MAGIC TIDDAS

BlackStage and Ensemble working together

Two of our development programs came together for a week of learning and creative development. ILBIJERRI Ensemble and Blackstage joined forces to share an intimate showing with the community, led by Amy Sole and Miela Anich.

Over three days they created a 20 min piece including design and production elements. It was a touching and humorous work that explored friendship, relationships and identity. Four proud Aboriginal women go on a road trip and discover themselves anew in relation to one another.

We are so incredibly proud of what they achieved in so short time.
From ILBIJERRI Ensemble; Mikayla Nelson, Brentisha Macale, Kiara Rule and Kimberley Lovegrove.
From our Blackstage program; Todd Bennett, Emma Salmon, Emma Holgate and Stone Turner.

ILBIJERRI Ensemble is an artist development program including First Peoples emerging theatre practitioners. 2024 Program Director, Nazaree Dickerson, trained the Ensemble team to lead workshops, collaborate with emerging and established First Peoples theatre artists, and build industry networks and career pathways. Running since 2018, ILBIJERRI’s Ensemble program has been shaped by its participants – and in 2024 the program aimed to equip Ensemble members with the skills to empower a whole new generation of little theatre-makers!

BlackStage is a development program offering the opportunity for mentoring in all aspects of theatre production such as set and costume design, lighting, sound, production management, touring and theatre direction. BlackStage matches emerging First Nations theatre practitioners with an interest in a creative role and/or technical theatre with skilled mentors. Each participant is given a paid position to work on productions, and experiences the creative process firsthand in their chosen discipline.