New Festival Seeks Writers

In November this year, ‘the animals are taking over the zoo' at The Old 505 Theatre, just near Sydney's Central Station. NovemberISM is a month long festival of playwrights, run by ISM, a collective of award-winning writers including Tamara Asmar, Kit Brookman, Rebecca Clarke, Tahli Corin, Jo Erskine and Rick Viede.

"The idea for NovemberISM sparked when we were on a writing retreat in Albury Wodonga. Every night, we'd huddle around a gas heater and start dreaming. Maybe it was the fresh air, maybe it was the wine, but anything seemed possible for a moment. One idea was to have a space where we could put on our own shows, and where we could hang out and create with other artists. NovemberISM is that dream in action; we've carved out a space and time where artists and audiences can gather for workshops, forums, readings and development and hopefully a whole lot of random fun," says Tahli Corin, who founded ISM in 2010 when she was working for B Sharp at Belvoir.

Tahli says, "As well as being playwrights, between the six of us we have a broad range of other experiences and skills; we can share the work, risk and energy across our collective."

Kit Brookman, who was recently short listed for a PatRick White award adds, "Banding together is such a great way to learn quickly and economically and, in the magic spaces in between, friendships are forged as well. It would be fantastic if people walk away from NovemberISM feeling as inspired and strengthened as we feel every time we get together."

Jo Erskine, who premiered her work, KIJE, at the Old Fitzory Theatre just a while ago says, "ISM had such success running The Playwright's Muster this year at Griffin Theatre, and the NOT the NSW Premier's Award in 2010, that we thought - why not? There seems to be a real need out there for low-cost, independent events that unite artists in new ways."

Tahli says, "Plus we're going really lo-fi with NovemberISM. We're using a fantastic, central New-York-loft styled space, The Old 505 Theatre. It's just had a reno and still feels like a raw gem. Anyone who hasn't already discovered it will love it."

Rebecca Clarke, who ran the inaugural IMAGINE Festival in 2009 and did research for the 2010 Sydney Fringe re-launch adds, "There are a plethora of festivals out there, but this one serves playwrights very specifically and lets audience into that very special dynamic that happens when writers really own a space. Playwrights can suffer from a sense of isolation and, sometimes, confusion around their real place in the arts scene. It's changing though, and NovemberISM will be a part of that. It can only add up to richer, more connected work. We're trying out initiatives that will hopefully activate and support lots of other writers."

The festival will launch THE WRITING ROOM, a pop-up office which will enable up to fifteen playwrights to have a free, quiet space for work, and a series of SUNDAY READINGS where new plays will have the chance to meet an audience. It will also feature showings from THE LOCK-UP, a week-long (Oct 17-21) devising lab with some of ISM, other writers and mentor Craig Ilott, supported by Queen Street Studio and the City of Sydney. ISM is looking for writer/collaborators to ‘lock-up' now, with applications closing very soon: Friday Sept 23.

The festival will also include hot-to-trot new works including Tahli Corin's comedy about art, memory, and beauty, One for the Ugly Girls, and Kit Brookman's bittersweet comedy about death, growing up, and the perils of becoming an amateur medium, Heaven. Late night sessions will include showings from THE LOCK-UP, I'm not sure I'm an adult yet and a series of works from exciting collectives and artists. These works, and others still to be announced, will be lively, warm and invigorating; perfect delectable treats for November.

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