Petra Kalive

In 2023, I was lucky enough to be the recipient of the Stuart and Norma Leslie Churchill Fellowship, to learn how to create extraordinary professional ‘public theatre’ with, for and by community.

Committed to the idea of theatre as a powerful cultural force for positive change, Petra travelled to Chile, The United States of America and United Kingdom to explore community-led theatre in professional settings. She visited a variety of companies and met with numerous theatre directors and professionals who are dedicated to creating professional theatre with, for, and by the community. The report that follows details her findings and insights and suggests best practices for implementing similar initiatives in an Australian context.

Executive Summary

This report details a comprehensive journey through the exploration and implementation of large-scale, community-engaged theatre projects. I reflect on my initial ambition to direct a major public theatre project experiences with various theatre models both within Australia and internationally.

My journey begins with the Platea24 Conference at the Santiago a Mil festival in Santiago, Chile, where I made unexpected discoveries and challenged my own assumptions about community-based work in South America. This was followed by travel to the United States and the United Kingdom, where I visited prominent public theatre initiatives Public Works at the Public Theatre in New York and Public Acts at the National Theatre in London. These programs exemplify the creation of extraordinary professional public theatre that celebrates and presents large-scale community works, serving as benchmarks for similar initiatives in professional environments.

While in the UK, I spoke to multiple companies engaged in community work to some degree, with notable experiences at Common Wealth Theatre in Bradford and Next Door But One in York. These smaller-scale organizations excel in creating extraordinary professional works while prioritizing inclusivity, community input, and innovative use of unconventional performance spaces to engage broader audiences.

The report also reflects on the impact of my visit to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington D.C., a more traditional medium-sized theatre company that integrates innovative, socially provocative theatre with deep community engagement. Their approach to new work creation and community engagement is proposed as a model for similar initiatives in Australia.

The report synthesizes these diverse experiences and outlines next steps, emphasizing the potential for adopting and adapting successful international community engagement strategies in the Australian theatre landscape.

My hope is that this report reaches those in positions of power within major theatre companies, mainstream venues, cultural leaders, and theatre makers who envision a new future but don’t yet know what it looks like. I aim to outline one of many paths forward for the theatre industry, helping to democratize, address social inequality in the arts, and bring people together through creativity and performance.

Key findings from the report include:

·       Challenges in Australia: Initial proposals for large-scale community theatre projects were not adopted due to concerns about costs, safety, and logistical capacities. Despite these setbacks, the value seen in community-centric projects persisted.

·       International Success Models: The Public Theatre in New York and the National Theatre in London have successfully integrated community engagement into their programming. These models demonstrate high participation rates, audience engagement, and a commitment to long-term community involvement, presenting viable frameworks that could be adapted to the Australian context.

·       Benefits of Community Theatre: These programs are not only artistically enriching but also serve as crucial social platforms that foster community cohesion, cultural dialogue, and social change. They break down barriers between professional and non-professional art realms, facilitating transformative and inclusive cultural experiences.

·       Cultural and Operational Insights: The discussions and observations highlighted the importance of a "culture of care" within community projects, emphasizing the need for supportive, inclusive, and responsive artistic environments. The integration of community insights and collaborative processes is crucial in creating relevant and impactful art.

·       Challenges and Opportunities: While these international examples flourish, there is a notable contrast in the Australian context, where such initiatives face scepticism regarding their professionalism and sustainability. The report suggests that a shift in perception is needed to appreciate the full value of community-engaged theatre.

·       Potential for Implementation in Australia: The report proposes that adopting similar models in Australia could challenge existing perceptions and demonstrate the substantial contributions of community-based theatre to artistic and social landscapes. There is a call for a balanced approach that neither underestimates the artistic quality nor the community impact of such projects.

The report advocates for the expansion of community-engaged theatre in professional spaces - practices that align with successful international models, suggesting that these could lead to significant cultural and social benefits in Australia. The insights gained underline the transformative power of theatre as a tool for societal engagement and sector change, proposing strategic methods to cultivate similar successes within different cultural contexts.

Introduction

Driven by a deep desire to enhance my grasp of the dynamic interplay between professional theatre companies and their work with and for diverse communities, I applied for a Churchill Fellowship. My goal was to investigate innovative methods adopted by theatres globally that specialise in community-engaged or community-led initiatives, particularly those operating under similar conditions to those I encountered in Australia. My focus centred on engagement strategies with diverse communities and the implementation of community-led projects in professional settings. I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of community engagement programs, their impact on organizational tactics, and their broader effects on both the institutions that facilitate these initiatives and the communities they engage. Specifically, I sought to explore how to craft exceptional professional public theatre that is created with, for, and by the community.

Lofty Ambition

“The more arts organisations truly turn to their communities and find ways to lock arms and collaborate together and move forward - is the future… we will continue to grow together”.

Under the Greenwood Tree (publictheatre.org)

Throughout my career, I have been passionately dedicated to crafting theatre—whether as a director, dramaturg, or performer—that brings new perspectives and untold stories to Australian stages. This commitment stems from my early experiences as a theatre maker marked by significant underrepresentation of women, and even more so for women from culturally diverse backgrounds. At the beginning of my career, I spent many years with an improvisational theatre company, Melbourne Playback, dedicated to creating connections and positive civic action through story. Working with various communities, we facilitated empowerment, connection, and shared experiences, crafting theatre pieces from their personal stories. Concurrently, I nurtured and directed new Australian works, primarily from marginalised perspectives, both independently and within major theatre companies - and led processes as a teacher-director within tertiary and youth theatre settings. Excited by this work and motivated by a desire to contribute to a reshaping of the narrative landscape and diversifying the voices who told those narratives, I set a goal to work towards a position within a leading institution where I could spearhead meaningful change.

Upon attaining leadership roles, I faced significant challenges realising my vision for this change. In addition to directing fresh and bold Australian works by emerging voices, my goal was to initiate transformative dialogues within the company, with a focus on inclusivity and embedding diverse perspectives into the fundamental operations. Although these objectives aligned with the stated goals of the organisations, my approach may have been too expansive or unconventional for their existing organizational structures and business models. Some of my proposals included:

• Comprehensive cultural training across the entire workforce, aiming to foster a deeper, companywide understanding and appreciation of diversity within our team.

• Valuing artists for their cultural contributions and fundamentally rethinking the presentation of marginalised perspectives on our stages in pursuit of artistic innovation. This involved the cultivation of novel partnerships with grassroots, less ‘professional’ theatre organisations and the opening of discussions with various industries, communities, disciplines, and mediums. If inclusion was the aim, then my thinking was we needed to diversify our thinking into how works were created and who participated in the creation of them.

• Establishing robust pathways and enhancing support for emerging artists as they transitioned into professional roles. I sought to fortify connections with university theatre programs, both curricular and extracurricular, to ensure a seamless integration of academic and professional theatre environments.

• Transforming these major theatre companies from being perceived as elite institutions into welcoming spaces for all. I aimed to challenge the status quo and expand the diversity of the works presented and our audience base.

• The creation of a large-scale community theatre project, symbolizing the company’s commitment to inclusivity and outreach.

In my assessment, the survival of theatre amidst the current significant cultural evolution necessitated ambitious objectives. However, my efforts to advocate for these goals were met with a lack of enthusiasm, prompting me to revaluate my alignment with current organisational frameworks. I needed to consider whether my forward-thinking vision was incompatible with the financial dependencies of a major theatre company on ticket sales and donor contributions. Or perhaps there were things I was not seeing. Maybe my ideas were deeply flawed, but no one had the heart to tell me. Perhaps the pressure I placed on myself, being one of the first Australians of Greek heritage in a prominent leadership role in a major arts institution, intensified the urgency I felt to demonstrate the profound societal and cultural impact of amplifying underrepresented voices. Or perhaps my positionality - white, middle-class, and tertiary-educated restricted my ability to spearhead such transformative initiatives in an increasingly (thankfully) inclusive industry focused on amplifying marginalised voices.

I am cognizant of my privileges: my fair skin, tertiary education, English language proficiency, and extensive access to resources that position me to potentially serve as an ally for social change. However, I recognise my limitations, including possible biases and the worldview that my privileges have shaped. Striving to remain open and constantly learn, I acknowledge that decolonising my thought process and artistic practices is a continuous journey. My ongoing practice aims to disrupt a mainstream status quo by elevating previously marginalised voices, fostering connections with new audiences, embracing diverse stories, and collaborating with new artists and communities. As Ruth De Souza states in ‘The Relationship is the Project: A Guide to working with Communities’, historically (and in my recent experience) attempts to include 'others' have often been superficial, and lacking in structural change (Lillie, J et al, 2024: 19). My goal was and is to move beyond these paternalistic approaches to genuinely enrich the theatrical landscape.

Over many years, I explored numerous successful Australian programs and companies that effectively engage with and serve their communities or create community engaged/led theatre works (outlined in detail in Appendix 2). Leaders within these organisations highlighted the critical importance of sustained and genuine community engagement over extended periods. However, the varied needs and outcomes specific to each community and company meant that operational frameworks were organisationally specific. Consequently, this diversity of approaches precluded the existence of a one-size-fits-all model that could be readily applied in, for instance, a major theatre company setting.

My experience within Australia left me grappling with several critical inquiries:

• Is there a replicable one-size-fits-all model that could be effectively implemented within a major arts organisation?

• What are the hallmarks of best practice in generating outstanding community-led or engaged projects within professional arenas?

• How can major arts institutions more effectively foreground community or civic engagement in their operational ethos and the selection of works they present?

• Are there counterparts globally who are committed to crafting the kind of theatre I dream of? Specifically, is exemplary community-engaged work being conducted within professional settings under the auspices of dedicated departments in major arts organisations?

• Could an international paradigm be adopted by our leading theatre companies to enshrine community engagement at the heart of their operational and creative ethos?

These questions emanate from an earnest ambition to identify and, potentially, import pioneering approaches that could redefine the way major theatre companies interact with and mirror their communities. My goal is to catalyse a richer, more inclusive cultural discourse that truly resonates with and reflects the diversity and complexity of our society.

The Plan

“How do we effectively demonstrate that everyone depends, for the quality of their lives, on art and artists? How do we demonstrate that the edgiest of art, the stuff some fear, eventually fetches up all over and inside the kinds of things they encounter every day coming at them unbidden?”

Robyn Archer, 2012 Currency House Breakfast address (Jackson, D, 2015: 75).

The objective of my Churchill Fellowship entailed conducting an in-depth analysis of the strategies employed by large and small professional theatre companies in the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and Brazil, particularly their approaches to forging connections with local communities for the co-production of professional, large-scale theatrical productions.

My primary goal was to understand how these international main stage companies successfully surmounted challenges to collaboratively create and stage significant theatrical works with communities. My research aimed to uncover the methods these companies utilise to build, redefine, and sustain their engagement with communities that face barriers to accessing professional theatre.

Initial consultations with peers and preliminary research directed my attention to several notable companies and programs in the UK and the US. These highlighted organisations (outlined in the itinerary) were bridging the gap between amateur and professional theatre, creating artistically remarkable community/public theatre events in mainstream venues. Additionally, I discovered smaller theatre companies making exciting innovations and presenting work that was making significant impact and ripple effects in their industries.

Eager to broaden my perspective beyond familiar cultural contexts, I aimed to delve into the theatrical landscape of Brazil, a nation whose theatrical traditions are deeply rooted in distinct historical and cultural foundations. I was especially drawn to the influence of the Theatre of the Oppressed , a participatory theatre methodology devised by Brazilian dramatist Augusto Boal to facilitate social and political transformation. Nonetheless, after discussions with colleagues well-connected in Brazil, I was persuaded to redirect my focus to Chile. The choice was influenced not only by Chile's vibrant social activism scene, shaped profoundly by the Theatre of the Oppressed, but also by the opportunity to attend Platea24. This theatre conference, aimed at connecting Chilean theatre companies with global presenters, offered an unparalleled platform for networking, collaboration, and exposure to innovative works.

In each of these countries, my investigation focused on several key areas of inquiry:

• What specific projects and initiatives were these cultural institutions undertaking, and what did these endeavours entail?

• Who were the individuals leading the community engagement efforts, and who was responsible for implementing change?

• How were these organizations addressing and challenging entrenched institutional power dynamics?

• In what manner were communities invited to participate in the process, what benefits did they derive from it, and how did the organisations assess the value of these initiatives?

• Were there notable transformations within the communities that engaged with these programs?

• Did the implementation of these programs precipitate significant changes within the theatre companies themselves?

• Are there existing models for engaging with community in professional settings, from which we can draw inspiration to enhance our methodologies in Australia?

My hope was to discover a theatre company or programs within established companies capable of engaging with individuals (both amateur and professional) possessing complex identities, shaped by distinct social and political factors. Such an institution would actively strive to dismantle systemic inequalities and promote equity by eliminating barriers and implementing fair policies and practices. It would ensure that decision-making processes could encompass the perspectives and voices of individuals from a diverse array of backgrounds. This institution would also demonstrate inclusive representation at all levels, from leadership to staff to stakeholders, mirroring the diversity of the community/ies it aims to serve. Committed to ongoing education on social justice issues, it would listen to marginalised voices and remain open to adapting its practices based on new insights and community feedback. Furthermore, it would tailor its programs and services to meet the varied needs of the community, acknowledging how different identities may influence individuals' access to resources and opportunities. Did a company like this exist? And if it did, could we copy that?