Dear Playwrights, Colleagues, Educators, Supporters and Friends,
Hands up if you are looking forward to stopping for a minute as the end of 2021 approaches? Everyone? Yes, us too!
We know it has been another big and challenging year for most people in the theatre community, especially for Playwrights and Educators. We have been incredibly heartened by the number of enquiries for production, that have continued to come into APT, from schools and community groups around the country during this year. The sheer resilience and tenacity of Producers and Playwrights in the face of uncertainty, regulatory changes, and endless postponements has been incredible to behold.
It’s also been a big year at APT, bringing together two organisations, establishing our new Board and National Advisory Panel, welcoming and farewelling our Executive Producer, building our 2022 Program, and hustling for the resources to deliver all we can.
The APT Board continues to believe in the importance of this organisation, its function in the sector, and the value it brings to playwrights; the development of new plays, their publication, and our part in the pipeline of new work in Australia. We also acknowledge that in many of our connections with the community, many of you feel similarly about the value of APT, its role and presence.
Whatever it is you celebrate this time of year, we wish you health, prosperity and meaningful horizons for you and yours and your work.
TEAM APT
As many of you know, APT has been busy rolling out a suite of programs for 2022. The first of our offerings, Duologue, La Boite x APT and First Nations Retreat & Development Program closed earlier in November and playwrights have been selected. We thank Angus Cerini, Isaac Drandic, Nadine Dowd McDonald, Mari Lourey, Hanna Scanlon, Merlynn Tong and Dot West for their rigour and care in being part of the selection process for these programs. We also thank Ilbijerri, La Boite, Moogahlin and Yirra Yaakin for their partnership on these programs.
FIRST NATIONS X APT: Retreat and Development Support
Congratulations to the following 2022 FIRST NATIONS retreat participants:
Ngaire Pigram
Nathan Maynard
Melody Dia
Jorjia Gillis
Nazaree Dickerson
Troy Brady
Andrea James
LA BOITE X APT: Play Development Workshops
Congratulations to the following 2022 LA BOITE X APT participants:
Rebecca Meston
Brian Obiri-Asare
William Hinz
Chenturan Aran
Daley Rangi
Gemma Bird Matheson
Steve Rodgers
James Elazzi
Julian Larnach
Donna Hughes
DUOLOGUE: Facilitating Collaboration
Congratulations to the following 2022 DUOLOGUE collaborators:
APT has three very exciting programs that are still open for submission. If you haven’t already applied, don’t delay, the EOI windows are closing soon. Good luck!
The following programs are still open for submissions:
PERFORMING LINES X APT: Commission & Development Program
APPLY: Click here | CLOSING: 20 December 2021
ERIN THOMAS PLAYWRIGHT FUND: Supporting Regional Playwrights
APPLY: Click here | CLOSING: 30 January 2022
MAX AFFORD PLAYWRIGHTS’ AWARD: Supporting Young Playwrights | 18-40 Years
APPLY: Click here | CLOSING: 6 February, 2022
For detailed information, click the button to visit APT:
The Readings is a new series of exciting Tasmanian play readings which are happening at Salamanca Arts Centre in partnership with APT.
To begin this series, we are reading from Roulette by Raimondo Cortese – who will be joining us via Zoom on the day to talk about the origins of the play and what it’s like to see it performed in 2021.
Join us on Sunday 12 December at 3pm in the Founders Room at Salamanca Arts Centre to celebrate the talent that is generated on the island and to hear Raimondo’s incredible work delivered by eight Tasmanian actors.
Roulette is a series of twelve plays, set in twelve different locations. The plays are based on themes drawn from an ancient Chinese cosmology called the 12 Branches of Life. Roulette considers chance meetings. In each play, two people meet in different situations, allowing for an exploration of a revealing mosaic of human interaction across a range of emotional landscapes.
For detailed information, click the button to visit SAC:
Since 2017, Australian Plays (an APT predecessor organisation) showcased the scripts of new Australian works featuring, and often premiering, as part of the Sydney Festival.
APT is proud to continue this partnership with Sydney Festival 2022, showcasing 4 exciting new works! The texts will be made available to read online for the duration of the festival.
The plays listed will be available on the APT website soon!
We’ve had to make some tricky decisions about how APT goes about doing the best and most it can with the resources we have. These resources are significantly less than what the predecessor organisations had.
For the next 12 months we’ll be hibernating the direct Production Licensing service. Producers will still be able to make enquiries through the APT website for licensing of plays, but these enquiries will go directly to playwrights or their representatives. We hope to be able to re-awaken Production Licensing services in 2023.
In 2022 APT’s Publication slate will focus on building the Of The Island Collection of works by Tasmanian playwrights; works developed through APT programs and collaborations with our partners including Performing Lines, La Boite, Pride Foundation, Salamanca Arts Centre, Tasmanian Theatre Council, Sydney Festival, AWG, and the Bruntwood Prize. This means that in 2022 APT will not be calling for submissions for digital publication. We acknowledge this news is disappointing to many playwrights.
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‘Goodbye-ee! Goodbye-ee. Wipe a tear, baby dear, from your eye-e’
-R.P Weston & Bert Lee
We are thrilled to say that we’re very close to announcing the new APT Executive Producer/CEO and the new Administrator! We hope to introduce you to them as soon as the ink has dried on the agreements.
After almost 5 years as General Manager of Playwriting Australian and then APT, Michelle Kotevski is bidding us adieu. Michelle’s contribution and commitment to every inch of the organisations has been inimitable and indefatigable. Her leadership, care and dedicated pursuit of pathways to a playwriting canon that reflects the reality of Australia, have been some of PWA and APT’s greatest assets. We wish her the absolute best for her future.
APT is also saying goodbye to Jason Cupitt, Digital & Marketing Manager and Rosemary Cann, Online and Administration Co-ordinator. It’s not hyperbole to say that Jason and Rosemary have been absolute champions in their time with APT. The organisation is a better one because of their work, insight, and razor-sharp skills. We know they will be going on to knock things out of the ballpark in their new endeavours.
And another goodbye to Sarah Hamilton, Online and Administration Co-ordinator, who took a break from APT in July to welcome the arrival of her baby boy and will be focusing on her playwriting. A more generous person and dedicated advocate for playwrights would be hard to find. We most especially acknowledge and thank Sarah’s drive and navigation through the sometimes murky and rough waters in the merger process.
Address changes
APT’s address has changed. We’ve said goodbye to the Arts Exchange in The Rocks and Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart. The new Sydney office is 88 Carlton Parade, Carlton NSW 2218- that’s right, we’ve moved into the new purpose-built arts centre at Shopfront Arts. Our new Tasmanian office location will be finalised very soon. TEAM APT
We acknowledge that we live and create on unceded lands. We pay our respects to the First Peoples of Australia, and to their Elders past, present and future.
