Drama Victoria are thrilled to have Wesley Enoch joining us for a conversation about Indigenous perspectives in the Drama classroom at ‘Jumpstart’ on 23rd Feb.
Join us as Heidi Irvine facilitates the discussion, it’s sure to be a sensational morning.
"In Conversation with Wesley Enoch - Exploring Indigenous perspectives through Drama."
Drama Victoria invites you to join us for a conversation with Wesley Enoch.
Heidi Irvine will facilitate a discussion about the challenges of exploring Indigenous perspectives and playscripts in the Drama / Theatre classroom.
What is appropriate? Can we use Indigenous stories as stimulus material? Can we present Indigenous plays? What are the challenges? What are the protocols?
Saturday 23rd February
9am - 11am
Malthouse Theatre
$30 Members / $45 Non Members includes Morning Tea
Or Join us for a whole day of workshops on Drama / Theatre education! ( Link HERE )
PLEASE NOTE THIS SESSION IS INCLUDED with JUMPSTART Registration on Saturday ( Link HERE )
Wesley Enoch
Wesley Enoch is a writer and director for the stage and is the Director of the Sydney Festival. He hails from Stradbroke Island (Minjeribah) and is a proud Noonuccal Nuugi man.
From 1994 – 1997 Wesley was Artistic Director at Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts; from 2003 – 2006 he was Artistic Director at Ilbijerri Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative and from 2006 – 2008 he was Associate Artistic Director at Belvoir Street Theatre. Wesley’s other residencies include Resident Director at Sydney Theatre Company from 2000 – 2001; the 2002 Australia Council Cite Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris and the Australia Council Artistic Director for the Australian Delegation to the 2008 Festival of Pacific Arts. Wesley has been the Artistic Director at the Queensland Theatre Company, and is now Director of The Sydney Festival.
Wesley has written and directed some of Australia’s most iconic Indigenous theatre productions. THE 7 STAGES OF GRIEVING which Wesley directed and co-wrote with Deborah Mailman was first produced in 1995 by Kooemba Jdarra as part of the Warana Festival in Brisbane, and went on to tour nationally in 1996. In 1997 the production was co-presented with Performing Lines as part of the Wimmin’s Business season in the Festival of the Dreaming in Sydney. This production toured to the London Festival of Theatre and Swiss International Theater Festival. It was remounted by Sydney Theatre Company in 2002 and toured nationally once more. In 1999 Wesley wrote and directed THE SUNSHINE CLUB for Queensland Theatre Company which transferred to Sydney Theatre Company in 2000 and won the 2000 Matilda Award and the 2001 Deadly Award for Best Direction. Wesley devised and directed a new adaptation of Medea by Euripides’; BLACK MEDEA was staged for Sydney Theatre Company in 2000 and again in 2005 for as a co-production between Belvoir Street Theatre and Malthouse Theatre Company. The play was published by Currency Press in 2006. THE STORY OF THE MIRACLES AT COOKIE’S TABLE, won the 2005 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award. He directed the play in 2006 for Rakutendan Theatre in Tokyo. The play has since been published by Currency Press and London’s Oberon Books, and in 2007 it had seasons at both Hothouse Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company.
In 2004 Wesley directed the original stage production of THE SAPPHIRES by Tony Briggs for Melbourne Theatre Company and Belvoir Street Theatre. It won the 2005 Helpmann Award for Best Play. In 2010 the production returned to Black Swan Theatre Company and Belvoir Street Theatre and toured internationally to Korea as part of The Daegu International Musical Festival in 2010 and the Barbican Theatre in London in 2011. He directed RIVERLAND in 2004 for Windmill Performing Arts which premiered as part of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts. RIVERLAND went on to tour the Brisbane, Sydney and Perth Festivals and won the 2005 Helpmann Award for Best Presentation for Children. In 2000 Wesley directed the landmark productionSTOLEN, written by Jane Harrison, which toured Australia, London and Tokyo.
Wesley has directed for all major Australian theatre companies including MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, HEADFUL OF LOVE, BOMBSHELLS(Queensland Theatre Company); I AM EORA (Performing Lines/Sydney Festival 2012); ONE NIGHT THE MOON (Malthouse Theatre); THE MAN FROM MUKINUPIN (Belvoir Street/Melbourne Theatre Company); YIBIYUNG (Belvoir Street/Malthouse); PARRAMATTA GIRLS (Company B); CAPRICORNIA (Company B); THE CHERRY PICKERS (Sydney Theatre Company); and ROMEO AND JULIET (Bell Shakespeare Company).
Facilitator - Heidi Irvine
Heidi Irvine is currently Team Leader Programming & Engagement at Frankston Arts Centre in Victoria. Prior to this Heidi was the Producer of Education and Youth Programs at Queensland Theatre Company for 5.5 years. Holding a Bachelor of Arts (Communication - Theatre/Media) from Charles Sturt University, Bathurst (2001) and a Postgraduate Degree in Education from Queensland University of Technology (2005), Heidi has taught in both Primary and Secondary classrooms for 7.5 years, has worked in both Education and Arts Administration settings and has a particular passion for producing and promoting quality Arts experiences for young people and communities. Heidi has worked with and for organisations including La Boite Theatre Company; shake & stir theatre co.; Drama Queensland; Brisbane East Drama Panel; Queensland Studies Authority and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. In 2014, Heidi was the chair of the Australian MPA Education Network and has spoken at conferences throughout Australia on Arts projects and Drama Education. Heidi believes that Art is a place for all people to express and create; is fiercely loyal of her family and friends and has a strong love for coriander, live sporting events and binge watching bad television.
