New Work Playground FotUnseen 2025 Banner.png

As part of Festival of the Unseen 2025

New Work Playground

Saturday 2 March 2025

Antipodes HQ, South Melbourne

Doors open 10:30am, 11am start

Entry: Free

Following the success of our monthly AMTAC Hatch Lab Sessions focusing on musical theatre projects, the New Work Playground is a new initiative expanding to include all types of text-based theatrical projects. Three projects will be chosen to present excerpts from new works in progress to gain feedback and insight from working industry professionals and peers.

Come witness project's in ongoing development while fostering a collaborative, creative, inspiring and supportive community. Alongside the producers, panellists THERÈSA BORG (she/her) & MICHELE LEE (she/her) will share their insights, offer feedback and open up the space for discussion.

What to expect:

After welcoming all attendees, the three projects have an total of 50 minutes each to briefly introduce their piece, present 15 minutes of consecutive material and then receive feedback - starting with the panel and then opening up to the other attendees. There will be a 10 minute break between each projects. Snacks and refreshments are also provided.

These sessions are free to attend for anyone who wants to sit in, observe, support and learn.

Project EOIs are due Friday January 31st 5pm AEDT.

SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT HERE

APPLY TO BE A READER HERE

Guest Panellists: THERÈSA BORG (she/her) & MICHELE LEE (she/her)

Writers: TBA

Producers and Facilitators: CAMERON STEENS (they/them), BRANDON PAPE (he/him) & ASHLEY TAYLOR TICKELL (she/her)

Biographies are available below.

Meet the Guest Panellists & Writers

Therèsa Borg

She/Her
GUEST PANELLIST
Therèsa is a director, writer and performer with a long history across commercial and subsidised sectors. Her credits including directing Sweeney Todd, Titanic and The Light in the Piazza along with multiple family shows she wrote and directed for global presentation on mainstages and arenas around the world. Most recently she worked on GWB’s Death of a Salesman as Associate to Neil Armfield and directed a new play by Paul Mitchell at La Mama. She is passionate about the development of new Australian plays and musicals.
Michele Lee

She/Her
GUEST PANELLIST
Michele Lee is a multiple award-winning Hmong-Australian writer for stage, screen, audio, live art and digital games. Across her work, she aims to centre the stories of those historically on the margins—women, people of colour, poor people and working-class people, and people from my community, the Hmong. She has made work as an independent artist, in collaboration with festivals, and commissioned and licensed by mainstage companies. Her work is generally narrative-led and often comedic.

Meet the Producers

Cameron Steens

They/Them
NEW WORK MANAGER & LEAD PRODUCER
A Naarm based multidisciplinary theatre maker, WAAPA graduate and all-round creative. As Antipodes’ New Work Manager, they've produced numerous developments and networking programs (including Winter Labs 2020 - present, Festival of the Unseen 2023) in addition to the premiere of Orlando, Antipodes' first production originating from the Winter Lab. Other credits include: This is Living (Assoc Director, Gavin Roach), Guys & Dolls (Production Manager, Antipodes), Protein (Assist Director & Sound Design, Autonomous Inventions), MIMMA (dir. Adam Mitchell), JTC’s RENT (dir. Mark Taylor) & BSSTC’s Assassins (dir. Roger Hodgman). www.cameronsteens.com
Brandon Pape

He/Him
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CO-PRODUCER
Brandon is the Founding Artistic Director for Antipodes Theatre Company, where he directed Ghost Quartet (two 2020 Green Room Award Nominations, return seasons in 2021 and upcoming Sydney season in 2025) and co-directed with Trudy Dunn their immersive reimagining of Guys and Dolls (thirteen 2024 Green Room Award nominations). Other Antipodes credits include Sam I Am, And She Would Stand Like This, Passing Strange (five 2023 Green Room Award Nominations), Orlando, and the Winter Lab - an annual development program for new work and bold ideas.
Ashley Taylor Tickell

She/Her
CO-PRODUCER
Ashley is the Director and Co-Founder of Melbourne based theatre company Salty Theatre and is an Associate Producer with Vass Productions. She has 30 years of experience across the theatre, television and film sectors, both on stage and screen and off. Her work has been seen and heard in Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia, first as a performer before transitioning into the roles of producer and director.