2021 Artistic Directors' Report
Mudlark Theatre
AGM 15 February 2022
Artistic Report.
2021 has been another huge year of challenges and growth for Mudlark. And what seems to becoming one of our trademarks of late, we calmly responded to set back, over came them and rose from them.
Thanks to an extraordinary effort from the company, not only has 2021 has seen Mudlark retain annual organisational funding, but we have increased our Arts Tasmania funding by 150%. We have moved into the strongest supported position of the three main traditional theatre companies and are in a great position leading up to the changing arrangement for multi-year funding beginning in 2024.
2021 saw the rebirth (and reimagining) of Caravan Boat Treehouse in March. We played to appreciative audiences in Burnie and in Launceston with the play receiving three nominations for the Tasmanian Theatre Awards. Best performer – Fiontan, Best Ensemble, and the award that Mudlark should be most proud of Outstanding New Writing. The play though profit share in the end, in many ways bookended the pandemic shutdown for us, and was a wonderful return to full length theatre.
We held a slightly less successful creative development for our intended October show Summerland, and unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to pull the show. Leaving us with a big hole in our program. We rallied and pulled from the too hard pile the wonderful script (again by Steph Briarwood) Jingled, and set about delivering a 20 hander in a shop.
Jingled was a huge success, selling out most shows, and receiving great praise from the junction arts festival for our reinvention of space, and our community engagement on the project. Artists were renumerated based on the numbers of hours they were required to rehearse and was an entirely positive experience to be involved with. Thank you to our director Megan for taking on the huge challenge at late notice, your leadership was brilliant.
We undertook, with some touch and go border restrictions, the creative development of Girl Running, Boy Falling in December. It was a fantastic week, led by Chrissie Best and a crack team of performers. Kate Gaul and Peter Matheson made in down from day 2 when the border officially reopened and the sheer amount of interrogation of the script was impressive 5 drafts later with have a rehearsal draft for the show. I will share with you the short documentary styled clip we created from the week shortly. Casting is complete and designers are in place and we are looking forward to the creation of this very important new Tasmanian work.
One day returned, and celebrated coming of age stories. It remains a staple on the Launceston arts calendar and featured numerous first time makers.
There are still some ways to go for the company but the future is looking bright. I am excited to see the position we are in creatively and financially going into 2022, and I welcome the exciting opportunities ahead of us when we take on new staff in April and as we tick of one of our 2024 strategic goals, in taking up residence in our new home at Assembly 197.
Cheyne Mitchell
Artistic Director
Mudlark Theatre
AGM 15 February 2022
Artistic Report.
2021 has been another huge year of challenges and growth for Mudlark. And what seems to becoming one of our trademarks of late, we calmly responded to set back, over came them and rose from them.
Thanks to an extraordinary effort from the company, not only has 2021 has seen Mudlark retain annual organisational funding, but we have increased our Arts Tasmania funding by 150%. We have moved into the strongest supported position of the three main traditional theatre companies and are in a great position leading up to the changing arrangement for multi-year funding beginning in 2024.
2021 saw the rebirth (and reimagining) of Caravan Boat Treehouse in March. We played to appreciative audiences in Burnie and in Launceston with the play receiving three nominations for the Tasmanian Theatre Awards. Best performer – Fiontan, Best Ensemble, and the award that Mudlark should be most proud of Outstanding New Writing. The play though profit share in the end, in many ways bookended the pandemic shutdown for us, and was a wonderful return to full length theatre.
We held a slightly less successful creative development for our intended October show Summerland, and unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to pull the show. Leaving us with a big hole in our program. We rallied and pulled from the too hard pile the wonderful script (again by Steph Briarwood) Jingled, and set about delivering a 20 hander in a shop.
Jingled was a huge success, selling out most shows, and receiving great praise from the junction arts festival for our reinvention of space, and our community engagement on the project. Artists were renumerated based on the numbers of hours they were required to rehearse and was an entirely positive experience to be involved with. Thank you to our director Megan for taking on the huge challenge at late notice, your leadership was brilliant.
We undertook, with some touch and go border restrictions, the creative development of Girl Running, Boy Falling in December. It was a fantastic week, led by Chrissie Best and a crack team of performers. Kate Gaul and Peter Matheson made in down from day 2 when the border officially reopened and the sheer amount of interrogation of the script was impressive 5 drafts later with have a rehearsal draft for the show. I will share with you the short documentary styled clip we created from the week shortly. Casting is complete and designers are in place and we are looking forward to the creation of this very important new Tasmanian work.
One day returned, and celebrated coming of age stories. It remains a staple on the Launceston arts calendar and featured numerous first time makers.
There are still some ways to go for the company but the future is looking bright. I am excited to see the position we are in creatively and financially going into 2022, and I welcome the exciting opportunities ahead of us when we take on new staff in April and as we tick of one of our 2024 strategic goals, in taking up residence in our new home at Assembly 197.
Cheyne Mitchell
Artistic Director
