Graham Pitts

Graham Pitts is a writer, researcher and playwright, who has created scores of arts-based projects with marginalised groups from many cultures, particularly with non-English speaking background and disadvantaged communities, and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Graham co-founded Sidetrack Theatre and became a professional writer, coordinator and director in 1978. Credited with writing more than 50 plays, he is best known for Emma -- Celebrazione! which was produced Australia-wide in 1991.

In 1998, Graham’s engagement with East Timorese and Chinese communities saw him co-write and co-directed the play Death and Balibo, which received critical acclaim. Since then, Graham has created six other new works with the East Timorese community, including Tour of Duty, part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival in 2001.

Since 2001, Graham has worked with the residents of the Atherton Gardens Housing Estate in Melbourne. He is the artistic director of The Many Moons Choir comprising Chinese seniors and other tenants. Many Moons was the core group in his performance/installation works Inside Out and Outside In, the latter a hit of the Melbourne International Arts Festival in 2004. Graham was the recipient of the Australia Council’s Ros Bower award in 2005.

In March 2007, Graham completed with Michael Coyne, the image-and-text project A Body of Knowledge, in collaboration with woman living with HIV/AIDS. He is presently working with The Melbourne East Timorese Activity Centre on a comedy called A Crocodile Bit My Lip and with The Many Moons Group on In Spiring Time.