Four Q Theatre artists have been awarded 2018/19 Create NSW Fellowships. The artists will share in over $95,000 to support self-directed professional development programs and career advancement projects.
This outstanding result is testament to the long term, consistent development pathways for artists offered by the Q Theatre program, led by Nick Atkins the Director of New Work – and a fellowship recipient himself.
“As well as being a presenter and producer, Penrith Performing and Visual Arts (PP&VA) is a creative hub focussed on artist development and employment. Our programs are led by practising professional artists and they are very well placed to know how to assist other artists in their professional practice” said CEO of PP&VA, Hania Radvan.
“We deliver programs that offer training and development opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers – including tuition programs for children, through to support for early career and independent artists in our region and professional commissions.”
Artists who have participated in Q Theatre programs such as Originate Young Artists Ensemble, Q Theatre Lab and Q Indie are at the helm of the state-wide accolades. Q Theatre Associate Producer and Artist-In-Residence Emele Ugavule has also secured a fellowship. Emele produced, directed and starred in the award-winning production Black Birds and also worked on Decoded, Annual Youth Theatre Festival, Southlands Breakthrough Award Open Studio and Q Theatre Lab for Q Theatre. Together Nick and Emele will produce The Long Table in 2019.
Nick’s fellowship program involves 12 months of activity designed to develop his expertise as both a playwright and director of new writing through direct practice, extended research and deepening collaborations. His program will involve an international residency, two new work intensives, one mentorship and three partnerships with leading Western Sydney arts organisations. Emele will undertake a program of professional development through artist residencies, skills development and mentorship in the field of live performance and theatre over the course of 12 months in Australia, Fiji and New Zealand.
The Southlands Breakthrough Awards have supported many artists in the development of new work in the creative disciplines of theatre, visual arts and music. Aanisa Vylet was a recipient of the 2017 Southlands Breakthrough Award which provided opportunity to grow her second play - The Woman. Through her Create NSW Fellowship, Aanisa will develop her practice and contribute to the expansion of Australia’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse narratives on stage by continuing her study of physical theatre at the prestigious École Philippe Gaulier theatre school in France and undertaking two theatre-making residencies in Lebanon and Spain hosted by Hammana Artist House. Aanisa was also previously an Associate Artist for Q Theatre.
Bernadette Fam was part of the 2018 Q Theatre Originate Ensemble and performed Mouth of The River. Her Create NSW Fellowship will support two creative secondments and an internship. She will apply her newfound knowledge on the creation of an interdisciplinary verbatim piece titled Middle Where? which explores the real experiences and challenges facing Arabic-Australian women living in Western Sydney.
Another recent accolade is for Will Tredinnick who received the 2018 NIDA Emerging Artist Award for his self-directed one man show Table For Two? developed through the 2018 Q Theatre Lab and presented as part of 2018’s Q Indie series in partnership with Sydney Fringe Festival at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.
Hania Radvan said that the Create NSW Fellowships mark the ongoing state-wide support for emerging artists and a commitment to the arts, in particular to local creative development.
“We are very proud to celebrate our Q Theatre artists– these awards are testament to the talent and artistic practice in our region,” she said.
