Interest income is recognised as it accrues, using the effective interest rate method. Sponsorship and donations revenue Sponsorship commitments are brought to account as income in the year in which sponsorship benefits are bestowed. All donations are brought to account as received. Government funding A number of the company’s programs are supported by grants received from the federal, state and local governments. If conditions are attached to a grant which must be satisfied before the company is eligible to receive the contribution, recognition of the grant as revenue is deferred until those conditions are satisfied.

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued) Where a grant is received on the condition that specified services are delivered, to the grantor, this is considered a reciprocal transaction. Revenue is recognised as services are performed and at year-end until the service is delivered. Revenue from a non-reciprocal grant that is not subject to conditions is recognised when the company obtains control of the funds, economic benefits are probable and the amount can be measured reliably. Where a grant may be required to be repaid if certain conditions are not satisfied, a liability is recognised at year end to the extent that conditions remain unsatisfied. Where the company receives a non-reciprocal contribution of an asset from a government or other party for no or nominal considerations, the asset is recognised at fair value and a corresponding amount of revenue is recognised. (b) Trade and other receivables Trade receivables are recognised and carried at original invoice amount less an allowance for any uncollectable amounts. Normal terms of settlement vary from 7 to 90 days. The notional amount of the receivable is deemed to reflect fair value. An allowance for doubtful debts is made when there is objective evidence that the company will not be able to collect the debts. Bad debts are written off when identified. (c) Plant and equipment Plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Any plant and equipment donated to the company or acquired for nominal cost is recognised at fair value at the date the company obtains control of the assets. Depreciation Items of plant and equipment (other than land) are depreciated over their useful lives to the company commencing from the time the asset is held ready for use. Depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis over the expected useful economic lives of the assets as follows: Furniture and fittings 3-5 years Intangibles 4-5 years Impairment The carrying values of plant and equipment are reviewed for impairment at each reporting date, with the recoverable amount being estimated when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be impaired. The recoverable amount of plant and equipment is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. Depreciated replacement cost is used to determine value in use. Depreciated replacement cost is the current replacement cost of an item of plant and equipment less, where applicable, accumulated depreciation to date, calculated on the basis of such cost. Impairment exists when the carrying value of an asset exceeds its estimated recoverable amount. The asset is then written down to its recoverable amount. For plant and equipment, impairment losses are recognised in the statement of comprehensive income.

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued) Derecognition and disposal An item of plant and equipment is derecognised upon disposal, when the item is no longer used in the operations of the company or when it has no sale value. Any gain or loss arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference between the net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset) is included in surplus or deficit in the year the asset is derecognised. Any part of the asset revaluation reserve attributable to the asset disposed of or derecognised is transferred to general funds at the date of disposal. (d) Trade creditors and other payables These amounts represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the company prior to the end of the financial year which are unpaid. The amounts are unsecured and are usually paid within 30 days of recognition. The notional amount of the payables is deemed to reflect fair value. (e) Deferred income The liability for deferred income is the unutilised amounts of grants received on the condition that specified services are delivered or conditions are fulfilled. The services are usually provided or the conditions usually fulfilled within 12 months of receipt of the grant. Where the amount received is in respect of services to be provided over a period that exceeds 12 months after the reporting date, or the conditions will only be satisfied more than 12 months after the reporting date, the liability is discounted. (f) Employee benefits Employee benefits comprise wages and salaries, annual, non-accumulating sick and long service leave. Liabilities for wages and salaries expected to be settled within 12 months of balance date are recognised in other payables in respect of employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; services up to the reporting date. Liabilities for annual leave in respect of employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; services up to the reporting date which are expected to be settled within 12 months of balance date are recognised in the provision for annual leave. Both liabilities are measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled. The liability for long service leave is recognised in the provision for employee benefits and is measured as the present value of expected future payments to be made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date using the projected unit credit method. Consideration is given to anticipated future wage and salary levels, experience of employee departures, and periods of service. Expected future payments are discounted using market yields at the reporting date on national government bonds with terms to maturity and currencies that match, as closely as possible, the estimated future cash outflows. (g) Taxation Income tax The company is a charitable institution for the purposes of Australian taxation legislation and is therefore exempt from income tax. The company holds deductible gift recipient status.

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued) Goods and services tax (GST) Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of GST except where the amount of GST incurred is not recoverable from the Australian Taxation Office, in which case it is recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of an asset or as part of an item of expense. Receivables and payables are recognised inclusive of GST. The net amount of GST recoverable from or payable to the Australian Taxation Office is included as part of receivables or payables. Cash flows are included in the statement of cash flows on a gross basis. The GST component of cash flows arising from investing and financing activities which is recoverable from or payable to the Australian Taxation Office is classified as operating cash flows. (h) Going concern The financial report has been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates continuity of normal trading activities and the realisation of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued existence is ultimately dependent upon the success of future productions and government support. If the company is unable to continue as a going concern it may be required to realise its assets and extinguish its liabilities other than in the normal course of business and in amounts different from those stated in the financial report. At the date of the report, the company has received notification that 2014 grant funding has been approved and it is expected the company will be able to continue in its normal capacity. .

2013

2012

Donations

61,836

40,365

Foundations

22,000

16,000

Sponsorship

17,268

504

101, 104

56, 869

12,503

18,075

S pons ors hip & donat ions

Ot her inc ome Interest received ANPC Bursary Other sundry income

5,000

1,013

2,290

13, 516

25, 365

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued)

Cas h and c as h equiv alent s Cash on hand

2012

328

Cash at call

235,298

283,350

Short-term deposits

102,532

100,000

337, 910

383, 678

1,569

9,403

Trade and ot her rec eiv ables Other receivables Net GST Receivable

2013

3,278

1, 569

12, 681

23,520

4,450

19,070

23,520

Opening balance

(7,338)

(3,425)

Amortisation expense

(6,579)

(3,913)

(13,917)

(7,338)

9, 603

16, 182

Int angibles Cos t Opening balance Additions Closing balance A c c umulat ed amort is at ion

Closing balance Carry ing amount as at 31 Dec ember

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued) 9

P lant & equipment

2013

2012

Cos t Opening balance Additions Disposals Closing balance

21,878

26,798

400 -

(4,920)

22,278

21,878

(17,907)

(17,190)

(3,748)

(5,637)

A c c umulat ed deprec iat ion Opening balance Depreciation expense Disposals

4,920

(21,655)

(17,907)

623

3, 971

Trade creditors

12,316

32,335

Sundry creditors and accruals

34,800

27,625

1,721

48, 837

59, 960

14,377

13,530

14, 377

13, 530

2,273

2, 273

Closing balance Carry ing amount as at 31 Dec ember

10 Trade and ot her pay ables

Net GST payable

11 P rov is ions

Current Provision for annual leave

12 Inc ome in adv anc e ANPC bursary fund

Gov ernment grant s

Provision for annual leave

14,377

13,530

14, 377

13, 530

12 Inc ome in adv anc e ANPC bursary fund

2,273

2, 273

Notes to and forming part of the financial statements (continued) 13

Gov ernment grant s 13 Government grants Unexpended grants

Sch 2

81,498

Grants received in advance

Sch 2

41,700

80,086

Auspiced grants received in advance Sch 2

15,000

56, 700

161, 584

Designated funds

(a) Permanent Reserve Funds The company maintains a Permanent Reserve for the purpose of accumulating funds to ensure the long-term viability and financial security of Playwriting Australia. The reserve is to be invested separately from any other cash on hand or on deposit and any interest accrued on the investment, and the funds as permitted under the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution, may be used at any time for Playwriting Australia projects that contribute to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objectives. Balance - 1 January Transfer to designated funds Balanc e - 31 Dec ember

125,000

110,000

10,000

15,000

135, 000

125, 000

(b) Donations Reserve Funds The company has established a Donations Reserve Fund to record donations received within the financial year, that relate to projects to be carried out in subsequent financial years. Balance - 1 January Transfer to/(from) designated funds Balanc e - 31 Dec ember

27,780 19,220 47, 000

Tot al15Des ignat edpart f unds 182, Relat ed ies and relat ed-part y t rans ac t000 ions

30,000 (2,220) 27, 780 152, 780

The company's related parties transactions include its key manangement personnel and related entities described below:transactions Related partiesas and related-party

The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s related parties transactions include its key management personnel and related entities as (a) Trans ac t ions wit h relat ed ent it ies described below: (a)

Transactions with related The directors act inentities an honorary capacity and receive no compensation for their services. Where legal services provided by a director, servicesWhere legal The directors act in an honorary capacityhave and been receive no compensation for these their services. onprovided a pro-bono and no remuneration was received. servicesprovided have been by basis a director, these services provided on a pro-bono basis and no remuneration was received.

(b)

(b) Trans ac t ions wit h k ey management pers onnel

Transactions with key management personnel Key management of the company is the Artistic Director and General Manager and non-executive members of the Board of Directors. Key managment Key management of the company is the Artistic Director and General Manager and non-executive personnel remuneration includes the followingpersonnel expenses:remuneration includes the following members of the Board of Directors. Key management expenses: Total key management personnel

remuneration

168, 535

158, 804

Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; declaration The directors declare that: (a)

(b)

the financial statements and notes set out in pages 10 to 22 are in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including: (i)

giving a true and fair view of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial position as at 31 December 2013 and of its performance for the year ended on that date; and

(ii)

complying with Accounting Standards and Corporations Regulations 2001; and

There are reasonable grounds to believe that the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable (refer 2h).

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the directors made pursuant to s.295(5) of the Corporations Act 2001.

On behalf of the Directors

PETER WILSON Chairperson Sydney 25 March 2014

Independent Audit Report

Additional Financial Information Disclaimer

Sc hedule 1 - Summaris ed f inanc ial res ult s by projec t

2013

Ref

Ad m i n

In te r n a ti o n a l

Ou tre a ch

Fe sti va l

Wo rk sh o p

Co-

TOTAL

co m m i s Pro j e cts si o n s

Inc ome Earned income Grants & subsidies Total income

Sch 2

81,965

11,302

26,567

7,073

6,550

27,866

161,323

296,430 378,395

58,052 58,052

73,103 84,405

162,578 189,145

78,795 85,868

6,550

14,197 42,063

683,155 844,478

257,947

32,426

68,866

87,150

89,674

6,250

22,049

564,362

Ex pens e Salaries, wages & Production

19,977

26,524

49,171

18,988

8,598

123,258

7,730

695.00

435.00

18,002

241.00

27,103

32,877

5,252

9,604

17,782

9,054

300

7,099

81,968

Total expense

298,554

58,350

105,429

172,105

117,957

6,550

37,746

796,691

Net s urplus / (defic it)

79, 841

(298)

(21, 024)

17, 040

(32, 089)

4, 317

47, 787

Marketing & Infrastructure costs

Sc hedule 2: Subs idies & grant s 2013 Subs idies & Grant s

Grants in Total grants advance

received

Grants Grants in applied

advance

Funding Body

Projec t

Australia Council

Broome Indigenous Playwriting

38,061

Australia Council

Initiative 2010-2012 200 Stories High: Lit Board

4,259

Australia Council

2013 Operational funding

361,386

Australia Council

2013 OS Marketing & Dev

29,250

Australia Council

2014 Travel Grant

6,700

Australia Council

OYEA RE-GEN Commission

25,500

Dept Culture and the Arts

2013 Annual Program

40,000

Dept Culture and the Arts

2013 National Play Festival

35,000

Dept Culture and the Arts

2014 Annual Program

35,000

Perth Int Arts Festival

2013 Re-Gen WA

20,000

City of Sydney

Singapore

5,000

Arts NSW

2013 Operational funding

101,800

Arts NSW

Indigenous Outreach project

6,383

Arts SA

2013 Operational Funding

7,295

American Embassy

2013 US Playwrights

5,086

4,135

563,271

683,155

Aust Chamber of Commerce Singapore

TOTAL Subs idies & grants

2012

80,086

2013

The above UNAUDITED schedules should be read in conjunction with the disclaimer

2014

41,700

playwriting australia Annual Report 2013