Private philanthropic organisation the Balnaves Foundation has again partnered with the Belvoir Theatre to commit $20,000 to an Indigenous playwright for the annual Playwright’s Award.
The award is open to all writers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent.
Last year’s winner, Nakkiah Lui (pictured above), said: “To have a commission from Belvoir and to continue on an exciting trajectory in my career is very encouraging. Telling and sharing our stories empowers our communities and supporting new work and new voices is vital. That is why this award is such an important and innovative step for Indigenous playwrights and Indigenous theatre.”
The award comprises a $7,500 cash prize and a $12,500 commission to write a new play with the support of Belvoir.
Entries close on Friday 28 June with the winner announced in August. See here for entry details.
Judges
Wesley Enoch
Wesley is the Artistic Director for Queensland Theatre Company. Wesley has directed for Queensland Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Adelaide Festival of the Arts, State Theatre Company South Australia, Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Malthouse Theatre, Windmill, Melbourne Workers Theatre, Alphaville and the ERTH Festival.
Eamon Flack
Eamon is Associate Director – New Projects at Belvoir. He graduated from the acting course at WAAPA in 2003 and has since worked as a director, actor, writer and dramaturg for Belvoir, Malthouse Theatre, Bell Shakespeare’s Mind’s Eye, ThinIce, Perth International Arts Festival, Darwin Festival, Griffin Stablemates, Playwriting Australia and various other companies.
Nakkiah Lui
Nakkiah grew up in Dhurag community in Western Sydney. She believes this is where her passion for writing came from; sharing the contemporary Indigenous experience through performance. She is currently finishing her Arts/Laws at the University of New South Wales. Nakkiah was an associate playwright at Belvoir in 2012 and a resident in ATYP’s Fresh Ink Playwright Residency 2010, where she wrote for the show Tell It Like It Isn’t.
Rachael Maza
Rachael is the Artistic Director of Ilbijerri Theatre Company. She is well known as a television presenter on SBS’s ICAM and ABC’s Message Stick, and for her stunning performances in Radiance and The Sapphires. Most recently, in her role at Ilbijerri Theatre Company, she has directed Jacky Jacky in the Box (Federation Square 2009, Melbourne Museum 2010), A Black Sheep Walks into a Baa... and Black Sheep: Glorious Baastards (Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2009 & 2010) and Chopped Liver (National tours 2008 & 2009).
Anthea Williams
Anthea is Literary Manager at Belvoir, for Belvoir she has directed Forget Me Not and Old Man. Prior to working at Belvoir Anthea was the Associate Director at London’s Bush Theatre.
- Poppy Reid
