Chats with Creatives

This week Bronte Charlotte chats with Declan Furber Gillick, an Arrernte man from Central Australia. His practice spans writing, theatre, music, film, poetry, rap, community education, and mentoring. Declan was a writer-in-residence as part of the Melbourne Theatre Company's Next Stage Writers Program, and is the writer, producer and actor behind the Green Room Award winning production Bighouse Dreaming. We have a conversation about Declans journey into the arts, and how important collaboration and solidarity is for communal growth and connection. We dive into Declans varied writing and performance experiences, the success of Bighouse Dreaming, his new piece coming out at the MTC, his passion for rap and poetry getting him through Melbournes extended lockdown, and how deeply connected you can feel to people just by sharing and being vulnerable.

During this episode we discuss:

• [03:12] Declans journey into the arts, committing to the study of creativity, and coming from a background of storytellers
• [10:03] Brontes experience finding her voice after an extended time working with people who tore it away, building yourself back up with community, support, and creativity
• [15:33] Support solidarity and peer appreciation
• [16:43] Finding that creative obsession and the perks for writers working over zoom
• [18:50] Writing for commission and how the audience can inform your writing, MTC and how its supporting new work
• [21:48] Bighouse Dreaming, its journey, its story, its future, writing with awareness about your audience, healing from an intensely draining experience, resting well
• [33:05] Declan’s morning routine he has been following for the last 4 years, learning about yourself by observing your consistent practice
• [38:45] Experiencing creative joy working with collaborators, reading a scene and feeling it land, sharing stories, music, experiences and connection
• [44:06] 16 Bars Every Day for 16 Days, an instagram creative project Declan did through his rapping moniker, Knomad

RESOURCES

• Masters of Writing at the VCA
• Next Stage Writers Program at the MTC
• The Great Emu War by Declan Furber Gillick
• Bighouse Dreaming directed by Mark Wilson
• Jacky directed by Mark Wilson
• Cybec Electric at the MTC

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Declan Furber Gillick on Instagram @dfurbergillick 

This week Bronte Charlotte chats with Alex Ridefelt about the making of his one man show Protein, the Messy Musings of a Queer Vegan. Alex is the creative behind Autonomous Inventions, Post A New Musical, and Tied Up with Strings. In this episode we dive into the ever-present moral angst that we feel moving through the world in its current climate, being vegan, and the constant pressure we place on ourselves to be perfect at everything we do. We talk about the importance of being kind to ourselves, the difficulties we face in actively affirming our work and our art, and those microorganisms on our skin that dance when we touch dirt!

During this episode we discuss:

• [02:05] Finding new work in time where work is scarce, meeting each other for the first time, and reflecting on a previous episode with Salty Theatre
• [07:52] Alex’s journey into writing, his different works that led him to writing Protein, and the convenience of writing a one person show for remounting purposes and touring
• [12:25] Sustainable practices as an artist, connecting with others, knowing what you need to continue moving forward
• [15:19] The constant moral anguish of every day life, being queer, veganism, and how Protein touches on our own hypocrisies and all of the things that we ruminate about in the current climate of modern life
• [19:44] Getting on stage post lockdown, the making of Protein, how important seeing theatre has been post lockdown
• [24:25] Bronte’s upcoming show at Melbourne Fringe Festival Pieces of Shit, and the importance of communication and support within a creative partnership
• [26:53] Having an eclectic practice, learning to be kind to yourself, and understanding your fluctuations in creativity and how you function in the world
• [39:17] Autonomous Inventions’ why that drives Alex to create, and the joy in telling stories

RESOURCES

• Post A New Musical
• The MC Showroom
• Tied up with Strings developed through Hope New Works

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Alex Ridefelt on Instagram @autonomousinventions and @a.j.ridefelt

This week Bronte Charlotte chats with award winning playwright Kim Ho, the Asian-Australian creative who wrote the viral short film Language of Love. We chat about the internal battle of feeling like not having anything important to say, moving from writing with your brain to finding the heart and emotion of the story, and how creativity manifests differently for everyone during an experience like an extended lockdown. Kim talks about writing The Great Australian Play, his interest in Australian mythology and its inherent colonial heritage, how the conversation around representation in the arts covers up the deeper issues that racism presents, and the interconnectedness of individual struggles. 

During this episode we discuss:

• [02:22] Finding time to be in nature, the creative orbits that we float in, the benefits of meeting new people and broadening your circles
• [07:12] The Language of Love, Kim Ho’s viral short film he wrote in his final years of highschool with ATYP, working with Tommy Murphy, and being unexpectedly successful at a young age
• [09:45] Finding the emotional crux of your story, being an incredibly cerebral writer wanting to learn to write a more focused play, playing with form and finding your voice through training and study
• [15:05] Writing The Great Australian Play, and the foolhardy mission of searching for important and useful things to say about Australian mythology as a non-indigenous Australian
• [18:21] The pressure of writing under the name of Patrick White after receiving an award named for him, and the pressures we place on ourselves as writers to write ’important’ content
• [25:30] Writing a “G’day fantasia on national themes” delving into sovereignty, colonial Australian mythology and the way we valorise deceitful men
• [29:25] Holding a mirror up to our own ugliness, taking responsibility, removing our self-importance from our work, and the backbone of Australian literature being built off violence, myth and colonialism
• [33:17] Allowing yourself to have no creative impulses during periods of trauma, Kim’s experience transitioning from playwriting to screenwriting, and having a second adolescence playing video games.
• [46:00] How the industry and gate-keepers of the industry exclude Asian-Australian creatives and all non-anglo creatives, and the changes that companies and professionals are slowly making to celebrate diversity and cut down structural racism within the industry
• [48:33] How the discussion around representation in the arts has almost become a conversation that hides the deeper issues that racism presents
• [57:34] The joy of collaboration, creation and shared experiences

RESOURCES

• The Language of Love by Kim Ho
• Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP)

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Kim Ho on Instagram @maybekimho

This week Bronte Charlotte chats with actor Alex Donnelly, director & choreographer Miranda Middleton, & producer Ashley Taylor from Salty Theatre’s Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody. We delved into the behind the scenes and making of the show, how the three creatives all dealt with the show being postponed several times due to COVID restrictions, the changes in cast, coming in as a fresh director, who the show is for, & just how perfect the casting is! It is so clear that these creatives are so ready to get out there and show audiences this quirky, queer, magical world that they’ve been building since late 2019. Alex Donnelly is our Tom Riddle in this musical parody. Miranda Middleton is the director and choreographer who jumped on board just a few months ago. Ashley Taylor is one of the two who make up Salty Theatre, a production company that introduces fresh new works into the Australian arts community. 

During this episode we discuss:

• [02:37] Where the Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody originated, bringing the show to Australia, and COVID changes made.
• [07:03] Playing into the intimacy of the theatre and creating a more cabaret style performance, the benefits of the shifts in the performance requirements and things changing for the better.
• [09:06] Alex’s re-discovery of his love of Harry Potter, finding the characters through exploration, exaggeration and accepting that they were creating their own world.
• [11:34] A queering of classic characters, a declaration of unconditional support of the LGBTQIA community, and part of Salty Theatre’s mission being honouring the landscape of all humans in Australia and the world.
• [14:16] The audition process for Alex, being in a role that feels like it was made for you and you for it, the joy of feeling excited about performing and feeling so completely ready after such a long theatre void.
• [17:42] How the creatives kept energised throughout long COVID lockdowns and the show being postponed, the Hatch Lab Musical Theatre Residency Program, and celebrating coming back into the rehearsal room.
• [20:58] Building a new ensemble energy, Miranda becoming the director of the show during the Melbourne lockdown and while moving interstate.
• [23:54] Forging ahead when times get tough, finding the space for laughter and comedy, and knowing that what you do is important and can make a difference in people's lives.
• [31:12] Some of the most joyful moments in the show to look forward to, being transported to a whimsical, magical time of teenage years, insecurity, friendship and being a misfit.

Resources:

• Sponsors: Theatre Works & Aintree Group
• Hatch Lab Musical Theatre Residency Program

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date & follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine
Follow this week's guests on Instagram @saltytheatre @alexdonnelly1158 @mirandajanemiddleton @ashtaylortickell

Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.

In this episode Bronte Charlotte chats to Nick Clark, an ex-actor who made the choice to take a step back from the creative industries and study psychology. Nick speaks on the importance of non-judgment, empathy, different ways of defining yourself, finding joy every single day, and understanding human behaviour and mental health. We delve into the types of changes that need to happen within society to remove the stigma of mental health, our experiences of the Australian education system and where we truly believe it needs changing. We dig deep into Nicks’ transition out of acting, the moments that brought him to the decision, how his life has changed since, and the power of gardening. 

Content Warning: At moments we do mention suicide in relation to mental health, and talk pretty openly about our own experiences of anxiety and depression.

During this episode we discuss:

• [01:57] A wide vocabulary and its power, feminist young adult books, sexisim and women using alias’ to be respected as men are.
• [07:51] The shortcomings of the Australian education system, sexual health and queer education in schools, the discrepancy of education levels between public and private schools and between states in Australia.
• [16:10] Understanding addiction, suicide, and mental health, how equipping people with the tools to deal with whatever comes their way will always have a better outcome, and supporting those who need it in the way that they need it.
• [28:12] What drew Nick to the creative arts in the first place, the Launceston Competitions, and moving to Melbourne to study at the VCA.
• [35:01] Why Nick left the creative arts, expression and storytelling taking a back seat as human behaviour comes to the foreground.
• [41:34] The three experiences that pushed Nick to psychology over horticulture, the lack of skills/knowledge/money/time those in charge of a creative process have to properly support creatives through a high-stress experience.
• [47:59] The power structures that need to shift, the responsibility of those who put on a show needing to change, the all-encompassing experience of the performer and the far too common experience of not being taken seriously.
• [53:30] Stepping out of the circle of theatre and suddenly being able to vocalise the political issues within the circle.
• [57:11] The stigma of leaving your creative profession, the idea of ‘failure’ or ‘giving up,’ and others forcing their opinions onto you.
• [1:05:54] Creating a robust sense of who you are, filling your day with joy if you face a hardship, and being content with every single part of your journey because you are exactly where you are because you are meant to be.
• [1:09:35] The concept of ‘Self,’ of not defining who you are by what you do, of being okay with your actions in a day and letting that be your personal measure of success.
• [1:14:32] Creativity synthesising into other parts of Nick’s’ life, gardening, cooking and studying being their own outlets, finding what truly satisfies him.
• [1:17:08] Lighting designing and operating for Stock Take: Bitches in Business by The Daughters Collective and Poopie Tum Tums by Hot Department.

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives
Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine
Follow this week's guest Nick Clark on Instagram @mrnickclark

In this episode Bronte Charlotte chats to Lou Wall, multi-award winning comedian, composer and writer. They are the winner of Melbourne Fringe’s Best Cabaret 2020, best Emerging Ensemble 2019, and Best Emerging Artist 2018, and have several nominations to their name. We chat about the power of comedy and Lou’s experience transitioning stage to screen since the Coronavirus impacted theatres and the creative arts. We talk a lot about mental health and the pressure of being funny, continuing to fuel yourself with those things that bring you joy while also taking time to distance yourself from the work. We chat about actively making the work that you want to see, creating roles for yourself, and working with creative partners.

During this episode we discuss:

• [02:56] Our collective wellbeing at times of crisis, Lou discovering their comedic talent at a workshop in year 12, having the confidence to create their own shows and not overthinking things.
• [09:13] Lousical the Musical, adapting to the screen for Melbourne Fringe Festival during Melbourne’s Stage 4 lockdown, and the liberation from the confinements of stage.
• [12:44] Working and devising with Jean Tong and why the two of them are such incredible creative partners.
• [14:08] Lou’s two goals in every piece they make, keeping a little of yourself for yourself, allowing mental health content to be real and normal and accessible, not over exaggerated and dramatic.
• [17:57] Using comedy as a tool to connect, deal with tragedy, and release stress and pain.
• [19:35] Making the work that you want to see, funding your own shows, how social media can impact your perceptions of your success, ‘social media depression’ and becoming addicted to the screen.
• [26:19] Being limitless in what you create, the excitement of collaborating with other artists, and the freedom of making an online show without having to perform every night.
• [30:01] Perfectionism and how it manifests differently for different people, still writing a show right up until walking on stage, setting goals to challenge your creative habits.
• [34:23] Dealing with the level of personal criticism you receive on the spot as a performer, feeling low being completely okay, and recognising that it’s not healthy to be constantly evaluated.
• [36:21] Distancing yourself from the work, fueling yourself with stuff that makes you excited, finding what you are truly interested in and not allowing others to make that decision for you.
• [38:54] Being able to recognise and appreciate your personal efforts and successes, working with Liam McGuire on his show Wrath, reflecting on how you run spaces and experiencing other rooms.

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Lou Wall on Instagram @thelouwall

In this episode Katie and Michelle chat with Bronte Charlotte about the making of the show Grand Gesture. We delve into the concept, how it all began, different moments in the rehearsal room that built the show, working with Kat Cornwell & Morgan Rose of The People Theatre Company, getting back into performing after the long silence that was Melbourne’s COVID lockdown, and how romantic comedies influence us and the way that we perceive relationships and love. You can catch Michelle and Katie with the rest of their gorgeous cast in Grand Gesture when it opens on Tuesday the 9th Jan at La Mama in Carlton. It runs until the 21st as a double bill for La Mamas Love Fest and will be opening the gorgeous theatre after Melbournes lockdown. It has almost been a year since we had shows at LaMama so please come along and support local theatre, local artists, new work and good art!

During this episode we discuss:

• [02:59] Where the idea for Grand Gesture came from, the stories that we are fed by romantic comedies and how they influence our life.
• [06:10] Working as an ensemble, the conversations the ensemble had about their experiences with love, romantic comedies being a type of  flawed “guide for life,” building the structure by using a tool called the “playground” and long form improvisations
• [12:02] Moving through difficult choices, constant open communication, learning that nothing is personal and each choice is being made for the betterment of the overall piece.
• [15:37] Working with two female identifying directors, the male gaze, how romantic comedies are generally made from a male’s perspective, lessons from Sex and the City, and the ways that we are taught to think about romance
• [20:52] The moments that informed the style of the show, Director-a-day rotating roles throughout rehearsals, finding your voice as a theatre maker.
• [24:58] Who Grand Gesture is for, why is it we immediately think romantic comedies are only for women, how heart warming it is to have non-theatre-goers come to the theatre and seem truly engaged and affected.
• [28:45] Getting back in your body after 9 months in lockdown, how COVID has affected artists as they were legally forced to not do their trade
• [31:52] Answering an essential question for the show, the question that Grand Gesture investigates, how art can make you reflect on your perceptions of the world.
• [36:14] Movies and TV shows that resist the usual representation of love, relationships, sexuality, gender
• [39:51] Grand Gesture as a great way to experience theatre for maybe the first time, re-shifting how we make romantic comedies and how we represent love as a society.

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Katie Rowe on Instagram @katierowey

Follow this week's guest Michelle McCowage on Instagram @michenaccomplished

In this episode Bronte Charlotte is joined by the incomparable Leith McPherson, a world-renowned voice and dialect coach, acting teacher, and sometimes-director. During this discussion we delve into Leith’s history training as an actor and moving to London to study her Postgraduate degree in Voice at Central School of Speech and Drama. We chat about prejudice, and how learned beliefs can impact an audience's perception of character, language, accent and realism. We chat about Task mode vs. Approval mode, it’s life changing effects on both mental health and perceptions of the world around you

 During this episode we discuss:

• [02:18] Living in New Zealand for lockdown, and realising that even as an anxious human Leith has moved several times to different continents and started again from scratch, seeking the next exciting thing.
• [06:41] Growing up in Queensland, the beginning of Leith’s journey in the arts, knowing within herself that acting was not right for her and her temperament and her mental health and having to make the decision to cease acting.
• [10:48] Moving to London alone to study the Postgraduate Voice course at Central School of Speech and Drama, the best year of Leiths life to date.
• [14:43] The very first job Leith had lined up after graduation and how it all fell to pieces, the unnecessary pressure of Showcase and just how much it truly doesn’t define your career, persistence as a key ingredient to success, and giving yourself wholeheartedly to everything you do.
• [20:15] Leith’s crazy experience ‘interviewing’ for Once the Musical, and ending up running two 2 hour long accent workshops – IN ACCENT! How Leith snapped up her role as vocal coach for Melbourne’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the power of first impressions.
• [24:44] Mimicking voices as a kid, realising that people would think you were different if you changed your voice, how our idea of what places should sound like impacts the perception of audiences and enhances our continued programming by society.
• [35:56] Task Mode vs Approval Mode and how deeply it changed both of our lives, the impact our perceptions have on our mental health, and Leith’s observation of actors on set re-auditioning for the role they already have due to being in Approval Mode.
• [45:36] Bronte’s experience of switching into Task Mode, taking care of yourself and being kind to yourself because you are your own companion in life

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Leith McPherson on Twitter @leithmcp

In this episode Olivia Satchell and Bronte Charlotte chat about developing work from the ground up, arts fundraising,community development, the impact of theatre, and aligning your values with your collaborators. We delve into the Grief Trilogy, a trio of shows exploring vertical time, the relationships between women, and how these women can be changed from a single encounter in a public space. Liv explains her work in community development and her interest in finding pathways for artists to become less reliant upon government funding.

During this episode we discuss:

• [01:38] The loneliness of a global pandemic, how it changes your outlook on relationships and the quality time that you spend with people you love
• [07:04] A different way to apply for grants, using applications to fine tune your ideas and to truly reflect on what it is you are creating.
• [10:50] Livs experience working in arts development (fundraising) and the need for a new understanding of funding if the arts in Australia is to continue to grow
• [14:07] The origin story of Small & Loud, creating a safe space for facilitation, feedback, community and growth, and aligning your values with your collaborators before you begin a project
• [21:30] Creating a feedback loop for artists to build an understanding of how their work is being received at its very beginning stages, and the power of articulating your thoughts
• [26:53] Dinner and a Show, the ritual of sharing food and how it impacts a creative space, and the connection between those sharing in that experience
• [32:42] Livs journey into the theatre world, moving from performing to directing to developing and writing her first show
• [43:43] The beginnings of The Grief Trilogy, Toni Morrison’s impact on Liv’s work, and embracing vertical time
• [50:10] Integrity in the rehearsal process, and creating a space of respect and appreciation for each other's work
• [54:04] Writing from place, knowing the actors you're writing for, and Livs step-by-step rehearsal process for My Sister Feather.
• [59:24] Knowing when it's time to move on to the next project and the relationship between the very small and very epic
• [1:05:25] Honouring what people are bringing to the process and to the room, the bird & the worm, the pleasure of writing, and how important it is to be with those you love.

RESOURCES 

• Odin Theatre Company, the theatre company Liv was observing as the Pandemic hit
• Small & Loud, the Melbourne monthly development meet ups that Liv started in 2016
• National Young Writers Festival
• Leisa Shelton, the teacher who would start each lesson with a shared pot of tea
• My Name is Truda Vitz by Olivia Satchell, Somersault Theatre Company
• Olivia’s Theatre Company: The Voice In My Hands
  @thevoiceinmyhands
• The Grief Trilogy by Olivia Satchell

Chats with Creatives @chats.w.creatives
Bronte Charlotte @bronteandsunshine
Olivia Satchell @ojsatchell

In this episode Emily Goddard and Bronte Charlotte chat openly and honestly about the ups and downs of being actors, theatre makers, and generally empathetic humans. Emily talks about her life changing experience training overseas in Paris at Ecole Philippe Gaulier, discovering the joy in theatre, learning the multi-faceted Clown, creating her one woman show This Is Eden, and the impact such a strong, political, historical piece had, both on her own life and the lives of audience members. We delve into constantly being challenged and having to justify your creative path to those who don’t comprehend or understand how the arts can impact society, and an experience we had together in a poorly run workshop that is just one example of taking advantage of an actors willingness, vulnerability and openness.

During this episode we discuss:

• [03:39] Melbourne lockdown emotional recap (how can we even begin to articulate our lockdown experience?!) and theatres opening back up and leading the way into Melbourne’s  ‘COVID normal’
• [08:47] Emily’s journey into performing, discovering the pleasure of theatre, taking herself to Paris to study at Ecole Philippe Gaulier, coming out of drama school overseas to enter the Australian theatre industry, clowning, failing, fear, and laughing at yourself.
• [17:39] Training overseas, the isolation and freeing aspects of that, the absolute un-competitiveness of training with people from all over the world, and the difficulties of entering the industry after leaving Australia for a time.
• [20:53] How Bouffon influenced the making of This Is Eden, discovering the early history of female convicts in Australia, discovering and developing the play that has been successful for 5 years now.
• [28:16] The link between the transportation debate of the 1850s and our Asylum Seeker catastrophe, history repeating itself, Australian citizens’ lack of education around Australian history, and how audience responses have changed over the 5 years the show has been on.
• [36:22] How we met, inappropriate expectations for actors, separating ourselves from the job, and how fear creates stressful environments not conducive to creativity.
• [42:29] How can we feel valid in our choices as creatives when all around us people question if the arts are relevant, knowing that we are needed, making your own work 
• [50:00] Daily meditation, shaking out of lockdown energy, having space, downtime, and an ability to let go to create a sustainable practice

RESOURCES 

• Ecole Phillipe Gaulier
• This is Eden by Emily Goddard
• Cascades Female Prison
• Mess by Caroline Horton
• Susie Dee (Dir. This is Eden)
• Dione Zanotto at Performance Based Meditation - Find meditations on the arts wellbeing collective page
• Amy Carmody Yoga

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Emily Goddard @emmyjgoddard