Backbone Ensemble IS FOCUSED ON EXTENDING the PERFORMANCE MAKING SKILLS, AND ENSEMBLE-BASED PRACTICE of young artists aged 18 - 30.

Backbone Ensemble is for artists from any background or discipline who want to train, collaborate and develop their performance making practice.

Led by Stephen Quinn and Fen Carter, this immersive 30-week program features skill-building workshops, a dedicated devising period, and a performance outcome at Backbone Festival 2024.

This is an opportunity to deep-dive into your performance skills, to learn about collaborative practice, and develop networks.

This is an audition-based process. Check out the full details below!

THE FULL DETAILS

WHERE: Seven Hills Hub - 28 Tallowwood Street, Seven Hills 4170

There is free parking on site and numerous nearby bus stops (Agnew Rd. & Kensington Ave.).

WHEN: Once a week on Tuesday’s from April 16th - November 5th.

There will be additional times scheduled around the Backbone Festival performance outcome, in consultation with the ensemble. Backbone Festival will run during the weekends from October 11th - October 26th 2024.

WHO: Backbone Ensemble is open to artists aged 18 - 30 across any art form/discipline.

COST: The cost of participation in Backbone Ensemble is $300.

Payment plans, scholarships and half scholarships are available. However please note that by accepting a place in the ensemble, you are committing to the full program and as such full payment is expected regardless of attendance.

Applications Open: Wednesday 6th March 2024
Applications Close: 5:00pm on Tuesday 2nd April 2024

All applicants will be invited to audition and the final participants will be selected from a group audition.

To audition for Backbone Ensemble please follow these steps:

• STEP ONE complete the registration form.

• STEP TWO attend the audition session on Tuesday 9th April 6:00pm.

• STEP THREE outcomes will be sent to everyone by Friday 12th April 2024.
  

What to prepare for your audition:

You will need to prepare two small pieces.

1. A short monologue from a writer other than yourself of no more than 2 minutes.

2. Something else you want to share - a talent, a skill, a trick. It can be in any form and from any artistic discipline. In the past we’ve heard poems, seen showreels and scenes from short films, looked at folios of artwork, juggle, do bar flair, dance, perform limericks, share food they cooked and occasionally choose to just do another contrasting monologue - this is about sharing part of yourself and letting us get an idea of what you are about. Again the time limit is two minutes.

The audition sessions will also involve group activities and a short information session and will run for approximately two hours (depending on participant numbers).

THE FACILITATORS

Stephen Quinn

Stephen Quinn is a maker of many things. By taking a highly visual approach, Quinn is known for creating vibrant and visceral works of theatre, installation & performance. From 2013 to 2017 Quinn was an associate artist of The Danger Ensemble, devising, performing and associate directing across their works. As an associate artist, Quinn trained extensively in the Suzuki Method of Acting Training, devoured knowledge about contemporary theatre, and experimented with the symbiotic relationship between text & design. He has also performed for numerous independent directors including: Nick Cave - Heard (GOMA 2016); Jo Loth - Julius Caesar (Jo Loth Productions 2016 & 2017); and Younes Bachir - BaBeL (Backbone Festival: How Soon Is Now 2018).

Quinn's self created performative works includes: Yellow (Brisbane Emerging Arts Festival 2013 & 2High Festival 2015); Icarus (Anywhere Theatre Festival 2015); Sisyphus (2High Festival 2016); and The Gods are Bored (Backbone Festival: How Soon is Now 2018). In recent years, Quinn has evolved his work with installations into set & costume design. In 2020 he designed a new musical by Sampson Smith & Jermey Neale, Absolute Objectivity; in 2021 he set dressed Chelsea McGuffin & Co's outdoor circus premier, Hysteria; and in 2022 he designed the set for Sarah Stafford’s Matilda Award Nominated show, Again, You Have Trusted Me.

Fen Carter

Fen Carter is a queer writer, performer and facilitator from Meanjin. They have many irons in the fire across the artist industry, and their credits include: the Backbone Ensemble's Plus One (2019) as writer/performer; Vena Cava's devised Mainhouse 2 Witness (2019) as facilitator and A Simple Little Knot (2022) with Flaming Carnations at Brisbane Fringe as performer. In 2023, they participated in Playlab's Incubator program, and was a recipient of a Backbone HUB residency where they were able to develop their show An Asexual's Guide to Love and Sex. The latter is planning to be staged in 2024, as well as a staged reading of their first full-length playscript, The Cane, through Observatory Theatre.

GUEST FACILITATORS

Lucas Stibbard

LUCAS STIBBARD makes theatre and performance work as a performer, director, writer, dramaturg, designer, producer and teaching artist. His work with The Escapists, a multi-disciplinary collective he co-founded, has included co-writing, co-directing, producing and performing in the critically acclaimed, multi-award winning ‘boy girl wall’ (Helpmann Award nomination - best actor) which is currently part of the QLD Senior Drama Syllabus and has been part of the same in Victoria. He has taught at QUT, USQ, Griffith and NIDA Open and delivered thousands of in-school workshops, incursions and residencies as a freelance arts worker, the ex-senior producer for youth and education at Backbone Youth Arts and for QT, Shake & Stir and La Boite. He is currently a producer for Common People Dance Project and a Community Development Officer for Young People with local government. As an actor Lucas has toured nationally and internationally and worked for QT, La Boite, MTC, STCSA, Windmill, Punchdrunk/Imaginary and Bell Shakespeare - his practice places emphasis on Imagination, Theatricality, Community, Collaborativity, Creativity and The Joy of Play.

Tessa Rixon

Tessa Rixon is a designer and educator in performance design, technology, and sustainability. As a Senior Lecturer in the School of Creative Practice at Queensland University of Technology, Tessa has extensive experience in performance design training, and has presented her research into sustainable approaches to performance design at numerous international events.

Chelsea McGuffin

Chelsea, originally from Canberra, discovered her love for performing through ballet at a young age. After training at The National Capital Ballet School and majoring in Dance at The Centre for Performing Arts in Adelaide, Chelsea moved to Sydney where she began working with Sally Forth (Australian Dance Theatre and Circus Oz).  Here she explored the relationship between circus and dance, discovering her interest in circus and its potential to incorporate dance technique. This led to circus training, where time was spent at the Fruit Fly Circus School, the Moscow State Circus School and master classes in clowning with Angela Decastro. She went on to work with Tony’s Imaginary Circus, Queensland Theatre Company and Rock N Roll Circus. Here she spent nine years working alongside Director Yaron Lifschitz where Chelsea was part of recreating the company re-named as CIRCA Contemporary Circus. 

In 2008, Chelsea co-founded Circus Company 2 (CC2), known for groundbreaking productions like Cantina and Scotch & Soda. Under her leadership, CC2 evolved into Chelsea McGuffin & Co., producing acclaimed works such as Kaleidoscope and Wunderage. She has travelled all over the world performing her works at venues such as, Brisbane Powerhouse, Judith Wright Centre, HOTA, Sydney Opera House, London Roundhouse and the Chameleon Theatre.

Alex Macdonald

Alex Macdonald is a Meanjin based dramaturg with more than 10 years experience working alongside both established and emerging artists, writers, and creative teams. While Alex's main interest rests with new work play development, it also has experience with installation pieces, immersive experiences, and site-specific works. 

Alex presents a practical and reflexive approach to dramaturgical practice, with a key focus on artistic intention, continuous development, and experimentation.

+ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

PAST BACKBONE ENSEMBLE WORKS