DIRECTING THE EMERGE COMPANY IN 'CARPE DIEM'

Coming out of lockdown like a bat out of hell, I had the responsibility and privilege of guiding a dozen young theatremakers, also known as Canberra Youth Theatre's Emerge Company, through the process of devising and producing a full-length piece of theatre from scratch. Carpe DM, a profound, manic, bittersweet and darkly comic show about a house party at the end of the world, was the triumphant result. It ran for two nights at the C-Block Theatre at Gorman Arts Centre, and as their director, dramaturg, and occasional dictator, I couldn't have been prouder. The show was fun, fresh, it had something important to say and it could only have been said by this group of passionate young people in this particular way. I think you'd go long way to find a better expression of everything Youth Theatre should be.

 

Emerge Company is Canberra Youth Theatre’s training and professional development program for early-career theatre makers aged 18 to 25 years. This program brings together emerging theatre makers to collaborate, train, and create their
own work as a theatre company. The Emerge Company explores collaborative theatre-making processes and equip participants

with the skills to develop their own work and produce independent theatre.

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I'll be mentoring next year's Emerge Company from May through to October 2023. For all the details, check out Canberra Youth Theatre's site here.