If anyone knows how hard it is to get a project up and running- it’s me.

And it’s not easy in a city like Sydney, which has limited venues to hire, (as many are curated spaces) and in an industry that so easily chews people up and spits them out, to inspire people into action.

I first met Josipa and Stephanie when they auditioned for Brand Spanking New 2009. I was interested in working with Josipa- but she was getting married the week of the performance so it didn’t work out and Stephanie’s audition was excellent, but I didn’t get the impression the pieces I had to offer her would be at all along the lines of ha she was hoping to do. She expressed her frustration at the Anglo-centric casting in Sydney. I concurred. I also quoted Lee Lewis’ Platform paper and Chris Mead’s platform paper- in support of her ideas. Nine months later The Colour Blind Project was born to showcase the talents of non-Anglo actors.

I submitted a piece to the festival as means of supporting them in their pursuit of equality… and have had the great fortune of working with long time colleague Danielle O’Keefe who has done a wonderful job directing Josipa Draisma, Vixen Noir and Silvana Lorenzo de Shute.

In my heart, I hope for a time when this festival doesn’t exist. When the thought of it is embarrassing, because we are more sophisticated- when people are cast because they are brilliant, not because they are black. When Our ethnic writers (and all Australian writers) are no longer relegated to dark and bizarre Fringe venues- but celebrated on main stages.

The Colour Blind Project Short Play Festival is the start of these two festival directors/creative producers figuring out what they want to see, what they want to say and how they want to say it. It is an experiment with non-Anglo casting and shows that there is a group of talented and dedicated artists working in the industry who are willing to donate their time, money and talent to an idea- and to change in our industry- which must be applauded.

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TICKET RUSH

The Colour Blind Short play festival is offering a **special ticket offer** for this Thursday’s performance. Buy tickets at the door on Thursday 8 July from 7:30pm and ask for the “Colour Blind Rush” offer, and we will sell you a discounted ticket at $15!!! That’s $10 off the normal adult price! Door sales are cash only and subject to availability.

For every other night this week, tickets are on sale now! To book visit http://www.trybooking.com/FOJ

http://www.australianstage.com.au/201007043662/reviews/sydney/the-colour-blind-project.html

Hope to see you at the show!

x Stephanie & Josipa
Festival Directors
THE COLOUR BLIND PROJECT | 30th June – 10th July 2010
Changing the face of Australian Theatre

Where are the women?
Booking their tickets to the 2009 Philip Parsons Memorial Lecture.
Perhaps we should all wear white- as to show up against the black seats of the theatre incase there is any misconception that we are invisible.
We are visible.
We have vision.

Rachel Healy, Director Performing Arts at Sydney Opera House and former long-term General Manager at Company B Belvoir will deliver a short opening address giving an introduction to the debate. She will then join the panel of distinguished women including: theatre notes blogger and critic Alison Croggon; emerging director Shannon Murphy; Marion Potts, Associate Artistic Director at Bell Shakespeare and Gil Appleton who will provide an historical overview. The panel will share their perspectives, pathways, experiences and thoughts for the future. Moderated by ABC Journalist Monica Attard the discussion will then be opened to the floor for debate.

The recipient of the 2009 Philip Parsons Young Playwright’s Award will also be announced at this event. Awarded annually to a playwright under 35 years of age, whose work demonstrates an original and compelling theatrical voice, the winner will receive a writer’s commission supported by Company B Belvoir. The 2009 shortlisted writers are Tamara Asmar, Van Badham, Tahli Corin, Nick Coyle and Caleb Lewis.

And I of course will be there to check it out.

Nice to note that three of the five shortlisted writers are women. I wonder how the lads feel about the lecture topic?

I am a fan of Tamara Asmar (I spotted Belle’s Line last year at The Old Fitz and approached her for Brand Spanking New) and Tahli Corin (I reviewed Bumming with Jane for www.australianstage.com.au) and Caleb Lewis (of whom I am a huge fan and have also have reviewed and hope to work with somehow someday…) I have reviewed Nick Coyle’s work (Hammerhead is Dead which was at the stables earlier this year) and you’d have to be living under a rock in the middle of the Simpson Desert NOT to have heard of Van Badham- so its going to be a corker of a day!

Also interesting to note that Joanna Erskine is not on this panel- but then again- she has started the conversation and should have the right to sit back and enjoy the banter in real time/life not just as bloggosphere wildfire.

Others I hope to hear from-
Rachel MacDonald – director (who has established her career in Opera and mainstages and has balanced career with motherhood- 4 kids!)
Kate Gaul- Artistic Director of Siren Theatre Company (also the new curator at Sidetrack Theatre)
Hilary Bell- playwright and Griffin Theatre Board Member
Lee Lewis- the only female director working ont he 2010 season at Belvoir
Kate Revz- Cry Havoc director

and I’d love to hear from the true emerging sector- that is the unknown- the directors and writers who maybe haven’t been to drama school and who are working in the industry- the ones who are doing it really tough- I want to hear from them-
Felicity Nicol
Jane Grimley
AnneMaree Magi
Scarlet McGlynn
Danielle O’Keefe

This is everyone’s discussion and I hope to see you there on the 6th!

When: Sunday 6 December 2009
Where: Belvoir St Upstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills 2010
Cost: $10 available from the Belvoir St Theatre Box Office
(02 9699 3444). Tickets also available on the door.