Australian Theatre Forum

The first think-tank for the national theatre industry in 20 years took place at Melbourne’s Arts House Meat Market from 14-16 May.

Under the banner 'Art begins with risks - what risks should we be taking now?', a range of theatre practitioners gathered to share histories and listen to inspiring commentaries on everything from climate change to indigenous rights, to the role of failure in theatre-making. Curator Angharad Wynne-Jones crafted a rich and engaging event with a quirky DIY aesthetic. Organic signage, nametags and vegetarian feasts made us all appreciate the importance of sustainability.

The heart of the conference was the Open Space forum, facilitated by the UK’s Improbable Theatre. Within this extraordinary self-documenting format, 75 issues including cultural diversity, producer training, governance, Indigenous theatre, audience collaboration, the desire for a national theatre festival and national peak body, were facilitated and recorded. Twenty-one action plans were developed to tackle some immediate issues.

The report was written in situ by over 100 delegates, and (all 249 pages of it!) is available for download from the Forum website. Check out what the theatre industry got up to on a surprisingly warm Melbourne weekend ...

www.australiantheatreforum.com.au