LOOK BACK / MOVE FORWARD
KXT is a busy theatre. A year features back to back seasons in the Kings X Theatre, a year-round popup program in the Bordello, multiple support programs for Artists included emerging writers and new work, a year-long season of play reads, a formalised platform offering mentoring and opportunities for young and emerging artists, and multiple open-door meet ups and networking events
2020 has been a wild ride. The lockdown and temporary halt to all productions was an extraordinary event, and our sector will likely feel its impact for some time yet. Here at KXT the Cost of covid has been high and has meant the cancellation of
14 full scale productions
9 pop up seasons
3 platform programs for new writers
the 2020 mentoring team
6 scheduled play reads
6 networking events
9 production placements for emerging artists (internships)
A month-long fringe program
10 foyer meet-ups
4 artists networking opportunities
In March when theatres went into lockdown, we had just seen the opening week of Everybody by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins in a warmly received and well-reviewed season by Cross Pollinate Productions, one of only 3 seasons that made it to the KXT stage. We closed the doors mid-run of a play that took an existential look at the meaning of life, love and death. We had snuck in another season of Charlie Vaux’s Popup Comeout a little festival that does a lot, and we were scheduling meetings to finalise the 2020 Step Up team.
We made the decision early to leave screen to those best skilled in the medium. Rather we threw all our focus into building a broad program of Artist Support, moving some existing initiatives to a digital platform, extending others to offer more, and launching some new programs. We were most concerned for those artists who were on their way, and for whom the momentum of 2020 was key to the development of their career. With Phone A Friend Rebecca Blake worked with us to connect industry professionals with young producers, directors, designers and actors, Bounce Back was our investment in upskilling emerging producers so they are well equipped to deliver quality work quickly, and we launched The Laboratory, a writer development program led by Saro Lusty-Cavallari, that this year was launched digitally.
The hard data from the previous 12 months tells a story: 21,928 people attended productions at KXT. 476 artists participated in productions - with additional artists participating in our many industry support programs and events, such as KXTeethcutting our regular play reading program run by Legit Theatre Co. Also in 2019: KXT provided opportunities for 103 working artists in production support and technical design.
Less than three months in our 2020 season was on track to exceed these numbers.
There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic for triggering an analysis of how we spend our time, and like many of us we looked closely at how we do what we do and why we do it. And we’re here for another year. The arts, and the independent sector most particularly, is as always fragile, uncertain and underfunded, and we hope that we move forward with a greater understanding of our inter connectedness, and the need for us to work together more closely, and in support of one another.
When the govt said we could open up back in July, Health regs around social distancing meant our audience was at 25% a number that at the time made it impossible for producers to pay artists even the smallest fee, so we made the decision to focus on our Artist Support program with a series of residencies at KXT, investing in the future by supporting 12 producers, 7 companies, 3 designers, 10 emerging writers and 6 directors.
This has only be possible due to the patronage and ongoing support of our partners at KX Hotel and Solotel.
Back in March we made the commitment to every producer programmed for 2020 that their show was not cancelled, but rather postponed, and we are thrilled that our 2021 launch features some highly anticipated work. We’ve made room for some important new shows and exciting surprises, and we’ll be back in 2021 bright eyed and bushy tailed, newly excited for it all.
2021 // ANNOUNCING…
KXT Storytellers is a pop-up celebration of playwrights and words, the presentation of full-length plays, small pieces of writing, and special events created, launched and curated by Joanna Erskine. The festival has showcased 51 plays, pres by 34 directors working with hundreds of actors.
Productions of scripts that had their first showing as part of Storytellers include: James Elazzi‘s plays Omar + Dawn and Son of Byblos, The Park by Simon Thomson, Jackson Used’s Lilac, Deadskin by Laneikka Denne, Sam O’Sullivan’s You’re Not Special, and Orange Thrower by Kirsty Marillier. Plays have continued dev as part of STCs rough drafts, and have been programmed at Griffin, NToP, Belvoir and KXT.
These are extraordinary results from 2 short seasons, thanks to Jo Erskine’s skill and hard work. Storytellers will be back in 2021 and we can’t wait to see what gems are discovered and polished
The Laboratory is a collaboration between bAKEHOUSE and Montague Basement that aims to foster emerging writers on the cusp of presenting their work on independent stages. Conceived before 2020 did what 2020 did, the writers of The Lab have spent their lockdown with Montague Basement co-director Saro Lusty-Cavallari developing new plays. The Lab Report will be the first public showing of these exciting new works, developed over a weeklong intensive with an amazing team of generous actors. As we emerge from a dark year into a hopefully brighter future, we can’t wait to share the work that’s been created that we have no doubt will be making its way to local stages very soon…
The 2020 Laboraoty writers are Margaret Thanos, Amber Spooner, Declan Coyle, Sime Knezevic, Rebecca Blake, Alex Travers, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Eric Jiang. The 2020 Lab Report ran over the weekend of 12 and 13 December at KXT, and delivered some astonishing results. Keep an eye out for what happens next.
Applications for the 2021 Laboratory open in January. Check back for details
bAKEHOUSE has long provided opportunities and mentoring, pairing new and emerging artists with professional and experienced practitioners in the crucible of production. STEP UP at KXT is a philosophy ~ a way of working in our sector that connects artists; builds pathways; nurtures new work.
In recent years we’ve focused on a team of young and emerging artists as they put together the building blocks of their careers. Since 2018 Step Up team members have launched their own companies; jumped into opportunities at Darlinghurst TC, NToP, Belvoir, Griffin, Hayes Theatre, Carriageworks and more; some have gone on to study at NIDA, VCA and WAAPA, and others are recipients of highly regarded awards such as the Rose Byrne scholarship, and the Andrew Cameron fellowship. We’re extremely proud of the pathways that have grown from the work at KXT.
Step Up is back in 2021, tweaked and refreshed, and we’ll be opening up applications for the team in January
KXTs profiling of new writing has evolved from the long-held bakehouse commitment to showcasing new Australian work, with productions over the past 10 years of her holiness, Coup D’etat, a Land Beyond the River, His Mother’s Voice, and Junction all grounded in a focus on the too often untold stories of Australia, and our place in the world.
Most recently in 2019 at KXT we were proud to partner with JACKRABBIT Theatre for the world premiere of Megan Wilding’s A Little Piece of Ash; and then went on to stage James Elazzis Omar + Dawn; the restaging of Tabitha Woo’s A Westerner’s Guide to the Opium Wars; and the award-winning GREEN DOOR THEATRE CO production of Good Dog. Our Popupstairs program featured the world premiere of Doing by Amy Sole.
In 2016 the first bAKEHOUSE production at KXT was the Australian premiere of Black Jesus by Anders Lustgarten with our StoryLines champion Elijah Williams in the title role, and in 2017 we were able to finally bring to the stage The Laden Table and Jatinga, both large cast productions developed over many years with the latter the result of our ongoing work in the slums of Mumbai. Storylines is the umbrella under which all this bAKEHOUSE work sits.
There’s more - much much more - and we are honoured to have partnered in the work with writers, actors, directors and producers who saw the need for and value of changing the stories on our stages.
In 2021 we step it up.
We have dedicated time in August / September for a StoryLines season, showcasing the work of artists of colour. We’re making room for up to 3 productions by writers of colour, selected by an open call out and playing alongside a support program of play reads and artist workshops.
The program will be led by our StoryLines Ambassadors Renee Lim, and Elijah Williams. We’ve worked with Renee for 10 years now, at Seymour Centre, NIDA, Riverside, ATYP and now KXT. She has been a cast member on a swathe of bAKEHOUSE productions and has served for a time on our Board. We first worked with Elijah Williams on the very first iteration of StoryLines back in 2009, which featured A Land Beyond the River, a play based in part on his life, and then again in 2012 at NIDA and Tamarama Rock Surfers, and in development in 2013 at CRACK festival and ATYP. Elijah’s professional debut was here at KXT, where he was nominated for Best Newcomer.
We plan to move on fresh from the bin fire of 2020, knowing that Sydney’s indie sector is strong, inspired and so very capable, and as always up for the challenge, leading the change and the charge. Thank you for your faith in us. Thank you for being here. Thank you for making it through