In 2025 KXT celebrated 10 years of operation.
Incredible really to think that a pop-up space in the middle of a 6-story pub in the heart of KX, sandwiched between dance floors, DJs and pokies, would lead to this.
11 years ago, bAKEHOUSE had been staging work across all the indie stages and venues for hire: Griffin, Riverside, Seymour Centre, Bondi Pav, Old Fitz, TAP gallery, 505, NIDA playhouse, and importantly ATYP, then in its original home Under the Wharf – and we knew what we wanted to do. We wanted to stage work that was truly Australian, that looked and sounded like the community we lived in; that foregrounded women on stage and on the creative teams; that provided an opportunity for early career artists and recent graduates to work alongside experienced professionals and to finetune their craft, to find their tribe.
We wanted to push the boundaries of the style of work that was on Sydney stages, most particularly the scale so we could continue to stage the big bold work that we loved with casts of 10, 12, 15 and more actors on stage, but also to challenge what the design of indie shows looked like.
We wanted to see ambitious plays, with big ideas at the heart of them, plays that spoke of the big world we live in, and the sometimes-small lives we live.
We wanted to somehow see artists paid, and producers walk away with something for all their work. We wanted to be sure our rehearsal rooms and theatres were safe places, where women and young people and queer and gender-diverse and artists of colour could work comfortably and confidently, knowing that it was all under pinned with respect for the people and the work.
We wanted to do away with all-nighters and long unreasonable hours and short preview seasons when the work was rushed onto stages not quite but almost ready.
10 years ago, independent theatre was taking baby steps. And now it’s all grown up, a fully-fledged sector, with pathways and ambition and opportunities and excellence at its core. We’re proud to have been at the forefront of the change that has come about over the past decade and excited for what the next 10 years hold
An anniversary like this one calls for reflection.
Over the past 10 years more than 4300 artists have engaged with KXT, including the pandemic years when despite covid lockdowns bakehouse supported more than 500 artists through multiple KXT initiatives. We’ve hosted 106 seasons of world premieres – 106 new Australian plays. There have been 86 residencies, more than 200 playreadings through initiatives like KXTeethcutting and the Storytellers festivals, 43 art exhibitions with more to come in 2026, 29 Festivals including venue takeovers when gave the keys to young companies to take charge - companies like Jack Rabbit and Purple Tape – but also the Invisible Circus, Panimo Pandemonium, and our own Storylines festivals investing in and platforming Australian artists of colour.
Over the 10 years 80% of work has been early career work; 76% has been delivered by queer and gender-diverse artists; 52% by Artists of Colour; 64% new writing. Our 24-25 Annual Program offered: $250K of ticket sales going directly to artists; $550K in subsidised venue hire to artists; 486 artists supported in the development and presentation of new projects; 17 full scale productions; 25 new projects developed, of which many will go on to a full-scale production at KXT or other venues in the next 2-3 yrs; 4 Festivals; 28 Community engagement events such as panels, art exhibitions, music events, workshops, poetry and play readings, and networking events. That’s a 12-month snapshot
These are all great numbers. But when we reflect on the past 10 years the numbers we’re most proud of are very, very big:
$2.5 million – that’s box office sales going direct to artists.
And $3,64 million invested in independent artists through subsidised venue hire provided for performance, rehearsal, development, and events.
That’s $6,14 million invested in the independent sector by bAKEHOUSE through KXT.
Not quantified: the extraordinary amount of time donated, fees waived, and skills offered by the bAKEHOUSE team and our various partners, associated artists, and supporters at KXT.
While we’re talking money.
In 2025 state arts funding was restructured and a number of small venues and organisations either missed out on funding or received significantly reduced amounts of funding. KXT was one of those venues. Despite investing and supporting the sector to the value of more than $6 million, building a new fit-for-purpose theatre when 5 other small venues were closing – a task that cost more than $400k of which more than 80% was through private support and investment – KXT received no funding in 2025. A financial model that relies on arts funding is not a stable one, and like all venues we’re working towards long term independent financial sustainability. We’ve hustled over the past few months and we are moving forward into 2026 with confidence. However this means that we are embarking on fundraising in a way we’ve not needed to previously do so.
We want to thank those who have invested in or partnered with bAKEHOUSE at KXT over the past 10 years, the many who have donated small amounts and the few who have generously invested significantly into the work we do. Over the coming weeks you’ll be hearing more about ways you can join us to build a healthy and productive sector, and secure the long-term future of one of Sydney’s mightiest small venues.
Now, while we’re talking about small venues, here’s an announcement: The KXT VAULT is the bAKEHOUSE support centre for arts and community. With a focus on artists support, the development of new work, and community engagement it’s the beating heart of our home on Broadway. In 2026 we expand the opportunities on offer, and introduce Underground, a season of work in the KXT Vault, a home for low-tech, low-cost high-risk work, surprise small seasons for audiences of 30 people. If you're familiar with our program of work in alternative spaces in KX Hotel (Visiting Hours; Fringe Benefits, Popup ComeOut, Popupstairs all played out on other levels of the hotel) then you'll recognise the opportunity: a season of work in the KXT program, supported by KXT personnel, offering profile for your work and presenting a low-cost opportunity for young companies, new work, and non-traditional seasons.
Work that took its first steps in the KXT Popupstairs program includes UBU by Tooth & Sinew, that went onto sold out season on the KXT stage the following year; Not Today an award-winning touring cabaret by Ally Morgan, Doing which was Amy Sole’s first directing role, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner, one of the earliest works from the Little Eggs collective who went on to stage the award-winning Symphonie Fantastique at KXT in the Cross. Importantly, this is a program that will allow the KXT team to meet and work with new artists, and to become familiar with their work, with a view to progress to an ongoing relationship. To keep the doors open.
We can’t wait to usher the next generation downstairs! Information about how to participate in the inaugural Underground season will be on the website later this week, and announced across our socials with details of an open call out. Also open in the next week or two will be the first round of the 2026 bAKEHOUSE Residency program, running out of the KXT Vault. We’ll be releasing info on the website and across our socials over the coming 2 weeks about how to apply for a fully subsidised residency, supported by the KXT team. Also coming up will be the 2025 Residency Showcase, when the residents from the past 12 months will have the opportunity to present a reading of their work here on the stage.
So let’s talk about the people.
In 2025 The Laboratory delivered 7 stunning plays, under the astute and careful guidance of the phenomenal Saro Lusty-Cavallari who has nurtured countless new plays into life through the program. Last year Joanna Erskine delivered 2 weeks of the Storytellers Festival, featuring reads of 15 new plays. The Laboratory and Storytellers have been the birthplace of work that has gone onto feature on the Griffin Stages, Belvoir and indeed STC, as well as theatres in Melbourne, Brisbane Perth and Tasmania, and have won awards including the Patrick White Playwrights Award, the Rodney Seaborne Playwriting awards, and Green Rooms in Melbourne & STAs in Sydney. Saro and Jo are 2 wonderful associate artists at KXT who do the work that allows us to offer you so much. We’d also like to thank Kenneth and Jordy from partner company kwento; our StoryLines ambassadors Elijah and Renee; Aaron, Ziggy, Luke, Ellis, Aiden, Alex, Aliyah, Lily, Hamish, Charlie, and Claudia who are the KXT Venue Staff doing so much more than running the bar!, Chris Starnawski, for his ongoing behind the scenes support, Charlie Vaux who has worked tirelessly in Artist Support and is now stretching his wings into fundraising and partnerships, and Emily Buxton who has done so much. Over 4 years beginning with a little bit of FOH support, Emily built a role that supported so many: artists, staff, audience, and the KXT team. In 2026 Emily will be producing a wedding which means she’s moved on from KXT. It has taken a number of people to replace her: Liminka Pather is working in admin support for productions, Aaron Cornelius has taken over Venue Staffing, Claudia Elbourne is managing FOH through preview seasons and opening nights, and Charlie Vaux has expanded his role to include F2F production support. We have 1 other role we’re filling so standby for further announcements. Yes, it’s taken 5 people to replace Emily.
That brings us to the KXT Awards. Supported by our key partners the wonderful Education and Learning Foundation or ELF, the ELFie awards have been a part of KXT since we’ve been here at Broadway. The KXT Awards for Excellence celebrate the most promising and accomplished work that came across our stage in 2025. Previous winners and nominees include All Boys, Dumb Kids, Mercury Poisoning, Your Name, Lily Hayman, Jules Billington, Mehhma Malhi and more. We’ve been adding to the categories each year, and this year we include Excellence in Producing, alongside Design, Acting, Writing and Directing
EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS We’ve seen some extraordinary new writing on the KXT stage this year – encompassing re-imagined classics, work that targets hugely important issues across every facet of production, and quite a lot of ground-breaking, form-busting new work! Here are the nominees for Emerging Playwright:
Lu Bradshaw, Monstrous
Trent Foo, A Chinese Christmas
Isabella Louk, These Youths Be Protesting
Karina Young – Don’t Save Me
WINNER – LU BRADSHAW for Monstrous
EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING There were so many outstanding productions at KXT this year, and all our wonderful directors brought out exceptional performances and created stunning new worlds for our audiences. This list is way too short, but here are the nominees for Directing:
Sean Landis, Cruise
Eugene Lynch, IRL
Saro Lusty-Cavallari, The Seagull
Monica Sayers, A Chinese Christmas
WINNER – SARO LUSTY-CAVALLARI for The Seagull
EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN I’m sure we would all agree that indie designers are miracle workers – generally making do with extremely limited budgets, limited equipment at indie venues that don’t have full time tech staff, and tech gremlins that always appear when they’re least welcome! Here are the nominees for design:
Tobias & Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Design, The Anarchy
Tom Hicks, Lighting Design, Cruise
Cameron Smith & Jolin Jiang, Sound Design, A Chinese Christmas
Sophie Parker, Lighting Design, Ophelia Thinks Harder
WINNER – TOBIAS & KERITH MANDERSON-GALVIN, Design for The Anarchy
EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE There have been many extraordinary, ground-breaking and big-hearted performances this year… everyone on the KXT stage deserves a nod. But for our panel, the following performances were utterly fearless:
Tobias & Kerith Manderson-Galvin – The Anarchy
Owen Hasluck, Port
Fraser Morrison, Cruise
Rachel Thomas, Babyteeth
Campbell Parsons, Babyteeth
Brea Macey, Ophelia Thinks Harder
WINNER – FRASER MORRISON for Cruise
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCING This one is a new addition to the awards. The job of the Producer is almost universally under-appreciated, and is so much harder if they are trying to break into a new market, or pull together a huge show on a limited budget, or sell tickets to a piece of new Australian writing. There is a real skill set that we believe should be celebrated. So here are the nominees:
Jason Jeffries, IRL, Port, Seagull
Bridget Haberecht, The Seagull
Emily Buxton & Charlie Vaux, The Bridge
Charlotte De Wit & Marigold Pazar, Blackbird
WINNER – EMILY BUXTON & CHARLIE VAUX – The Bridge