Anomalies is a production that will be showcased at the inaugural New Works Festival, running from September 20th to October 5th at the Old Fitz Theatre.

Anomalies is a world premiere and my debut work. I developed the piece as a challenge to the contradictions and demands of exploitation that historically excluded artists must adhere to. Instead, I flip the power dynamic, introducing audiences to the three descendants of Earth's billionaires facing the contradictions of their existence. By staging this work, I hope to spark meaningful conversations about our moral identities as Australians, inspire other theatres to embrace diverse voices entirely and without consequence, and show other underrepresented artists that they can pave the path to their artistic careers.

We are a team of community-focused artists who are First Nations, disabled, LGBTQIA+, people of colour, women, and from low socio-economic backgrounds. I believe we are a collective of artists with the wealth of experience and expertise needed to creating inclusive, intentional, and impactful theatre. The opportunity to premiere Anomalies at the Old Fitz is exceptional, but it is important to us to overcome as many access barriers that our venue, which is a 150-year-old building, poses to welcome as many audiences and our communities as possible.

I hope to transform our venue into an active community space by hosting community nights, Auslan-interpreted performances, and audio descriptive performances. We have found our fundraising efforts won't be able to cover many associated costs, so this incredible grant will be used to pay for the two Auslan interpreters and contribute to the development of the audio descriptive script.

Anomalies is set to be a vibrant contribution to the Sydney theatre scene, the Australian linguistic canon, and our wider communities that often find themselves underrepresented in traditional theatre spaces. The local community will ultimately benefit from having access to a transformed landmark venue as an active community space. Our audiences will gain exposure to new, diverse perspectives, fostering greater understanding and empathy. Additionally, we are committed to ensuring that our productions are accessible to all, thereby including and empowering the diverse communities in Sydney.