One of the many joys and privileges of being on the Board at Shopfront is the relationship I develop with the emerging artists and members who are a part of the Shopfront community. I have been a board member since 2009 – and currently hold the post as Board Secretary. Besides strategic planning and signing papers and nutting out the finer details of the business, I have the great pleasure of interviewing the artists for the Artslab residencies.

Artslab is a 6 month intense residency whereby 5 or so emerging artists are exposed to different methods of working to create a show. It’s brilliant. And confronting… if you could make anything at all, what would you make? A question worthy of writers block. Read more

Months ago, I experienced a first.

Hard to believe – but there are plenty of firsts I’m yet to encounter.

As an avid attender of live performance in all its transient incantations, I must admit that until now, I had never seen a Cirque du Soleil show. The shows themselves have been orbiting me in rumour and advertising on buses for some time – and for whatever reason, I had neglected that part of my experiential diet. So feeling a little behind the times (as I usually feel) I struggled along to the Big Top in Moore Park in Sydney’s soggy September weather.

There’s no doubt about it – a beautiful and epic show. Brightly coloured, lithe and brilliant. Full of feats of endurance, strength and precision brought about by years of persistence and possible bruising.

Themed in as “An immersion into the teeming and energetic world of insects” I couldn’t suspend the magnificence of the human body. The majesty of insects and the natural world exploded and amplified into the wonder of human musculature. But the wonder doesn’t begin and end with unlikely twists and twirls of limbs – the visual (and therefore technical) artistry of the design – costume, makeup and set – all lavish and detailed – extreme and sumptuous. A LONG way from the bareboard, poor theatre I spend so much of my time experiencing. it felt like I was saturated in colour and movement – dazzled in jaw-dropped delight. Read more

There has always been something in me that has preferred the road less traveled. Perhaps it was the wild and meandering bush walks with my grandfather when I was a young girl, or perhaps the fear of suburban numbness or apathetic complacency resulting in a death bed drenched in tears of regret. And despite a socialist/atheist upbringing I’ve always held the Protestant work ethic in high regard: hard work will be rewarded, and is indeed a reward in itself. I’ve thought if something was worth having, you had to earn it eg, good bread comes from kneading, good friendships come from the quality and quantity of time spent together, the pride one has in one’s work is directly related to the amount of effort invested.

I don’t know why.

I guess it’s just how/who I am.

It’s not really surprising that I also don’t believe, nor repeat, much of the cultural-cringe worthy sentiments from my industry peers. I’ve never really followed popular beliefs about anything, really. Read more

Recently, whilst hosting a conversation with a group of playwrights for The Riverside Theatres the Writers night (as a part of A View From Moving Windows) I outted my long enduring love of/for Nick Parsons (Australia’s much loved tall-as-a-sky-scraper screen/stage writerly mountains dwelling gent) citing the first time we spoke and our consequent developing friendship.

Afterwards I continued along the line up of writers describing my love of them all… Of course it wasn’t long before Parsons noted “you seem to love a lot of people”… and indeed I do. Playwrights are my rock stars, I adore them. I love them as people, drinking buddies, collaborators, friends, philosophers, coffee dates – collectively and individually. Read more