Back To Back Theatre In Australia
Back to Back Theatre is an Australian contemporary theatre company, comprised of a full-time ensemble of five people who are “perceived to have intellectual disabilities”. However, this is far from the cornerstone of the company, and the word “disability” is pointedly nowhere to be found on their website. BtB’s descriptions of itself similarly deviates from disability, instead focusing on the acceptance of individuals of difference.HistoryBack to Back Theatre was founded in 1987 in Geelong, Victoria. Sadly, this was a time when the closing of disability outreach services was widespread and there was a need for more employment and recreational opportunities. As a result, a series of community art workshops were run by community art practitioners and recent Deakin University theatre graduates. They explored visual arts, theatre and music with participants from Corilong, a disability service provider; through this, Big Bag was developed. The University was, at the time, affiliated with the Mill Theatre, a professional Geelong-based community theatre company, which allowed the production to tour to Melbourne and regional centres.
The Big Bag company quickly became a successful model for an ensemble of actors with disabilities, and in 1989, they created Stinking Houses: an exploration into the lives of Sunbury’s Caloola Training Centre residents. Stinking Houses toured to Queensland, regional Victoria and Tasmania, triggering the decommission of Caloola in 1992 by the state government - it was replaced by smaller community-based facilities which substantially improved the residents’ quality of life. After its second production, the Big Bag Company separated into Big Bag Band and Back to Back Theatre and in 1996, Back to Back disaffiliated from Corilong.Scope of OperationsBtB is increasingly becoming one of Australia’s most globally respected and recognised cultural exports. Giving voice to social and political issues to which we can all relate, BtB productions tour extensively nationally and internationally. Impressively, over the last decade, the company has presented forty-one national and seventy-four international seasons of work, spanning 110 cities worldwide. Additionally, they have received 17 national and international awards including a Helpmann Award for Best Australian Work, an Edinburgh International Festival Herald Angel Critics’ Award, a New York Bessie and the Myer Foundation Group Award for longstanding contribution to the development of Australian theatre.
Company Structure
While Back to Back functions much like any other independent theatre company at its higher levels, BtB operates uniquely from the perspective of cast. Using what they call the Ensemble Model, new work is realised through collaboration between the ensemble, Artistic Director and guest artists: as the ensemble is made up of five actors, they sometimes require more cast, but generally this refers to designers. This means that as the same team work together across a series of production, they are able to build a community and deeper insights in the projects.Therefore, the ensemble are employed full-time, providing them with appropriate wages for performances, workshops and rehearsals. They are also on a retainer after the completion of one project and before the commencement of the next, creating an ideal framework development of not only creative collaboration, but personally for each performer. At BtB, it can be fourteen to eighteen months between productions, and this system maximises time for exploration of “ongoing thematic interests”, while providing a safe environment for the company to explore their stories and ideas.
Artistic or Operating Philosophy
Organisational Purpose Back to Back Theatre creates new forms of contemporary performance created by artists with disabilities, giving voice to social and political issues which speak to all people. Artistic Vision Back to Back Theatre proposes work for the near future. Our artistic vision extends our momentum, maturity and ambition to make theatre of global significance that cannot yet be imagined. We seek to create an international artistic legacy by provoking genuine cultural and social change, redefining possibility in theatrical practice, and thus, in society.Production Processes Due to its ensemble model, the production processes across projects remain largely the same. Productions begin with extensive research into the topic they will be examining, and then comes a lengthy improvisation period, where the ensemble are given the opportunity to explore. Throughout this rehearsal process, the story and script are developed - people with disabilities use a variety of methods to communicate including visual, aural, tactile, physical and verbal languages and thus a conventional script is not created. Often, their projects are years in the making.
Funding SourcesBack to Back’s operational costs are funded through the Australia Council, Arts Victoria and the Department of Family and Community Services (as a supported employment service). It also gets additional funding on a project-to-project basis from organisations such as Screen Australia, Film Victoria and the ABC. Private donations are also common through Creative Partnership Australia’s Plus 1 program.Key Staff/CollaboratorsArtistic DirectorBruce Gladwin has been the Artistic Director of Back to Back since 1999 and he has directed, designed, conceived and/or written every production the company had produced. He has helped the company foster a distinctive artistry, emphasising the ensemble’s accounts on wide-ranging social and cultural discourse.EnsembleSimon Laherty has been with Back to Back since 2003In 2006, Sarah Mainwaring joined Back to BackBack to Back gained a new ensemble member in 2007, Scott PriceSonia TeubenMark DeansExecutive Producer & Co-CEOAlice Nash has been the company’s executive producer for 15 years as she believes it to be Australia’s most exciting independent company.
