Mentorships
Being a writer is a practical as well as a creative profession. The Stages Mentorship Program provides an opportunity for Western Australian theatre companies to build relationships with emerging and established local writers, and for playwrights to develop a more symbiotic and practical understanding of companies’ artistic policies and visions, planning and scheduling requirements, funding restrictions and resources capabilities, as well as production and rehearsal practices. Stages has worked with Deckchair Theatre, Black Swan Theatre Company, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and Barking Gecko Theatre Company on mentorship programs. The mentorships last for up to 12 months and are advertised regularly.
Barking Gecko Theatre Company
Barking Gecko sees this mentorship as creating openings and skill enhancement opportunities for associated artists. The aim of the mentorship is to develop a playwright’s understanding of writing for young audiences and Barking Gecko’s philosophy and work. It’s an opportunity for Barking Gecko to expand the community of artists associated formally and informally with the company. Participating playwrights have access to Barking Gecko’s artistic director, readings, rehearsals and productions. One outcome is a treatment for a new work which Barking Gecko will consider for a full commission.
Previous Barking Gecko Mentorships
In 2005 Tiffany Barton, Jolly Read and Margot Edwards undertook mentorships with Barking Gecko Theatre Company. In November 2006 Katy Mitton commenced a mentorship with Barking Gecko.
Black Swan Theatre Company
As Western Australia’s Flagship Theatre Company, Black Swan Theatre Company has a leadership role to play in the development of local artists. The company also has a strong focus on producing new work. This mentorship program intersects with the company’s other development programs.
Black Swan Theatre Company will be offering a range of opportunities for the mentored playwright including regular contact with Artistic Director, Tom Gutteridge, and access to Black Swan’s commissioned writers, rehearsals and other aspects of the operations of the company. It will be preferable for the mentored playwright to be working on the development of a new piece of writing during the period, which will run for six months in 2007. In November 2006 Kate Rice was selected for the Black Swan Theatre Company mentorship.
Deckchair Theatre
Deckchair Theatre Company perceives the mentorship program as another role they can play within the arts community to support artists using their available resources. The program serves to identify new playwrights who can then join a core group of writers with relationships with the company.
The 2004 Deckchair mentorship offered one-on one meetings with Deckchair’s artistic director Angela Chaplin, access to meetings with commissioned writers, production meetings, rehearsals and staff meetings, to learn how the company operates, as well as complimentary tickets to all productions during the course of the mentorship.
The mentored playwright was expected to be a full and participating member of the company for the period of the mentorship. It was not compulsory for the playwright to be working on the development of a new piece of writing.
Previous Deckchair Mentorships
In 2004 Suzanne Ingelbrecht undertook a mentorship with Deckchair Theatre, of her experiences Suzanne said:
“…Generous access was given to the production process, including meetings with writers and designers, and I believe I benefited from the insights afforded me to get a production from the printed page up and running, the compromises that are sometimes needed, the need for clarity of the script etc. I was encouraged with my own work, and the mentorship certainly gave me the confidence to believe one of my plays - Fragmented - was worthy of seeking ArtsWA sponsorship, which indeed it has finally succeeded in getting! Thanks to all at deckchair...”
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre Company considers the mentorship program to be an opportunity to nurture new playwrights in puppetry as an artform. It also allows them to draw new playwrights into the network of writers who have relationships with Spare Parts.
In 2005, Spare Parts offered a range of opportunities for the mentored playwright including meetings with Spare Part’s Artistic Director Philip Mitchell, and access to their commissioned writers, rehearsals and other aspects of the operations of the company. The mentored playwright also had the opportunity to work on the development of an idea from concept stage (to be agreed on at the commencement of the mentorship) during the mentorship with the support of the Artistic Director.
Previous Spare Parts Mentorships
In 2005 Damon Lockwood undertook a mentorship with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, which resulted in him being commissioned to write Muttaburrasaurus which was produced by the company in 2006.
Of his experience with the mentorship Damon said:
“It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my short writing career so far. It has been challenging, enthralling and ultimately enlightening, and I believe it has been of massive benefit to furthering my understanding of writing for a very specialised sector of the live performance genre …… Puppetry is a unique beast, but Spare parts Theatre, led by Phillip Mitchell, is a more than worthy trainer of this creature. I have been privileged to involve myself in this mentorship with the company, and I feel I have received rare and significant insights in to the endless field of stage writing through this opportunity afforded to me by Stages.”