jute theatre company annual report 2014

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JUTE Theatre Company Annual Report 2014

2"(Front page) Ryan Gibson and Veronica Brady in Delirium. Photo: Romy Photography. (This page) Leroy Parsons and Norah Bagiri in Proper Solid. Photo: Romy Photography.

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The JUTE Story 4

Vision & Goals 5

Our Reputation 6

Chair's Report 7

Artistic Director/CEO's Report 8

2014 Season

Propelled 11

Sentinel Chickens 13

Bastard Territory 15

Proper Solid 17

Delirium 19

2014 Development Program

2014 Actor/Director Development Program 22

Enter Stage Write 22

Developing Emerging Artists 23

2014 Events

Marketing Segmentation Workshop 25

JUTE Fundraising Event 25

Board and Staff 28

Donors 28

Key Volunteers 28

In-Kind Sponsors 28

Partners and Sponsors 29

Contents

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The JUTE Story JUTE came into being in 1992 when three passionate theatre makers living in Cairns met and the creative sparks began to fly. The three founding members of JUTE are Kathryn Ash, Suellen Maunder and Susan Prince. JUTE’s first production launched International Womens’ Day in March 1993 at the height of summer in the unairconditioned arts centre (shed!). The work was fiery, raw and unique in the region…..it was an instant success! Since then, the company has dedicated itself to carving out a niche for its work. Within the first two years JUTE began to focus on new work, both text based and devised, that told stories from our region. Designed in collaboration with regional writers, the Enter Stage Write script development program has been the creative heart of the company from which JUTE draws almost all of its productions. !

JUTE’s commitment to this region was confirmed when it lobbied and successfully gained $2.7m from the State Government (together with KickArts Contemporary Arts) to build their home that has now become the Centre of Contemporary Arts, a major infrastructure in our region, driven by two small arts organisations. Over two decades our theatre artists and audience have been part of an extraordinary outpouring of new Australian stories. JUTE is a unique company in the Australian theatre landscape through its high quality productions, depth and reach of development programs, artistic collaborations, and touring and networking of the regional theatre sector. We are excited by the possibilities for the next decade and the next....

Chris White, Tom Gardiner and Amelia Pegrum in Sentinel Chickens. Photo: Romy Photography.

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Vision • A world made richer through contemporary theatre!

Goals

• Create and produce exceptional contemporary Theatre • Demand excellence • Build new audiences • Boost the cultural vibrancy of Cairns • Cultivate productive relationships and partnerships • Boost long-term revenue streams to support core work

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Doug Robins in Propelled. Photo: Romy Photography.

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JUTE Theatre Company is a passionate, dynamic, savvy company which will not be satisfied until all new Australian stories have been told, all regional artists are provided with the support they deserve and our audience’s, and community’s appetite for challenging new Australian stories is met.

JUTE Theatre Company is an integral component of Far North Queensland and is a gateway to art and culture within the region. JUTE Theatre Company is a professional and proficient company who deliver. Nigel Hedgcock, Director Regional Services, Far North Queensland, Department for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander Affairs, February 2014

I am very proud to be a member of such a great company. I am really excited to see what we can do next. Victoria Cuda, JUTE Board Member, February 2014

It was a wonderful experience that put me back in touch with the reasons I write. Thank you very much. Tony Robertson, Playwright and Enter Stage Write Participant, February 2014

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Our Reputation JUTE’s proven ability, strong and clear artistic direction, and proven passion to support and ignite Australian theatre give the company the ability and imperative to punch above its weight with, to date, 67 new works produced, 33 tours and 8 published scripts.

I feel that if we want the wonderful pool of talent and experiences that Jute provides then we all need to support it Vanessa Allen, Audience Member, November 2014 A very well-earned 22nd. Happy Birthday to one of Australia's foremost regional theatre companies - up there with the best! Glyn Davies, Reviewer, November 2014 I owe so much to JUTE for so many amazing experiences this year Chris White, Actor, Sentinel Chickens, November 2014 Thank you for your vision and all the work that goes into realising it. I really appreciate the opportunities I’ve been given. Helen Ramoutsaki, Enter Stage Write Participant, November 2014 My life has been much enriched by what JUTE does. Samantha Morgan, Donor, November 2014

Benhur Helwend, Suellen Maunder and Kathryn Marquet in Bastard Territory. Photo: Ian Lawson

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Chair’s Report Gillian Townsend

Once again it is my privilege to present the JUTE Annual Report. It’s hard to believe that another year of JUTE awesomeness has passed. What a year it’s been – we are so proud of the works we have produced and developed and have enjoyed the amazing artists that are a part of JUTE. We have told some powerfully moving stories – from a myriad of personal and political perspectives. Most of all we hope we have inspired and moved each other and our audience. We were not without challenges this year – sometimes things come our way that we can’t influence, technical troubles, cyclones, funding cuts – nonetheless we continue on in the pursuit of a world made better through theatre. At this point I would like to thank the many people who make up JUTE. My fellow Board Members – thank you for your time inspiration, wisdom and passion.

Our volunteers – thank you for your dedication to our company and our vision. We could not do this without you. We hope you gain as much from your efforts as we do. Our staff team – who work with dedication and care and achieve huge amounts. The artists who drive the work – the heart and soul of our creative endeavour – thank you – you really do help us look at our lives and world differently. Our generous sponsors and donors – including iPi Group, Pacifica Chartered Accountants, Brian Tucker Accounting and too many individual donors to mention thank you for investing and believing in us. I would also like to acknowledge our absolute appreciation for the “in kind” sponsors from within our own community including Status Signs, Southern Cross Atrium Apartments, Cardzilla and As You Like It Hair & Beauty to name just a few of the many companies who altogether gave JUTE almost $190,000 of goods and services in 2014. And last but not least our thoroughly inspirational Artistic Director / CEO Suellen Maunder. Suellen you continue to make me believe that anything is possible. Thank you. Gill Townsend Board Chair!

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Artistic Director/CEO’s Report Suellen Maunder

!!!10 YEARS AT OUR HOME In the first 12 years of the company’s life, JUTE was homeless, reinventing itself in multiple performance spaces including the Civic Theatre, the Tanks Arts Centre, Graf’n’Arts Community Arts Centre, the back spaces of funky shops and literally ‘on the streets’ in site specific work. After successfully applying for $2.7m of Queensland Millenium Arts funding and developing the Centre of Contemporary Arts, JUTE took up residence in our new home in 2004. In 2014, having developed a consistent audience for new Australian work at The JUTE Theatre at the Centre, it was a joy to present our largest performance program of five new Australian plays, celebrating this milestone in our beautiful home. CREATIVE TEAMS Shepherding five creative teams through the five productions in 2014 was a delight. It adds up to an amazing 63 artists and production staff, swelling the ranks of JUTE for 5-7 weeks at a time. Each team has their own sensibility within the rehearsal room under diverse directorial leadership styles and each production team problem solves their way to a quality of set, costume, light and sound design that would sit proudly on any stage in the country. JUTE works with the tension between developing emerging artists within these teams and delivering a high quality of work to our audience. If the critical reviews and the audience and artist satisfaction surveys can be believed, we do this with a 95-98% approval (good to excellent) rating on our shows. Personally I could spend all day observing rehearsal rooms, the integrity with which the teams unpick the world created by the playwright, the skill they bring to analyse and interrogate the story and then put it all back together with clarity and style. The ongoing Enter Stage Write, script development program continued to uncover new writers and develop the skills of 18 new, emerging and established writers from this and 3 other regional centres in Australia.!

This is why we do what we do, uncover unique stories and characters so the audience can wrestle with the questions being asked by the work. I would like to thank all of the artists who took risks, exposed their vulnerabilities, pushed against the boundaries of the artform and delivered a level of excellence to be applauded – and it was! DIVERSITY JUTE has had its eye on developing stories from a diversity of storytellers and in 2014 this long-term focus began to reap rewards for our artists and our audiences. The unique story told by Doug Robins through the beautifully crafted script by Jane Modric, uncovered the semi-autobiographical story of a young man breaking through the limitations of his wheelchair and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The story was eye-opening, powerful, funny and incredibly uplifting, leaving the audience inspired and in awe of a great performance from a young man creating a magical dance of motorized wheelchair and theatrically heightened storytelling. Proper Solid by Steven Oliver was a great celebration of Indigenous family life and a peak into a future Australia with its first Aboriginal President. JUTE commissioned Steven to develop this ground-breaking comedy in 2012 and undertook creative developments to bring this work to the stage. The show attracted the largest Indigenous audience ever seen at the Centre of Contemporary Arts and this community took ownership of the work. It was such a joy to see such a positive Indigenous story on stage and to hear the Indigenous and non-Indigenous audience laughing and connecting to the work so strongly. Steven has since gone on to become the star of the outrageously successful comedy show Black Comedy. CO-PRODUCTIONS AND TOURING Over the years JUTE has often collaborated to develop and produce and tour work across the top between Darwin and Cairns. The co-production of Bastard Territory by Stephen Carleton between Knock-em-Down Theatre, Browns Mart Theatre in Darwin and JUTE Theatre Company was yet another successful collaboration. A big thank you to co-producers Browns Mart who took the lead producer role and also to Queensland Theatre Company who generously lent us rehearsal space and access to their wardrobe department, a great sharing of resources. This production explored Australia’s relationship with PNG, a history of colonization that is sometimes forgotten by contemporary Australia.

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DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS While development took a back seat to our major production program in 2014, JUTE still invested in 12 regional playwrights through the annual Enter Stage Write program facilitated by renowned dramaturg Peter Matheson and attracted over 30 directors, actors, playwrights and interested community observers to its year long Director/Actor development program facilitated by Dr. David Fenton. Like the script development program, the Director/Actor program provides a contemporary methodology around these disciplines and engenders a community of artists who have a common language around their artform. JUTE has developed a school of methodology and techniques that are particular to the development and production of new writer based work. COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS To be able to attract over 30 individuals to a year-long development program says worlds about the cultivation of the artform and the community of interest in this small regional centre. JUTE is unique in this country in the long-term development and engagement with its body of writers and theatre artists. But not all people who flow through the development programs go on to become professional practitioners. Many of them go back to their lives but become supporters, audiences and sponsors of JUTE. JUTE is a part of the fabric of this community, engaging with the business community, government departments, artists, minority groups and audiences. FUNDRAISING AND SPONSORSHIP I would like to thank fundraising professional, Greg Jensen, who immediately ‘got’ what JUTE had to offer to prospective donors and sponsors, and reignited the JUTE board of directors to persist with the challenge of fundraising. What has been most gratifying for me personally has been making relationships and inspiring potential supporters about JUTE’s worth. The responses have been extremely positive with $31,131 being raised in 2014 and three-year commitments being made by 2 donors.

It is clear that the level of resources required for a small regional company and busy Board to undertake consistent fundraising are significant and will not balance out until some major and long term gifts are secured and time will reveal the efficacy of such programs. In the meantime, JUTE now captures all of the in-kind support data and in 2014 recorded a staggering $177,760 in in-kind support. THE JUTE TEAM Every time we have visiting artists coming through the company they always comment on the friendly and efficient JUTE team. The most recent comment came from Los Angeles based Australian sound designer who has worked with many major production companies including the Arias and commented on how surprising it was to find a small company in the regions with such rigorous, efficient and friendly processes. Personally I would like to thank each of the JUTE team for their dedication, smarts, energy and efficiency in undertaking their work. It’s not always smooth sailing but the team combine a great work ethic with good humour and emotional intelligence and when you add it all up you have a great team of women proud of their work and proud of the company. I am proud to be able to lead such a team. THE JUTE BOARD I would like to thank the board of directors for their support, expertise, energy, rigor and good humour. They demand good governance and excellence in the management of the company and they challenge me to think differently. They ask some hard questions and invest their time and energy into driving the company forward. All of the board members bring considerable expertise to the company and I thank each and every one of them for investing this into my role and into JUTE. I would particularly like to thank the Chair, Gill Townsend, for her intelligent and considered advice in guiding me through the challenges of my CEO role and for her unwavering belief in theatre as a key for making our world a better place. Yours creatively, Suellen Maunder Artistic Director/CEO!

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2014 Season

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Doug Robins in Propelled. Photo: Romy Photography

Propelled 31 January – 8 February JUTE Theatre Take a ride in someone else’s wheels. Coming of age is a tricky business, especially when you’re on wheels and life keeps throwing roadblocks at you. Doug is 25 years old. He likes football, partying with his mates, and girls. He’s pretty much your average guy except for one big difference. Doug has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy*, and negotiates life’s twists and turns in a wheel chair; not always an easy feat despite the help and support of friends, family and well-meaning strangers. Life is no blithe spin in the park; stairs aren’t built for wheels, and some doors are easier to get through than others. Armed with a whole lot of smarts, an impressive capacity for patience and a keen awareness of life’s absurdities, Doug takes a heroic journey into the liminal worlds between boy and man, man and machine, the real and the fantastical, to discover who he is, and in the process finds a path uniquely his own. ‘Propelled’ offers a rare insight into an inspiring life through the eyes of an extraordinary man on a remarkable journey. Take a ride and be transformed. The differences may not be what they seem.

Playwright From an idea by Suellen Maunder by Jane Modric in collaboration with Doug Robins Directed by Suellen Maunder Set Designer Simone Tesorieri

Set Designer Simona Cosentini Lighting Designer Daniel Anderson Digital Vision Kyle Wilson Sound Designer Trish Molloy

Dramaturg Peter Matheson With Doug Robins

Creative Team

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JUTE has once again shown conclusively that there are intriguing stories to be told right under its nose. In the process they have created a must-not-miss theatrical event. Glyn Davies, Reviewer It was a wonderful experience that put me back in touch with the reasons I write. Tony Robertson, Playwright and Enter Stage Write Participant

The performance has you on the edge of your seat for 70 minutes as Doug, confined to a complicated-looking wheelchair, gives the audience an insight into an inspiring life through the eyes of an extraordinary young man who is telling his story. Kylie Reghenzani, Tablelands Advertiser/Tablelander

Doug Robins in Propelled. Photo: Romy Photography

A JUTE Theatre Company Production

Reviews

Statistics Performances 9 Total paid attendances 686 All attendances 766 Total gross box office $24,294

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Chris White, Amelia Pegrum and Tom Gardiner in Sentinel Chickens by Tony Robertson. Photo: Romy Photography

Sentinel Chickens 28 March – 12 April JUTE Theatre Our first line of defence… Be at ease citizens! Playing with the idea of sentinel chickens; the Australian government practice of placing chickens in cages at points along our Northern borders where they act as an early warning device for foreign diseases entering the country, and more often than not warn of an outbreak of disease within, Robertson creates his own sentinel chicken in the form of wincingly funny main character; ‘Dave’. Dave is a patriot. He’s also desperately nostalgic for the Australia he knew as a boy and quite frankly would like to wind the clock back a few decades to a simpler time when men were diggers and people knew their place. His role as Supervisor of security at the Telstra Tower and Exchange buildings is one he takes very very seriously, an attitude he is determined to pass on to Jeremy, a young security officer whom Dave has taken under his wing. ‘Bucket heads’ (bicycle couriers) are the bane of Dave’s existence. They refuse to follow the rules and keep entering the building through the lobby doors instead of being properly processed through the mailroom. Dave is doggedly determined to ‘stop the bikes’ and make these ‘bucket head bastards’ enter his building through proper channels. Enter Trudy, the epitome of youthful efficiency and, let’s face it, sanity, not to mention a ‘girl’ to boot, and Dave’s carefully structured world starts to slip beyond his control.

Playwright Tony Robertson Directed by Avril Duck Set Designer Simone Tesorieri!

Set Designer Simona Cosentini Lighting Designer Daniel Anderson Sound Designer Trish Molloy

Dramaturg Peter Matheson With Tom Gardiner Amelia Pegrum Chris White !

Creative Team

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Reviews

Tony Robertson and JUTE have created out of the company’s workshopping program, Enter Stage Write, a play that deserves national exposure. It takes our populist politicians’ attitudes – dominated by misplaced patriotism, anti-intellectualism, male chauvinism, and a touch of homophobia, and puts them into the crucible of logical reasoning. Glyn Davies

Tony Robertson's play is of course very clever and many parallels can be made with the onstage antics and real world scenarios. The comedy makes the shenanigans palatable and the emotive moments can make certain elements of plot development quite terrifying. Denise Carter, Cairns Post

Chris White, Amelia Pegrum and Tom Gardiner in Sentinel Chickens by Tony Robertson. Photo: Romy Photography


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Bastard Territory 6 – 21 June JUTE Theatre Memory can be a real drag. Russell’s ghosts were kind of at rest. He was at peace with it all, even the fact that he didn't know who his biological father was. His mother, Lois, disappeared when he was eight, leaving him to be raised by Neville, a stalwart of the no-nonsense Regional Right, It’s Darwin, 2001, and Russell and his partner Alistair have transformed Russell’s childhood home into the ‘Tectonic Plate’; ‘hip urban café and art gallery by day, queer cabaret dive by night’. When three separate events over the course of two weeks start to churn things up, the ghosts from Russell’s past begin to intrude on his present and he embarks on a quest to determine his identity. The search transports him back to the bohemian world of his childhood; Darwin, 1975, and beyond to his conception; PNG, 1967, where bored ex-TAA hostie, Lois, has tired of Neville’s conservatism and joined the ‘Moresby Arts Theatre’, where she soon starts courting liaisons with members of the community positioned more dangerously at its anarchic edges. To a soundtrack of Suzi Quatro, Shirley Bassey and Nana Mouskouri, Russell pieces together the events leading to that fateful night when his favourite Abba record was broken and everything else fell apart.

Playwright Stephen Carleton Directed by Ian Lawson Set Designer Kris Bird !

Lighting Designer Sean Pardy Sound Designer Guy Webster !

With Ella Watson-Russell Suellen Maunder Benhur Helwend Kathryn Marquet Steven Tandy Peter Norton !

Ella Watson-Russell, Kathryn Marquet and Benhur Helwend in Bastard Territory. Photo: Ian Lawson

Creative Team

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Bastard Territory is a well-crafted, intelligent and entertaining new Australian play. Nicola Fearn, Real Time !Carleton’s clever device is to set these turbulent times within a family context. Glyn Davies, Arts Hub

Bastard Territory deals with some difficult subjects but with such humor and amusing interplay that the audience remains engaged and entertained throughout - the three acts fly by and you are left wanting more.. Pasco Rogato, Cairns Sun

Benhur Helwend and Kathryn Marquet in Bastard Territory. Photo: Ian Lawson

A Knock-em-Down Theatre, Browns Mart and JUTE Theatre Company Co-Production


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Proper Solid 25 July – 9 August JUTE Theatre It's 2067, Australia first Aboriginal President had made plans for the day, time travel wasn't one of them. Paul: My heritage? Ruth: Your Aboriginality. Paul: I’m not a practising Aboriginal. Or is it Aborigine? Ruth: I get confused as well. A humorous story, brimming with Aboriginal vernacular and optimism, about how things are, what they could be and the importance of remembering your roots. Paul Toppy, is your everyday Aboriginal President of Australia. The problem is Paul doesn’t know much about being Aboriginal. All that changes, however, when, one day, while on the election trail, Paul steps onto country. Paul is flung back to 2014, where disgruntled, and not to mention highly inconvenienced, he happens on a family of not-quite-so-tall (obviously unrelated) Toppys, who welcome this new (obviously crazy) Toppy into their home and their lives. During his time with the Toppy Clan, Paul starts to question his beliefs about family and identity, and begins to discover the true meaning of success, while the family learn what might be achieved with higher aspirations.

Playwright Steven Oliver Directed by Nadine McDonald-Dowd Set Designer Simona Cosentini Set Designer Simone Tesorieri

Lighting Designer Kelly Calder Sound Designer Deb Sisson Sound Designer Nigel Pegrum

With Leroy Parsons Mark Sheppard Norah Bagiri

Creative Team

Mark Sheppard and Leroy Parsons in Proper Solid. Photo: Romy Photography

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Leroy Parsons and Norah Bagiri in Proper Solid. Photo: Romy Photography

JUTE Theatre Company is, as always, on the cutting edge of emerging theatre and Proper Solid suits locally and is yet another strong contender for the national circuit. Denise Carter, The Cairns Post A must-see production that will have you in fits of laughter and reflective moments. Kylie Reghenzani, Tablelands Advertiser

The project is a sure-fire winner. In the tradition of Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires, it deserves an Australia-wide audience. Glyn Davies, Arts Hub !A show like Proper Solid doesn’t come along every day, don’t miss it! Fiona Sewell, ABC Far North Radio


Reviews


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Delirium 26 September – 4 October JUTE Theatre Amy Bell's comedy macabre makes for a deliciously gory night at the theatre. For the chill-seeking theatre-goer comes a series of gleefully twisted vignettes. Playwright Amy Bell combines a slightly depraved wit with a penchant for blood-spilling to bring you her latest celebration of theatrical horror. In the soporific heat of a North Queensland wet season, mosquitoes buzz incessantly as these six stories unfold, each with its own grisly twist. Bell’s ill-fated and oddly comic characters make their way as best they can through events that often and inevitably go terribly, terribly wrong. Bell’s inspiration for the work derives from a global concern. ‘Our disconnection with mother nature generates a poison in ourselves as we lose track of an essential balance’, she says. 'Theatre is a powerful tool; it inspires thought, and thought generates action. So I decided to write'. Not for the faint-hearted, 'Delirium' is for that discerning theatre-goer who enjoys the occasional chilling lick up the spine.

Playwright Amy Bell Directed by Suellen Maunder Assistant Director Liz Christensen Set Designer Simona Cosentini

Set Designer Simone Tesorieri Lighting Designer Jason Glenwright Sound Designer Ben Andrews Sound Designer Mentor Quincy Grant

With Ryan Gibson Veronica Brady !

Veronica Brady and Ryan Gibson in Delirium. Photo: Romy Photography

Creative Team

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More gruesome than scary, Delirium is different to say the least. Kylie Reghenzani, Tablelands Advertiser

One word kept coming to mind while watching Delirium - extraordinary. This is an extraordinary piece of theatre. Denise Carter, The Cairns Post !Delirium, is definitely a visceral experience. Sue Hayes, Arts Hub

Veronica Brady and Ryan Gibson in Delirium. Photo: Romy Photography


Reviews

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2014 Development Program

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In 2014 JUTE offered Actor/Director workshops for Professional Artists. Facilitated by David Fenton, the four intensive weekend workshops were attended by eighteen participants in Cairns (15-16 February; 29-30 March; 9-10 August & 13-14 September). The intensive weekend workshops focused on building acting and directing techniques through practical workshop processes. Participants were taken through the rehearsal process from week one of rehearsal through to the technical process including director and actor roles and building work from week one through to opening night. !

Actor/Director Development Program

This is not only about challenging regional artists to push past their boundaries, but this level of professional skills development inspires individual artists and keeps them on top of their game. Actor/Director Development Program Workshop attendee

Enter Stage Write

The Enter Stage Write, script and playwright development program engaged with 12 writers during the 2014 program. Three, weekend –long residencies were undertaken with dramaturg Peter Matheson in Cairns (8-9 February; 2-3 August & 15-16 November) and four phone residencies took place (5-6 April; 31 May-1 June; 20-21 September & 25-26 October). During each of the residencies, writers have one-on-one dramaturgical sessions and take part in craft development workshops. Although in previous years the program focused on craft development for new writers the 2014 program solely focused on current writers with the emphasis on development of a script towards a future production. Two of the scripts from the 2014 program have been programmed for production in 2015.

I really appreciate when programs are delivered well and that is certainly true of JUTE's work. A really crucial point is that the Company continually invites feedback, both formally and informally, listens, and acts on it to match delivery to the needs of participants. Actor/Director Development Program Workshop attendee As a regional playwright based in the Daintree Rainforest, JUTE Theatre Company has been an essential part of my professional growth and ongoing connection to the wider Australian Theatre industry. I have been a writer in JUTE Theatre’s Enter Stage Write program for almost ten years. Over this time I have developed my craft, discovered my theatrical voice, collaborated with extraordinary artists, worked with exceptional dramaturges, and had two of my works produced. JUTE’s writing and directing programs are outstanding and highly regarded by creatives, peers and the larger Australian industry! Amy Bell, Playwright and ESW Participant

Having worked in education for many years I appreciate the quality of mentoring I have been given, the collegiate style of delivery and the camaraderie that exists in the JUTE community of artists. Having this program on hand has enabled me to stay in a remote area and still have the opportunity to grow and develop my work, which is specifically about the region I live in. In addition to the stage writing program I have been able to attend a series of excellent actor / director workshops which have been extremely valuable for my understanding of the skills of stage craft. Helen Ramoutsaki, ESW Participant I work across a variety of arts industries in this and other regions including making and presenting music, educating within the music industry sector, writing for performance, and programming three Cairns venues. Having worked with JUTE on a number of projects in the last four years, it is clear that the capacities it has offered me as an artist and theatre maker have been vast. JUTE Theatre Company produced a project that I wrote (a one hander musical piece) and in doing so has enabled me the vehicle to tour regionally and, most recently, statewide and internationally to tell this story. This experience has verified for me that the work that JUTE Theatre Company delivers is resounding and topical on a local, national and International Stage. Roz Pappalardo, Playwright and ESW Participant

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Developing Emerging Artists

The Delirium production provided three emerging artists with the opportunity to gain hands on development through taking part in the production process. Through the production of a new work, Delirium, written by regional writer Amy Bell, three emerging artists were given the opportunity to experience a professional production from beginning to end. The emerging artists were: Liz Christensen – Emerging Director; Amelia Pegrum – Emerging Stage Manager and Benjamin Andrews – Emerging Sound Designer. Directing and Assistant Directing allows you to see a theatrical process as a whole. You liaise and collaborate with everybody. I learnt so much! There are many more things to learn…Thank You for the incredibly valuable and fun opportunity! Liz Christensen, Emerging Director ! !

Both Liz and Ben began their experience through attending pre-production meetings where the set, props, costume, light and sound design were discussed with all of the creatives (Director & Designers) and the Senior Technician. Amelia came into the process on the first day of rehearsal and worked alongside professional Stage Manager Jessica Audsley. Amelia was given the task of creating her own prompt copy (the Stage Managers ‘bible’) so that she could create her own stage management workbook – this included taking blocking notes, noting lighting and sound cues and line notes. Amelia gave the actors line notes and also technically ran a scene in the play during the production. The overall experience was an amazingly positive one. I have learned so much and I truly appreciate the fact I got to be a part of such a great production. Amelia Pegrum, Emerging Stage Manager

Liz Christensen and Amelia Pegrum - Delirium. Photo: JUTE

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2014 Events

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In November 2014, JUTE Theatre Company and Simpson Marketing, teamed up to bring to Cairns a renowned Consultant in Marketing Segmentation with the help of the Australian Government through the Australia Council. The workshop gave an opportunity to learn more about market segmentation to grow sales by targeting customers better. Of particular interest to tourism, attraction, event, arts and culture industry marketers but also useful to business in general. The workshop attracted participants from arts organisations, venues, sporting clubs, marketing agencies and councils from Cairns, Townsville, Innisfail and Atherton. 100% of the participants who completed the post workshop survey said that they would like to see more similar events happening in our region. !It was FAR MORE THAN I EXPECTED!! Workshop attendee !!Thank you so much for organising the MHM workshops last week. What a wonderful opportunity to have so close to home! Workshop attendee !

Marketing Segmentation Workshop

JUTE Fundraising Event

In December 2014, JUTE held a monster treasure trove props clean up sale. For years we had been trying to keep our treasured props because they are so unique and we knew we’d never find them elsewhere. But they took up room, lots of room! And we needed more space to find a home for the props of our future shows. We opened our doors to the industry and members of the public who became happy treasure hunters! The money raised will go towards the development of a new project called 'Smash HIT' in 2015. !

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Behind the Scenes

Simona Cosentini, Norah Bagiri, Leroy Parsons, Mark Sheppard & Nadine McDonald-Dowd - Proper Solid. Photo: JUTE

Jason Glenwright, Jessica Audsley & Amelia Pegrum - Delirium. Photo: JUTE

Tony Robertson, Trish Molloy & Avril Duck – Sentinel Chickens Photo: JUTE

Amy Bell (Playwright), Veronica Brady and Ryan Gibson - Delirium. Photo: JUTE

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Doug Robins, Suellen Maunder, Simona Cosentini, Simone Tesorieri, Jane Modric & Kyle Wilson - Propelled. Photo: JUTE

Doug Robins & Suellen Maunder - Propelled. Photo: JUTE Ian Lawson & Stephen Carleton – Proper Solid. Photo: JUTE

Cast, Creatives & JUTE Team – Proper Solid. Photo: Romy Photography

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Board and Staff

JUTE Board of Directors Jeremy Blockey Tim Cooke Amalie Grima (until November 2014) Victoria Cuda Suellen Maunder Helen Simpson Gill Townsend (Chair) Karyn Weller JUTE Theatre Company Staff Artistic Director/CEO Suellen Maunder Finance Manager Veronica Cullen Events, Sales & Marketing Coordinator Samira Montgomery Admin/Marketing Assistant Karen Engel Admin & Event Support Kelly Martinez (until March 2014) Amanda Belanger (from March 2014)

Donors

2014 Donations 76 Donors contributed $8,266. The supporters included: Pacifica Chartered Accountants Tracey Fantin Mark Gaal Gary Bennett Deb Robins Melissa Robertson Mark Russo Gillian Townsend 12 Anonyous donors !

In-Kind Sponsors Cairns Beaches Storage Cairns Post Centre of Contemporary Arts End Credits Final Touch Google Jane Modric PR Just the Man KickArts Marybeth Gundrum Nadine McDonald Dowd Newsport (Port Douglas & Mossman) Radio Port Douglas The Lakes Resort Tropic Spirit Catering !

JUTE is very grateful to accept all donations. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation or would like further information about any of our donor programs please call our team on 07 4050 9444.

Key Volunteers

JUTE has over 100 volunteers on its books who from time to time support the Front of House services – Ushering and Ticket Sales. In administration there are three volunteers who work regular weekly hours and deserve special recognition: Naomi Abdiel Betty Modric Patricia Wilson

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Partners and Sponsors Major Funding Partners

JUTE Theatre Company acknowledges the assistance of the Queensland Government through

Arts Queensland.

JUTE Theatre Company acknowledges the

assistance of the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Major Sponsor

Production Sponsors

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For any Annual Report enquiries please contact:

JUTE Theatre Company 96 Abbott Street, Cairns QLD 4870

07 4050 9444 [email protected] www.jute.com.au

Benhur Helwend, Kathryn Marquet and Peter Norton in Bastard Territory. Photo: Ian Lawson

jute theatre company annual report 2014

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