Playwriting Australia 2016 Program

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creating today’s extraordinary Australian plays and tomorrow’s classics

Luke Mullins in Lake Disappointment by Luke Mullins and Lachlan Philpott, National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide). Photo: Shane Reid


welcome Welcome to Playwriting Australia’s 2016 program We spend a lot of time talking about Australian stories at Playwriting Australia; about the unique alchemy of an astonishing voice speaking with exhilarating skill about us, to us. Storytelling is one of the undeniable binding factors in all communities and civilisations. The unifying experience of imagining, crafting and telling a story is one of society’s highest achievements. It is the stories we tell now, of now, that will be passed on to tomorrow. Quite simply, we need new Australian stories. At Playwriting Australia, our passion is stories for the stage. We search high and low for them, give their tellers the resources they need to make their plays wondrous and then let the world know how astonishing they are. Of course, stories come in many forms, and we’re continually looking for new definitions and theatrical experiences. We champion playwrights who push at the boundaries of what theatre can be and do, who extend the power of their craft into every aspect of modern theatre-making. As ever, our 2016 program is overflowing with opportunities for playwrights from across the country and from every background to get involved; and for theatre companies to be part of the groundswell of new writing excellence.

The spine of our work remains the creative development of new plays – giving writers time and space to imagine and invent in the National Script Workshop, Rapid Fire and Longform programs. Our aim is to celebrate the boldness of a playwright’s vision and enhance the power of their craft. The National Play Festival is our biggest public event and in 2016 it will return to Melbourne. Join us in July for four days of exceptional new plays, incendiary discussions and the country’s biggest celebration of new theatrical writing. As part of Playwriting Australia’s drive to be a truly national company, we are expanding our work in Western Australia, and look forward to sharing exciting new plans with you in the coming months. We will also launch a major new initiative for more advanced playwrights in Western Sydney and a program for new Indigenous artists in NSW – watch this space… Add into the mix opportunities for directors, dramaturgs, actors and producers, and we’re confident that there’s something in this program for anyone who shares our hunger for courageous, audacious, intrepid and magical writing for the stage. I hope you’ll join us. Tim Roseman Artistic Director


Playwright Maxine Mellor, National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide). Photo: Shane Reid


new play development

crafting wonder The widest range of opportunities for the creative development of new scripts Developing a new play takes care, consideration and time. Playwriting Australia’s key expertise is supporting the ambition and imagination needed to create a great new work. Our writer-led programs offer time, space, flexibility and creative expertise to explore and invent, supported by the best actors, dramaturgs and directors in Australia. In 2016, we continue a more tailored approach to the way we support new plays by offering three different development programs: National Script Workshop: our intensive development workshop of one or two weeks. Rapid Fire Sessions: a one-day workshop giving playwrights the chance to hear their script and receive immediate feedback. Longform: up to six months of ongoing one-on-one dramaturgical support. In the second half of 2016, we will be launching a new expanded program for WA playwrights. Development opportunities are also offered to playwrights of Indigenous or diverse cultural backgrounds nominated by theatre companies or producers.

More info Submission closing dates 22 Jan National submissions 19 Aug National submissions 25 Aug Theatre companies & producers nominations for CALD and Indigenous works Where Sydney Perth When March/April October/November Website www.pwa.org.au/new-play-development


Duncan Graham, PWA Lab development of Tumult, Sydney (2015)


pwa lab

inspiring new ways of writing The PWA Lab re-imagines the place of the playwright in the theatre-making process, supporting the fusion of playwriting craft and innovative theatre practice.

More info Application closing date 24 March

The Lab is a workshop for non-traditional forms of theatre, multi-authored text and non-writer-led work. This might mean established writers experimenting with new forms or genres; cross-artform collaborations with artists working in other disciplines; adding writers into devising ensembles; or creative teams looking to explore a new idea or working methods.

Where Melbourne Other locations

Companies, collectives and individual artists wishing to develop a new idea, a new partnership or a new form are invited to apply. Proposals need to have a playwright involved and include details of other creative team members attached to the project.

Website www.pwa.org.au/pwa-lab

More information about the application process and full guidelines will be available in February 2016.

When July (Lab projects may be programmed as part of the National Play Festival in Melbourne) August/September


Playwright Phillip Kavanagh, National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide) Photo: Shane Reid


nationalplay festival 27 – 30 July Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne The National Play Festival is Australia’s leading celebration of new writing for the stage; a dizzying concoction of the finest works developed through our core programs, surrounded by conversations, debates and surprises. Showcase: Public readings of the most dynamic new plays in Australia from our greatest writers and thrilling new voices as well as a special Lotus Asian-Australian playwrights showcase in 2016. Public Forums: The National Play Festival fizzes with an unmissable series of public events featuring Australia’s leading artists as well as our legendary Keynote Address. Writers’ Program: Playwrights are invited to discover new frontiers in craft and ambition in masterclasses, forums and discussions. Industry Program: Playwrights, creatives and producers assemble to unpick the key issues facing our sector. The full program will be announced in June 2016. Read more at www.nationalplayfestival.org.au

Presenting Partners

Jesse Butler, National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide) Photo: Shane Reid


Lotus First Draft 2016 Participants


new voices

unearthing the greatest stories nationwide Playwriting Australia is pioneering a national search for a generation of playwrights that better reflects the country we live in. We cast the widest net to discover and nurture new voices we don’t often hear. We offer training and mentorship opportunities to aspiring playwrights, in partnership with theatre producers, communities and schools. We also insist upon diversity and gender parity throughout our programs, including the National Script Workshops and in our research and development work. In 2016 we focus on new Indigenous playwriting and will be presenting freshly-developed works by Asian-Australian playwrights in our Lotus project. If you are an Indigenous or Culturally and Linguistically diverse artist interested in developing your playwriting skills, or have an idea for a partnership, contact our Diversity Programs Coordinator Teik-Kim Pok by email at teikkim@pwa.org.au or call 02 8274 0904. Read more at www.pwa.org.au/diversity


indigenous playwrights retreat

Indigenous Playwrights Retreat participants 2015

After a successful pilot in 2015, we continue our new program to bolster Indigenous playwriting in Australia, supporting a group of outstanding First Nations writers. A week-long creative residency will focus on writing, sharing work and creating a community for exploring ideas, taking risks, mentoring and collaborating. The program will be self-facilitated by the playwrights themselves around a framework developed by PWA.

Generously supported by

More info Expressions of Interest by 24 April More information will be provided later in 2016. Website www.pwa.org.au/indigenous-retreat


supporting indigenous stories

Casey Donovan, Songrites 2014 (Sydney), Photo: Daniel Boud

Songrites In 2016 we continue our project with Sydney Opera House to support the development of new plays by Indigenous artists from other genres of performance. Each artist will receive training and a week-long workshop of their work.

Supported by

Indigenous Dramaturgy How might dramaturgs navigate the adaptation of traditional creation and Dreaming mythology, respect oral storytelling traditions in communities, or performances incorporating Indigenous languages? Led by Isaac Drandic, Playwriting Australia is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists across Australia to define new ways of supporting and shaping Indigenous works.

The Muru Project In 2016 we will partner with Moogahlin Performing Arts, established to nurture work created, produced and performed by Australia’s First Peoples for First Peoples, to offer again our First Peoples Playwrights Salons for new and emerging playwrights. To register your interest, email teikkim@pwa.org.au.

Presenting partner


Working across three states in an ambitious partnership with Performance 4a, we have spent the last year training over twenty Asian-Australian playwrights in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, offering them vital support to write exceptional new plays. In 2016, we move onto Lotus Phase 2 a more concentrated development with 12 writers. Following on from an initial mentorship program with a weekend intensive in Sydney, we will present a showcase of the best writing from this group at the 2016 National Play Festival in Melbourne.

2016 Lotus Program Brisbane Mentorships Sydney Mentorships Weekend Intensive Melbourne Mentorships Selected showcase at the National Play Festival Website www.pwa.org.au/lotus-playwriting Generously supported by the Girgensohn Foundation

Presenting Partner

Generously supported by


Playwright Michele Lee, National Play Festival (Adelaide) 2015. Photo: Shane Reid


Directors’ Studio 2015 (Sydney)


creatives academy

for theatre-makers working with new plays Directors’ Studio The week-long Directors’ Studio in Sydney is for emerging artists focusing on the particular dynamic of directing new plays. Participants gain tools for creative development, vocabulary for production, and techniques for working with text to realise and enhance a playwright’s vision. Theatre companies nationally are invited to nominate a theatre director to attend. Dramaturgy Training Our six-month dramaturgy training program provides training in script assessment, playwright feedback, creative development and programming. In 2016, this highly successful program will be offered for emerging dramaturgs in Melbourne, in partnership with Melbourne Theatre Company and led by their Literary Director, Chris Mead; and for mid-career artists based in Sydney, working with Playwriting Australia’s Artistic Director Tim Roseman and Resident Dramaturg Iain Sinclair. Rehearsal Room Internships Emerging artists are invited to join us in the rehearsal room to observe our creative development processes at the National Play Festival and National Script Workshops.

More info Application closing dates 1 April Dramaturgy Internships (Sydney) TBC

Dramaturgy Internships (Melbourne)

Expressions of interest for Rehearsal Room Internships are open all year round. Directors’ Studio Sydney 5 – 9 December Theatre companies will be sent invitations to nominate participants for this studio. Dramaturgy Internships Sydney May - October Melbourne Dates TBC Website www.pwa.org.au/creatives

Supported by


national travel grants Erin Thomas Playwright Fund In memory of playwright Erin Thomas, the fund provides travel bursaries for emerging playwrights living outside major cities to participate in our programs or attend other career development opportunities or events. More info Application process Year-round applications Website www.pwa.org.au/erin-thomas

Playwright Erin Thomas (photo: Thomas Family)


advocacy We connect all levels of the industry in a conversation about new works and the role of playwrights in the Australian cultural landscape. To represent playwriting nationally in 2016, Playwriting Australia will hold a series of national playwright consultations to share ideas, information and find solutions to industry-wide questions. These conversations will be as much about art as mechanics, and we will create room in our program to respond to the issues raised. We play a critical role in advocating for playwrights and play development throughout Australia, including: Presence at major industry events, conferences and sector-wide meetings; Working with companies to encourage investment in new plays and playwright development; Working with colleagues across the sector to create a new model for best practice in new writing; Script sharing and promotion, nationally and internationally; Lending our expertise to assessment, programming or selection panels.

Stay up to date, subscribe to our e-news www.pwa.org.au/subscribe Playwriting Australia Artistic Director Tim Roseman, National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide). Photo: Shane Reid


pwa supported plays on stage in 2016 JAN

Thomas Murray and the Upside Down River by Reg Cribb (WA) Griffin Independent Sydney, 13 – 30 January National Script Workshop 2008

Girl Shut Your Mouth by Gita Bezard (WA) Black Swan Theatre Company Perth, 14 January – 7 February National Script Workshop 2014

Tonsil’s Tweezers by Will O’Mahony (WA) Black Swan Theatre Company Perth, 14 January – 7 February National Script Workshop 2014

Hobo by James Taylor (WA) The Blue Room Perth, 22 – 25 January National Script Workshop 2015 National Play Festival 2015

MAR

Deluge by Phillip Kavanagh (SA) Tiny Bricks & Adelaide Festival Adelaide, 8 – 13 March National Script Workshop 2015 National Play Festival 2015

Yasukichi Murakami: Through a distant lens by Mayu Kanamori (NSW) Performance 4a Riverside Theatres Parramatta, 16 – 19 March One on One Dramaturgy 2013

APR

Replay by Phillip Kavanagh (SA) Griffin Theatre Company Sydney, 2 April – 7 May PWA / Griffin Co-commission

Bright World by Elise Hearst (Vic) and Andrea James (NSW) Arthur, Theatreworks Melbourne, 13 – 30 Apr PWA Lab 2015

Lake Disappointment by Luke Mullins and Lachlan Philpott (NSW) Carriageworks Sydney, 20 – 23 April National Play Festival 2015

The Surgeon’s Hands by Alison Mann (Tas) Blue Cow Theatre Hobart, 21 – 30 April State Exchange 2015

MAY

Gorgon by Elena Carapetis (SA) State Theatre Co. SA Adelaide, 3 – 26 May National Play Festival 2015

Vis and Ramin by Nasim Khosravi (QLD) and Hiwa Michaeli (QLD), Baran, Metro Arts Brisbane, 10 – 14 May State Exchange 2015


MAY

Trailer by Vanessa Bates (NSW) Tantrum Youth Arts Wyong ,12 – 14 May Sydney, 1 – 4 June Newcastle, 8 – 11 June National Script Workshop 2015

So Long Suckers by Peter Docker (Vic) Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company Perth, 26 May – 4 June National Script Workshop 2016

JUNE

The Honey Bees by Caleb Lewis (NSW/SA) Red Stitch Theatre Company Melbourne, 14 June – 16 July National Script Workshop 2015

AUG

Winyanboga Yurringa by Andrea James (NSW) Moogahlin Performing Arts Carriageworks Sydney, 3 – 6 August Geelong Performing Arts, 17 – 20 August National Play Festival 2013

Which Way by Katie Beckett (NSW) Ilbijerri Theatre Company Darebin Arts 24 Aug – 4 Sep State Exchange 2015

SEP

Remembering Pirates by Christopher Harley (NSW) Darlinghurst Theatre Company Sydney, 16 September – 16 October National Script Workshop 2015

OCT

The Turquoise Elephant by Stephen Carleton (Qld) Griffin Theatre Company Sydney, 14 Oct – 26 Nov National Script Workshop 2016

NOV

Shabbat Dinner by Jessica Bellamy (Vic) Theatre Works, Twelfth House Melbourne, 30 Nov - 11 Dec Tale of Two Cities, Singapore 2013

Catherine Davies, The Turquoise Elephant, Griffin Theatre Company. Photo: Brett Boardman


Playwrights Lachlan Philpott and Luke Mullins, National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide); Photo: Shane Reid


share our passion We believe … outstanding new Australian plays make us see the world afresh. … Australian theatre is a unique fusion of vision and craft equal to anywhere in the world. … in a playwriting culture that reflects the Australia we live in; where a wealth of new stories are produced each year and a diverse range of voices are heard. … Australian playwrights are amongst the world’s brightest visionaries. We seek unparalleled talent and connect it with opportunity. We unearth new voices. We commit space, time and support for the expression of ideas, creation and craft. We create a legacy of extraordinary Australian stories.

More info Support Playwriting Australia We can’t do this vital work without your help. Contact our General Manager Atul Joshi to find out how your donation can support the future of Australian theatre. 02 8274 0907 atul@pwa.org.au Website www.pwa.org.au/info-for-donors


thanks Our essential work with Australian playwrights can only happen with the support of extraordinary people. With grateful thanks to our donors Game Changers Darin Cooper Foundation Girgensohn Foundation Maureen Ritchie Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Trust The Weir Anderson Foundation Peter Weiss Foundation Peter Wilson & James Emmett

Visionaries Helen Bauer & Helen Lynch AM Lesli Berger Peter Braithwaite Andrew Bovell Andrew & Cathy Cameron Louise Capon Belinda Gibson Miss I. Kallinikos Pauline Kanhalikham Julian Leeser & Joanna Davidson Matthew McCarron Bruce Meagher & Greg Waters Johnathan Wilkie David Williamson

Playwriting Australia is a not-for-profit organisation endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient. All donations over $2 are fully tax-deductible.

Rehearsal for Mortido by Angela Betzien, National Play Festival 2014 (Sydney) Photo: Stephen Godfrey  


our partners

Playwriting Australia is recognised as a Key Organisation by the Australia Council for the Arts and receives core funding from the state governments of New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia

We also gratefully acknowledge additional financial support from: Creative Victoria Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund The Max Afford Playwrights’ Award Perpetual Trustees and the Estate of the Late James Simpson Love Sydney Opera House The Weir Anderson Foundation Girgensohn Foundation

Playwriting Australia acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands that we work on and pays respect to Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land as well as their stories and all storytellers.


our team

Staff

Board

Artistic Director Tim Roseman

Peter Wilson (Chair) Managing Director, Greenhill Australia

General Manager Atul Joshi Resident Dramaturg Iain Sinclair Resident Artist Isaac Drandic Associate Producer Nell Ranney (maternity leave cover) Alice Poujois-Enari Diversity Programs Coordinator Teik-Kim Pok Administration Officer Felicity Pickering Special thanks to all of the script readers, artists and interns who keep Playwriting Australia moving

Andrew Bovell Playwright Tom Gutteridge Researcher and Theatre Director Julian Leeser Director, Government, Policy & Strategy, Australian Catholic University Matthew McCarron Partner, KPMG Leah Purcell Writer, Director, Actor Desmond Sweeney Lawyer Deanne Weir Company director, philanthropist and entrepreneur


Level 3, 10 Hickson Road The Rocks, NSW 2000 P 02-8274 0900 E info@pwa.org.au ABN 36 124 652 884 All details in this booklet are correct at time of printing but may change due to unavoidable circumstances. Please contact us for the most up to date details. National Play Festival 2015 (Adelaide). Photo: Shane Reid


)enruobleM( spihsnretnI ygrutamar guA

key dates 2016 JAN New Play Development 22 Jan Submission closing date MAR

PWA Lab 24 Mar

APR

Dramaturgy Internships (Sydney) 1 Apr Application closing date

Application closing date

Indigenous Playwrights Retreat 24 Apr Closing date JUL National Play Festival 27-30 July Malthouse Theatre Melbourne AUG Dramaturgy Internships (Melbourne) TBC New Play Development 19 Aug Submission closing date 25 Aug Companies nominations DEC

Directors’ Studio 5 – 9 Dec Sydney

www.pwa.org.au Join the conversation Twitter @playwritingaus Facebook www.facebook.com/playwritingaustralia Instagram www.instagram.com/playwritingaus Front Cover: Lally Katz, scene from The Chain Play 2015 (Sydney). Photo: Amelia J. Dowd.


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