John Harvey is a playwright and multidisciplinary artist whose work spans
theatre, film and installation and is of Saibai Island (Torres Strait) and English
descent.
His theatre writing includes: The Return (Malthouse Theatre), winner
of the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Drama; Dear Son
(Queensland Theatre, State Theatre Company of South Australia); Heart is
a Wasteland (Malthouse Theatre, ILBIJERRI Theatre, Yirra Yaakin Theatre);
and international co-production Black Ties (ILBIJERRI Theatre / Tē Rehia)
presented at Asia TOPA, Sydney, Auckland Festivals). He is the inaugural
recipient of the First Nations Writers Residency (FNAWN, AAA) in New
York and Boston and has held writer residencies at Malthouse Theatre and
Footscray Arts. He directed A Little Piece of Heaven (Orana Arts) for the
Yirramboi Arts Festival. His screen directing credits include: the awardwinning documentaries Still We Rise (ABC), recipient of the 2023 AIDC and
ADG Best Documentary Awards, and Off Country (NITV), winner of the
2022 ADG Award for Best Documentary. His acclaimed short film Katele
(Mudskipper) won Best Australian Short Film at Flickerfest and MIFF. He
produced Spear, premiering at Toronto International Film Festival, Sand from
The Turning (Biennale) and ABC series The Warriors.
John’s collaboration with Walter Waia, The Heart of the Universe, is a major
multi-channel video and sound installation for the 2026 Biennale of Sydney,
and his work Canopy is part of the permanent installation for ACMI, later
realised as public mural for Melbourne Metro. A 2023 Sidney Myer Creative
Fellow, he is the Creative Director of Brown Cabs and board member of
Bangarra Dance Theatre.