2026 ARTIST RESIDENCIES
A DEDICATED SPACE FOR ARTIST-LED DEVELOPMENT
These artist-led residencies provide opportunities for creators of new work to explore, play, and experiment in a dedicated work space for one- or two-week residencies throughout the year.
Antipodes HQ - 123A Thistlethwaite St, South Melbourne
Residencies include access to space and equipment in-kind (no artist or hire fees are included as part of residencies). Antipodes work with Lead Artists to establish the best schedule for the residency based on venue and artist availability. Lead Artists will be inducted to access and close the work space on their own.
2026 LEAD ARTISTS & PROJECTS
ICARUS AND THE MINOTAUR by SARAH HARTNELL (he/she/they)
MUCK UP DAY by INDRA LIYANAARACHCHI (he/him)
THE WAVE by JAYDE KIRCHERT (she/her) & ERIN MCKELLAR (she/her)
June 8th - 19th: MUCK UP DAY by INDRA LIYANAARACHCHI (he/him)
In their final week of school, five students at St Mary’s Christian College prepare to face the rest of their lives. As a reckless plan begins to unfold, these kids will learn that choices have consequences, and while their frontal lobes start to kick in so does reality.
July 4th - 26th: THE WAVE by JAYDE KIRCHERT (she/her) & ERIN MCKELLAR (she/her)
A heatwave. A high-needs cat. A relationship on the brink. The Wave is a sung-through comedy about love, climate chaos and finding the courage to choose your own future.
July 13th - 25th: ICARUS AND THE MINOTAUR by SARAH HARTNELL (he/she/they)
When Icarus lands in the centre of the Minotaur’s labyrinth, he expects to find a monster. Instead he meets a lonely boy with the head of a bull, who plants flowers, befriends birds, and saves him.
Meet the 2026 Residency Lead Artists
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Indra Liyanaarachchi
He/Him
JUNE RESIDENCY - MUCK UP DAY
Raised in Naarm/Melbourne, Indra Liyanaarachchi is a proud Australian-Sri Lankan actor and writer. Indra was exposed to the performing arts at a young age through his cultural practise with the Sri Lankan Theatre Group Melbourne. He continued his education at Beaconhills College under a Theatre and Drama Scholarship. In 2025 Indra completed his BFA in Acting at the Victorian College of the Arts. During his time at The VCA, Indra was the recipient of the Lionel Gell (2024) and Irene Mitchell (2024) Award Scholarships for Excellence.
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Sarah Hartnell
He/She/They
JULY RESIDENCY - ICARUS AND THE MINOTAUR
Sarah Hartnell is a theatre-maker, performer, and director with a passion for collaborative, new, and physically embodied work. His multi-disciplinary approach spans youth work, regional engagement, immersive work, and devised theatre. As a queer and neurodivergent artist, she has a particular interest in using theatre as a tool for compassion, showcasing undertold histories and underrepresented communities. Sarah runs regular community theatre workshops with a focus on social connection and providing a creative third place for young people.
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Jayde Kirchert
She/Her
JULY RESIDENCY - THE WAVE
Dr. Jayde Kirchert is a writer, director, dramaturge and academic, focusing on feminist theatre and music theatre. In addition to being director and dramaturge for many new Australian works, she has directed and written multiple critically acclaimed and award nominated productions through her company, Citizen Theatre. From the University of Melbourne she holds a Bachelor of Music Theatre, Post Graduate Diploma of Arts (Anthropology) and a PhD, during which she wrote a new musical and explored feminist dramaturgies in music theatre. Her research concerning feminist strategies for musical writing will be featured in Contemporary Feminisms in Musical Theatre (forthcoming).
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Erin McKellar
She/Her
JULY RESIDENCY - THE WAVE
Dr. Erin McKellar is an award-winning Australian composer, performer, and artist- researcher working at the intersection of music theatre, documentary storytelling, and audience impact. A recipient of the Helpmann Academy Award for Voice and a two-time DownBeat Award winner, she holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her research into documentary music theatre and gendered musical representation has been presented internationally and is forthcoming in a new book, Contemporary Feminisms in Musical Theatre.
All submissions are given the opportunity to have their work reviewed by the Antipodes Team.
Artistic Director: BRANDON PAPE (he/him)
New Work Manager: CAMERON STEENS (they/them)
Meet the Antipodes Team
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Brandon Pape
He/Him
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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 (Meat Market Stables) and 2025 (Hayes Theatre) 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.
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Cameron Steens
They/Them
NEW WORK MANAGER
A queer, neurodivergent theatre maker based in Naarm, originally from Boorloo. A WAAPA Music Theatre graduate, they work as a creative producer, director and performer. Antipodes’ New Work & Marketing Manager and a Producer on numerous developments including the Winter Labs, Death to a Butterfly, Silver Tongue, Little Squirt (prev. Spunk Daddy), the premieres of Orlando, Storked ,月を見る夜 Moongazing, Back to Te Maunga, the Festival of the Unseen and the Hayes Theatre season of Ghost Quartet. Other credits include: The Last Sunday in June, MIMMA, James Terry’s RENT & BSSTC’s Assassins (Performer). AMTAC Sessions (Co-Producer), This is Living, Pops and If We Got Some More Cocaine… (Associate Director), Protein (Assist. Director & Sound Design) and Venue & Ticketing Coordinator (Gasworks Arts Park). www.cameronsteens.com