Following a highly acclaimed debut season in 2015, Melbourne’s Poppy Seed Festival are seeking Expressions of Interest for their 2016 Festival.
Poppy Seed Festival is Melbourne’s newest grassroots theatre festival, designed to financially and logistically support artists to develop and deliver their work to be presented from Monday 7 November – Sunday 11 December. Participating Festival venues in 2016 include: The Coopers Malthouse Tower, The New Ballroom – Trades Hall and The Butterfly Club.
Artists, individuals and companies are now invited to submit their proposals to be a part of this exciting new festival. Submissions open on 1 April close on 29 April 2016.
“In 2015, four remarkable works were programmed into the festival produced by some of Melbourne’s best independent theatre collectives,” says Festival Patron Nadine Garner. “These four companies not only presented productions of critical acclaim, exceeding audience expectations, but formed a harmonious ensemble by sharing resources, knowledge, materials and developing joint fundraising and marketing initiatives.
“This is a fundamental objective of the initiative and provides a unique opportunity for professional development, gathering momentum in their practice and forging solid industry networks with like minded artists.”
Open to any theatrical style and content, the festival will look for the most outstanding and viable work. Four projects are selected by a panel of leading industry professionals and programmed into a festival in November/ December. These projects will receive a venue for their performance season, logistical, artistic and marketing support as well as a financial allocation of $7,500.00 towards production costs.
The Artistic Panel responsible for assessing applications read like the who’s who of theatre in Melbourne and include: Jerry Remkes (Arts Centre Melbourne), Rachael Maza (Iblijerri Theatre Company), Kat Henry (Queensland Theatre Company), Andy Turner (fortyfivedownstairs), Bert LaBonte (Essential Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company), Alexander Woollard (The Butterfly Club), Rinske Ginsberg (Victorian College of the Arts), Emily Tomlins (Elbow Room) and Alice Muhling (The Malthouse Theatre, Brisbane Theatre Festival).
“Our incredibly hard working team are once again excited to provide this vital platform for outstanding independent artists and theatre,” says Founder and Director, Phil Hayden. “A call out to theatre-makers – this is your chance to back yourself and your most exciting project proposals. We’re looking forward to a bumper crop of applications in 2016.”
The 2016 Poppy Seed Festival runs from Monday 7 November – Sunday 11 December. For more information, visit: www.poppyseed.net.au for details.
Image: Keith Brockett and John Marc Desengano in 15 Minutes From Anywhere’s The Yellow Wave (supplied)