Over 150 theatre students from around Australia will be given a chance to perform works and participate in artistic discussion as part of the upcoming Festival of Australian Student Theatre (FAST) in Brisbane.
Hosted by La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre, the festival is a combination of presentation, education and collaborative opportunity.
Eleven shows from emerging theatre-workers will be performed over the festival’s three-day run and numerous interactive forums and workshops will be presented. A challenging production project is also programmed and is currently seeking student participants.
The FAST program has been designed with the aim of bringing together Australia’s student theatre companies and creating new opportunities for learning and performance. This is the fourth year of the non-profit festival, which is run in association with La Boite Theatre and QUT Creative Industries.
FAST Director Nuala Furtado sees the festival as an invaluable opportunity for national networking and a chance to showcase emerging talent. ‘FAST provides a platform for the next generation of creative artists who are about to enter the industry,’ says Furtado.
This year students from Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia will be participating in the event. It is the first year of involvement for Flinders University in Adelaide, which is contributing two works previously showcased at the 2013 Adelaide Fringe. Furtado says, ‘We are thrilled to welcome What Seems Like a Lifetime Ago by Lisa Webster and Chloe Eckert’s productions Sage, which won the 2012 State Theatre Company of South Australia’s Young Playwrights Award.’
A 48-Hour Play Project is also on offer, run by QUT’s long running theatre company Vena Cava. Teams of four to five students across Australia are invited to create a 10 minute show, which must be produced and performed in just two days. Students can register as teams or individuals here.
Seasoned practitioners will be facilitating forums and workshops. David Morton (The Harbinger, The Timely Death of Victor Blott), will run a puppetry workshop that instructs students on key elements of puppetry and manipulation for performance. Matilda Award-winning lighting designer David Walters (End of the Rainbow, Holding the Man) will run a lighting workshop that focuses on sustainable lighting design.
The Festival of Australian Student Theatre (FAST) runs from 30 May to 1 June 2013. Tickets can be bought online at laboite.com.au or by calling La Boite’s Box Office on (07) 3007 8600.
