SUZANNE MILLAR is Co-Artistic Director of bAKEHOUSE Theatre and the Creative Director at KXT on Broadway. Her practice is focused on new Australian writing, theatre for social impact, and mentoring. She has been key to the establishment of KXT - Kings Cross Theatre, and the newly launched KXT on Broadway which is the birthplace of bold work and the training ground for our most exciting artists.
As director: Human Activity; That’s What She Said: Dresden; Jatinga; Black Jesus; The Laden Table (KXT); Human Activity (KXT & Riverside Theatres); His Mother’s Voice (ATYP); Two Chairs (CRACK!); Junction (NIDA & TRS); A Land Beyond the River (NIDA & TRS); Coup d’Etat (Riverside Theatres, NIDA, TRS); her holiness (Seymour Centre & Riverside Theatres).
Suzanne is the founder and facilitator of bACE Mumbai, established in 2014, an international program working with award winning NGO Apne Aap Women’s Collective (AAWC) to establish an arts program in Kamathipura, and build an artist’s exchange between Sydney & Mumbai. As producer: Visiting Hours, (bAKEHOUSE & Vivid); His Dark Materials in dev (ATYP); Coram Boy (KXT); Great Expectations (ATYP).
Suzanne is a leading arts educator who has worked extensively with student and emerging artists. She currently leads the KXT Step Up mentoring program and facilitates arts mentorships in Western Sydney, including I AM WE ARE in Mt Druitt
ANNOUNCING
In September this year CrissCross Productions are taking over KXT on Broadway to look after things while some of the bAKEHOUSE team take a break…
If you’ve worked at KXT on Broadway, or were a part of a season or program at KXT in the Cross, then you’ll be very familiar with Emily and Charlie! Along with managing FOH, Emily Buxton has been working in production and venue support since 2022. Charlie Vaux first jumped into KXT support with our Popupstairs program in Level 4 of the KX Hotel, and now works with us in the Artist Support programs Step Up, the bAKEHOUSE Residencies, and Storytellers. In March 2023 their newly formed company CrissCross Productions launched KXT on Broadway with their beautiful production of the 4-star hit Cherry Smoke.
Both Charlie and Emily were a part of the KXT Step Up mentoring programs, and it’s been wonderful to see their careers grow and flourish. CrissCross is the powerhouse behind Natives by Glenn Waldron; Undetermined Title by Angharad Wise; and Cherry Smoke by James McManus. Outside of KXT they’ve worked on seasons or events at other venues and with other companies, including ATYP, Redline, Nautanki theatre, Riverside, Purple Tape, and Panimo Creatives.
Charlie has been a part of a number of bAKEHOUSE seasons as both AD and SM, in particular Human Activity, Coram Boy and Dresden. And they’ve both worked closely with bAKEHOUSE on events, panels and engagement opportunities, most recently in the Vault on That’s What She Said and Your Name.
In September this year CrissCross Productions are taking over KXT on Broadway to look after things while some of the bAKEHOUSE team take a break. They’ll be taking care of the final seasons in KXT2024, with support from Chris Starnawski and bAKEHOUSE production manager Andrew McMartin. We know the old bank is in safe hands, and we’re excited to champion their next steps.
You’ll see one of them in the foyer - make sure you say hi!
Last night in Sydney the lights on Broadway got a lot brighter with the opening of the King Cross Theatre in their new location in an old bank building. With their KXT neon proudly in place, bAKEHOUSE has chosen Cherry Smoke by James McManus presented by CrissCross Productions as their first season, and it makes for a confronting night out.…skillful direction and engaging performances that bring a humanity into a seemingly hopeless situation. City Hub reviewing Cherry Smoke
There is no theatre more important than that which exposes wrong and inspires reaction… a carefully crafted piece of theatre that tells its message compellingly. Carol Wimmer, Stage Whispers reviewing That’s What She Said
… It’s excellent. It is all round excellent. If you missed this sparkling production of “Natives” you should be sorry. Theatre Travels reviewing Natives
ABOUT VENUE TAKEOVERS at KXT
Imagery L to R : Party Girl & Maa Ki Rasoi Purple Tape 2023; Maureen & A Little Piece of Ash JackRabbit 2019; Chef & Cherry Panimo 2022
Venue takeovers at KXT in the Cross and on Broadway have provided companies with genuine pathways for advancement, the opportunity to hone their practice and develop venue management skills, and to build their profile. In 2023 Purple Tape Productions delivered their Tape Over season showcasing three popup seasons of work by women and non-binary artists with a program of events in the KXT Vault. In 2022 Panimo Creatives hosted Pandemonium, a festival showcasing the work of new artists and in 2019 the HiJacked Rabbit season – the inaugural venue takeover hosted by JackRabbit productions - was a three month takeover packed with new Australian work.
in the Broadway foyer - after dark
KXT2023 LOOK BACK
We move at a frantic pace in the independent sector. So every year we like to take a minute to look back before we move forward. And 2023 was an astonishing one for both KXT and bAKEHOUSE.
So. 2023. We began our year in the Cross with 4 seasons of work, incl 2 new Australian plays and a month long festival of queer work in development and production for Pride hosted by Sean Landis and Maddy Ghandi in the first full season of work from Fruit Box. Our final season in the Cross was the Australian premiere of Simon Longman’s Gundog pres by Secret House, the co-producers with New Ghosts theatre of the 2022 independent play of the year, directed by Anthony Skuse, featuring a visit from the UK-based playwright and receiving 4 and 5 star reviews.
On closing night of that show, a small team dropped the lights, cleared the chairs, put everything in a truck and drove it across town unloading everything by midnight to be installed for the inaugural show at KXT on Broadway, all ready for a building compliance inspection on Monday, and the bump in and production week for the first season. Our enormous thanks go to Virginia Plain theatre, Fruit Box, Secret House and Criss Cross productions who worked with us to make the transition to our new home in Ultimo as seamless as possible.
Also to Ben Brockman, Chris Starnawski, Emily Buxton, Charlie Vaux and countless volunteers who jumped in to carry chairs and lights and sound gear and boxes and endlessly mopped up building dust; to James Smithers who built the bar and decked out the change rooms; to Antony Mahklouf who’s beautiful artwork has graced both the Mountain St windows and the foyer wall; to the bAKEHOUSE Board Steve Newnham, Andrew McMartin, Matt Millar, Becks Blake, Michael Dean, and Renee Lim, for their moral, financial and practical support; to our new bar sponsors Atomic, and our venue staff Emily, Charlie, Bill and Aaron; our tertiary partners at UTS and Notre Dame; our builders Shannon and Dan (who built walls on the floor and managed an old fashioned barn raising but make it theatre); to our plumbers and sparkies and painters and acoustic engineers who worked miracles on a budget and schedule…
…and John and I want to personally thank Andrew who has somehow managed to keep us somewhat sane through it all.
We think it’s important to note that this all happened in a year when yet another small indie venue closed, the 3rd in under 2 years. We certainly hope that all the reports and surveys currently underway designed to bring change to the culture and arts sectors of Australia recognise the critical role that small venues play, and that supporting theatres like KXT is supporting artists
Since moving to Ultimo on the 13 March - only an exhausting 10 months ago - KXT on Broadway has delivered a further 15 seasons and 2 festivals; and our new space the KXT Vault has allowed us to support 17 developments; an additional 2 pop up seasons; and provide 10 weeks of free rehearsal space.
Bringing this year’s KXT stats to 23 seasons of work; 13 weeks of rehearsal support; 12 world premieres: 16 Australian premieres; 7 seasons of work led by artists of colour; 15 women-led productions; while providing space for something like 300 artists. Meanwhile downstairs in the Vault we made space for 24 artists developing work, alongside countless actors - seriously we lost track …
Audiences also moved with us from the Cross to Broadway, and while we’re still crunching the final numbers we can report 2023 included a number of sold out seasons. We’ve also seen new audiences from the creative hub that is Chippendale, Glebe and Newtown, and our new neighbourhood is fast developing as a centre for the arts in Sydney. KXT on Broadway is home to multiple value-adding Artist programs: the Vault at KXT; Storytellers Festival; KXT Crossroads events; bAKEHOUSE Residencies; step Up mentoring, the laboratory and StoryLines. Each year we program new work that comes through our Artist Support programs: we’re proud to say that when you’re programmed at KXT you become part of a fresh and exciting community of artists & audience delivering new Australian work
This year our additional space downstairs means we have been able to focus on expanding developments. Previous work supported through the bAKEHOUSE Residency program include: Hubris & Humiliation by Lewis Treston led by Rily Spadaro and Pheobe Pilcher; The Italians by Danny Ball led by Danny Ball, Thomas D’Angelis and Emma O’Sullivan; Symphonie Fantastique by the Little Eggs Collective led by Mathew Lee and Julia Robertson; The Monologue Collective the brainchild of Laneikka Denne; U.B.U. by Tooth and Sinew with Richard Hilliar and Nicole Wineberg at the helm; Feminazi by Laneikka Denne; Porpoise Pool by Jojo Zhou led by Eve Beck and Bite Productions. All this miraculously during a pandemic on a tiny stage in the Cross, squeezed in between back to back seasons. Now with the KXT Vault downstairs it is a true joy to us to be able to have a home for new work. A special shout-out to Charlie Vaux who works with us in Artist Support, to be sure we can offer so much to so many independent and emerging artists.
There was a moment in March this year as Gundog closed out our 8 years in the Cross, when the director of the first show at KXT Michael Dean sat on stage and chatted with Anthony Skuse the director of the final show. We’ll dig through the records at some point and come up with the actual numbers, however we can say that thousands of artists have worked on the KXT stage since its inception late in 2015. And hundreds of artists who began their careers here, learning the lessons that can only be learned in the cauldron of production, are now working at STC, Belvoir, Griffin, Darlinghurst Theatre Co, ensemble, Malthouse, Melbourne Theatre Co, even the UKs Punchdrunk. While we’re not claiming credit for all of these successes, we are certainly proud to have been able to offer support, guidance and pathways to so many along the way. In 2024 we’ll be relaunching STEP UP, the KXT Mentoring program; and the Laboratory, our investment in emerging writers and their work
So what does KXT2024 look like? click on the link below to find out
Suzanne Millar Creative Director KXT on Broadway
investing
NEW WRITING AT KXT ON BROADWAY - 2024
in 2024 we’ve programmed new writing that has come through the bAKEHOUSE Residencies program; the Storylines platform; and the Storytellers Festival. Check back for more
NEW WRITING AT KXT ON BROADWAY - 2023
KXT2023 showcased 9 new Australian plays; hosted 15 bAKEHOUSE Residencies in the KXT Vault; and delivered the 4th iteration of the stunningly successful Storytellers Festival
in the KXT2023 season we programmed 2 plays from the Storytellers season; s from the Laboratory; and 1 from the Panimo Pandemonium season.
This year, Sydney Theatre Company launched their 2023 season with the acclimaed Hubris and Humiliation by Lewis Treston, picked up after a development and showcase at KXT at the end of 2022.
4 of the recent productions playing at Belvoir in their 25a season in the downstairs theatre began their life at KXT: 2 in the bAKEHOUSE Residency program; 1 as part of our Open the Door program following Covid lockdowns.
This year three of the 4 finalists for the Griffin Award have had their early work supported and staged at KXT, including Kate Bubalo’s Your Name which featured as a play read in the Purple Tape season earlier in the year.
Click on the button below to read more about the bAKEHOUSE Residency Program.
Click on the button below to find out about the Storytellers Festival
STANDBY for updates on the KXT Laboratory and the Step Up program
HUMAN ACTIVITY - Directors Notes
Human Activity is the final puzzle piece in the work that I began in Kamathipura 10 years ago. It’s been a glorious and challenging project, mostly rewarding: the young girls that live in the laneways of Asia’s oldest and largest red light district now have an arts program run by Clowns Without Borders and the Brett Lee Music Centre. Girls have traveled - on a plane! - to international children’s theatre festivals. We’ve supported a program to train women in hair salons, to provide them with an opportunity to change their lives. We’ve seen a night shelter established for the most vulnerable tots and toddlers from the local brothels. On the way we worked alongside, partnered with and were inspired by some titans of Indian theatre. We’ve established an arts exchange, hosting 4 Mumbai artists in Sydney and sending 4 from Sydney to Mumbai.
Sometimes the big wild ideas take off. Human Activity is a companion piece to Jatinga, a play inspired by the stories of the girls I met in Kamathipura, commissioned by bAKEHOUSE and written and developed by playwright Purva Naresh, Aarambh theatre and a team of actors at bAKEHOUSE. In 2017 we put India on a tiny stage in KX and played a sold out and acclaimed season.
In 2017 I wrote this about Jatinga: “It’s just a play. And it’s not going to change the world in any big way. But the work of building it, and the context of its development, and the stories it tells, has changed the world for a few girls”. Human Activity is an Australian response to the big ideas of Jatinga: that at the point where our lives intersect there is an opportunity for love and compassion: that a little play can say a big thing; that theatre and art can both reflect and transcend life; that new and different is good - in theatre, in life.
Katie’s play is a uniquely Australian response to that season. Determinedly Australian yet somehow touched by Indian playmaking, universal in its story and themes, it begins with the idea that our lives intersect and our experiences are shared. We’ve put together a cast that looks like no other you’ll see in Sydney this year, with 21 year olds working on their first production alongside veterans in their 70s. You may have seen some on stages for Belvoir, Riverside, Monkey Baa and KXT. There are those who have lived in Sydney their whole lives, others who have been here for only a few years. Most have traveled to rehearsals from the outer edges of Sydney, (and will be pleased when we transfer to Riverside theatres in October!)
It’s the final piece of a complex 10 year puzzle, driven by compassion, and generosity, and deep care for those who find themselves alone. It is a strange lovely hybrid thing: heavily influenced by the poetry and storytelling of its origins in Indian theatre making, written for and speaking to an Australian audience, locked deep in recent culture and events. Thank you for giving it your time.
BROADWAY LIGHTS
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
Since launching KXT in 2015 bAKEHOUSE has invested significantly in the development of new voices, providing a safe space for some of our most exciting and adventurous new work, and offering support and guidance to the next generation of important storytellers. We have grown and expanded with the help of countless artists and allies committed to change and transformation.
That we have done this without Federal or State Funding is a testament to the passion and commitment of our team, our supporters, and fellow artists.
In 2023 we moved to our new home at KXT on Broadway. We are proud of the theatre we have built: a meeting place for artists and audiences alike; an incubator for new work; and an artistic landmark connecting people and art.
We have been fortunate to receive funding that has helped us to cover some of the cost of our beautiful new home. However, the costs of building a new theatre are extensive and in 2024 we have set ourselves the target of raising $45,000 to keep the Broadway Lights on. With the investment of generous donors and supporters we are already nearing the halfway mark. We are asking for your help to support Sydney’s most dynamic and accessible theatre. Your generosity is an investment in the art and artists of the future.
YOUR DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
A $20 donation will help to fund
FREE access to the KXT Vault for development of new work
FOH support for producers during their season
a covid safe environment for actors and artists working at KXT on Broadway
A $50 donation will help to fund
an hour of mentoring support for the KXT2024 Step Up cohort
technical support for a company during bump in
a production placement for emerging artists
A $100 donation will provide
Free development space for a new work
Support for a company through production and technical periods
Dramaturgical guidance for new writers
Regular management and maintenance of the KXT Vault
A $500 donation will provide
Free rehearsal space for producers
Wages for staffing of the bAKEHOUSE Bar
New lighting fixtures for our state-of-the-art rig
Showcases for new Australian plays
A $1000 donation will provide
Internships and production placements for 2 student artists
Mentoring and opportunities for 2 emerging artists
Engagement workshops with not for profit and charitable organisations
Subsidised programming to maintain affordable venue hire
Would you like to become a bAKERs Dozen or production partner?
the bAKERs Dozen is a group of valued partners who each support the work on the KXT stage. click on the link below to find out how you can join us at KXT on Broadway
All Donations
mean that bAKEHOUSE can continue to invest in the ongoing support of our most promising emerging artists, providing genuine opportunities for career development and advancement
help to fund venue upgrades: most notably improved seating; state of the art lighting; and up to date sound equipmentmean that bAKEHOUSE can continue to invest in the ongoing support of our most promising emerging artists, providing genuine opportunities for career development and advancement
help to fund venue upgrades: most notably improved seating; state of the art lighting; and up to date sound equipment
Would you like your donation to be an investment in something specific? Get in touch with us on the following email: bakehousetheatrecompany@gmail.com
THE KXT VAULT
SUPPORTING ARTISTS In 2023, we have moved into our new home at KXT On Broadway. One of the most exciting things about the venue is that it comes with an additional space which allows us to significantly increase our capacity to support artists
While at KXT in the Cross, programs such as Step Up, Storytellers, The Laboratory, bAKEHOUSE Residencies, and Popupstairs had to be squeezed in whenever we could find a spare room or a gap in the schedule.
At KXT On Broadway, we have a dedicated space to offer support all year round, at no cost to artists.
This brilliant new space is The KXT Vault. In the Vault we’ll be running artist support programs and community engagement initiatives, and offering artists time for the development of new work
PERFORMANCE: The KXT Vault is not an additional theatre – we’re flat out running one of those! However, from time to time we’ll be curating some bespoke performances in the Vault that connect with the space in innovative ways or are the centerpiece of a significant community engagement initiative. This is not the place for a published play. Rather: we’ll make room for something highly experimental, or closely connected with community.
To show you what we mean: in January MKA Theatre and bAKEHOUSE joined forces to present NOBODY SPECIAL in the KXT Vault playing: theatre for an audience of 1 – an audient – a response to the covid capacity restrictions placed on theatres. You can read more on the link below
So what is the Vault for??
DEVELOPMENT: . At different points throughout the year, we’ll be opening up for expressions of interest from artists and companies for development opportunities in the Vault – the bAKEHOUSE Residencies done right! in this way it’s possible to quickly find a home for the wild new idea without having to wait for an annual call out.
ENGAGEMENT: introducing the David Bathur Creative Fellowship, investing in the building blocks of ground breaking artistic work; social justice initiatives; community engagement; or similar.
COMMUNITY: bAKEHOUSE works with companies at KXT to raise awareness and funds for an extraordinary number of Not For Profits and Community based organisations, to build relationships, and to engage in radical community support. The KXT Vault is where Community x Art meet
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID written & performed by Josephine Gazard
Imagery: Christopher Starnawski
A stand out hit from the 2022 Storytellers festival Josephines one-woman play charted the experience of a young woman following a sexual assualt in her university college room. Playing a sold out season in the KXT Vault through May 2023 the CrissCross team worked with KXT & bAKEHOUSE to present a program of work featuring panels, partnerships and workshops with college students, Sydney University, With You We Can, The Survivor Hub, and St Andrews College
How AUSTRALIAN FEMALE PLAYWRIGHTS are showing international and national audiences the importance of new Australian work.
The likelihood an Australian playwright, let alone a female Australian playwright getting their work on in Australia, let alone internationally is far and few between. However, a new Australian play Dead Skin written by Laneikka Denne, a seventeen-year-old playwright makes its international debut at Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles. First staged in Sydney by independent company White Box theatre, the female led ensemble play explores queer first love, adolescence and the strength of the maternal bond written for teenagers by a teenager.
“I’ve only heard of one other Australian play that has made it to US stages in the last decade, let alone a new Australian work written by a teenage lesbian. It’s nonexistent. Australia’s Main Stage theatre companies won’t often take a chance on new work because it’s not guaranteed to sell well. I know theatre organisations that give new Australian works a paid development with no outcome of ever programming the work just to say they support new Australian work. I sold out Dead Skin to young people because it was for them, I can’t wait to do the same in LA” said Laneikka Denne, playwright of Dead Skin.
Embracing new Australian female voices has been made possible through the generous work of independent theatre companies nationally and internationally that give these works the chance to be shown.
KXT Creative Director Suzanne Millar says: “We’ve seen an industry wide reluctance to take new writing to full production. It’s considered “high-risk”. But how else are we going to invest in the next generation of playwrights? Art should be dangerous, and theatre should be risky. At KXT we’ve been honoured to be able to support young writers like Laneikka ~ bold voices with something important to say. We’re so incredibly proud of the work they’re doing!
Following in Suzanne’s tradition to break boundaries within her programming at KXT Cassie Hamilton, a young queer playwright has recently completed the premiere season of her new Australian queer farce Daddy Developed A Pill also at KXT, and presented by young independent company Snatched Theatre Collective
“The piece takes so many risks creatively, which makes the piece exciting to watch, but terrifying to put money behind,” said Cassie. “As an emerging queer artist I feel I am constantly told by the industry what my work needs to be for it to be supported and produced by the bigger companies. It needs to have representation and diversity whilst still educating and celebrating marginalised communities and however other many buzzwords you want to throw in. It’s restricting what we can say, and telling us that having a queer voice alone does not make your good work worthy of programming. I’m hoping Daddy will evolve that conversation.”
Ally Morgan’s work Not Today also started at KXT and is now nationally touring. “Being able to remount Not Today gave us the opportunity to keep developing the work. The show we toured to Melbourne was not the same show we debuted in Sydney, it was bigger and better than ever. I think remounts give writers the important (and rare) chance to grow and improve. I feel very lucky to have been able to tour this show. ”
“It was a long road to touring, it took a lot of time and people doing lots of work for no money… but in the end, because of the sheer audacity of the team [ independent company Rogue Projects ] I had supporting me we were able to tour Not Today to Melbourne. With more dates on the horizon, we are so thankful that our little show is finally reaching audiences and making big waves.”
It is so refreshing to see new Australian work get a life beyond the page, to receive an Australian debut, to remount internationally. It is only through the fierce effort of a few, encouraging audiences to venture out to find new Australian work that new voices can be heard and discovered.
More information about these new Australian works can be found here:
DEAD SKIN by Laneikka Denne premiered at KXT in 2021, now playing at Zephyr Theatre in LA June https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7292
Laneikka Denne is Associate Artist at KXT, playwright, and founder and facilitator of The Monologue Collective
DADDY DEVELOPED A PILL by Cassie Hamilton premiered at Kings Cross Theatre June 2022 https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/daddy
Cassie Hamilton completed Daddy Developed A Pill as part of the 2021 Laboratory program at KXT, an artist platform supporting young playwrights in their first work
NOT TODAY by Ally Morgan premiered as part of the KXT Popupstairs program 2021 https://allymorgan.me/projects/nottoday
KXT IS AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE
KXT is affordable and accessible.
Every season has an Early Bird campaign with limited tickets available at $30
Previews at KXT are at the low price of $35 *these sell quickly so book early
We’ve capped ticket prices at $40 concession and $50 adult
Every Thursday is our regular OPEN DOOR performance. What’s that about? We’re offering $20 tickets to under 30, mob, students and unwaged. What’s that about? We believe art should be accessible for all. By folding affordable tickets into our ticketing structure, we’re confident that we’re keeping the doors open to all. Apply the code OPENDOOR to an adult ticket at the checkout page and your ticket price will be adjusted. This ticket is only available for Thursday night performances
We have flat access from street level for those with mobility needs
KXT on Broadway is accessible by wheelchair We also have dedicated seating for hearing and sight impaired.
We’re dead keen to see Mums and bubs at the theatre, get in touch and we’ll set you up with the best easy exit seats
KXT on Broadway has safe and accessible all-genders bathroom facilities, and we’re working to keep signage warm and welcoming.
Note that some seasons run a dedicated RELAXED PERFORMANCE during their final week. Get in touch and let us know what you need.
Through our KXT Vault programs we’re regularly welcoming non-traditional theatres into our spaces, working with our Venue Staff to ensure that KXT on Broadway is a safe space
KXT is affordable and accessible.
KXT is a COVID SAFE VENUE
We are proud of our record of Covid management: since implementing our Covid Management Policies in 2021, KXT has been minimally impacted by Covid Cancellations. The last time a performance was cancelle due to Covid was in June 2022, and prior to that we were able to support affected companies as they managed the impacts of illness. This is despite delivering more work than any other venue in Sydney. Key to this success has been our masking policy. See below for details.
2023:
Please wear a mask while in the theatre seating banks.
You may enjoy a drink in the foyer and you’re welcome to take it into the theatre with you
Online ticketing only
Not latecomers will be admitted entry
If you are unwell or show any symptoms we ask that you please stay home
PLEASE NOTE: Our covid regulations are designed to protect the actors and crew that work at KXT. Indie budgets are tight, and have no room for under studies, and should a member of the company fall ill and performances need to be cancelled this can cost the company significant income. This is a small thing we can do to keep shows on stage and venues open
NSW Health Regulations change regularly and we will be in touch prior to the performance to notify you of an updated information
KXT x COVID What We Did
2020 – 2023: KXT may have closed the theatre doors to audience during Covid, however we used the time available to us to make plans and implement programs that have ensured the venue thrived.
During lockdowns we leant into our already robust mentoring program, launching Phone A Friend to support those emerging and graduating artists who were most impacted, by connecting them via Zoom with leading arts practitioners. We took our Step Up program to the next level, supporting young artists to develop, write and plan for upcoming seasons. We invested heavily in a program of support for producers to be sure they could launch successful work quickly when doors reopened
As we came out of lockdowns, we first showcased the work of designers – those artists whose work needs a stage - launching By Design with a 3 week art installation. The season featured a week long durational work by Aleisa Jelbart; a short film by Jasmin Simmons, her first; and a breathtaking installation by WA designer Kelly Fregon. *Based in WA, border closures meant Kelly was unable to travel to NSW, and her work was created, packed up and shipped to a colleague in Sydney, who delivered and installed with Kelly on video call.
We invested heavily in the bAKEHOUSE residency program, opening the doors to KXT to writers, directors, actors and producers to investigate and develop new work. This program included the development of Hubris & Humiliation which was picked up from KXT by STC; the development of the 3 most recent plays in the Belvoir 25a program: The Italians by Danny Ball, Feminazi by Laneikka Denne and Porpoise Pool by Jojo Zhou; and offered time for additional work on award-winning productions Symphonie Fantastique and Yellow Face
Via our Open the Door platform we invested in short affordable and award-winning seasons of work from the graduates of our Step Up program, most notably Natives dir by Charlie Vaux and prod by Emily Buxton; and Three Fat Virgins Unassembled by Ovidia Yu dir by Tiffany Wong.
We relaunched StoryLines, the bAKEHOUSE platform showcasing the work of writers and artists of colour, partnering with kwento on Saman Shad’s The Marriage Agency and One Hour No Oil by Jordan Shea & Kenneth Moraleda. We took Katie Pollock’s Human Activity - the playwright’s response to her bACE Residency in Kamthipura - back into final development ahead of a planned 2023 season
