Following an extensive national process to explore new models of creative leadership, HotHouse Theatre has announced a new creative partnership to lead the company into its next chapter.
Respected director and festival leader Lindy Hume AM will lead HotHouse Theatre as Creative Director, working with Andrew Gray through their regionally based company, Crimson Rosella Creative Adventures.
Together, Lindy, Andrew and Crimson Rosella bring a wealth of creative and executive leadership experience, producing expertise, and established networks across regional and metropolitan Australia. They also share a deep understanding of regional creative practice and community inspired work.
For decades, HotHouse has been a hub for innovation, bold ideas and fearless exploration. Partnering with Crimson Rosella heightens the company’s ability to generate distinctive work from a regional base, spark new collaborations, and amplify the voices and stories of our region.
Lindy and Andrew will guide HotHouse through a staged and collaborative pathway that ensures sustainability while enabling ambitious programming and facilitating deep community engagement.
In the initial phase of work in 2025, Lindy, Andrew and Crimson Rosella have already begun working closely with the HotHouse Board, local artists, communities and stakeholders in Albury-Wodonga, opening conversations to shape the future direction of the company.
The Board is confident this approach will position HotHouse strongly for the future – balancing financial realities with artistic ambition, while celebrating the vibrancy and dynamic creativity of our region.
“Since the artists of the Murray River Performing Group seized Australia’s cultural imagination with their creative energy and national ambition from a regional centre, HotHouse Theatre has been at the forefront of innovation in Australia’s regional theatre making movement,” said Lindy Hume.
“In that spirit, as a creative practitioner who chooses to live and work in regional Australia, I am thrilled to begin this new creative journey with the famous HotHouse, honoured to walk on the lands of the Traditional Owners of this region, and to listen deeply to the stories, histories and cultural knowledge embedded here.”
I’m excited to dive into the rich cultural life, landscapes and communities of Albury Wodonga and the magnificent surrounding regions. Andrew and I look forward to getting to know the region’s artists, creative community and special places, and to making and sharing life-affirming performance experiences in and from this beautiful place,” said Hume.
“I’m excited to be working in the Albury Wodonga region which is already familiar to me, having grown up in the Riverina and through my professional connections with the network of Regional Arts Development Organisations, including Murray Arts,” said Andrew Gray. “As a creative industries advisor and regional cultural tourism specialist, I understand the opportunities and challenges for regional artists and creative communities.”
“Working with HotHouse provides a chance to collaborate with artists, audiences and partners across the region, nurturing local talent, fostering innovation and ensuring regional stories are celebrated on a national stage. I am inspired by HotHouse’s legacy and thrilled to help shape its next chapter of creative leadership and cultural impact,” said Gray.
For more information about HotHouse Theatre, visit: www.hothousetheatre.com.au for details.
Image: Lindy Hume and Andrew Gray – photo by David Rogers Photography