Home

Backed by the Australia Council Theatre Board and driven by three of Perth's leading small to medium arts organisations, the Western Australian Theatre Development Initiative is a new funding program for WA independent artists, companies, collectives and collaborations looking to take creative risks and explore new territory.

It's an initiative that's all about the creation of sophisticated and ambitious new theatre practice, born through the kind of development support that artists long for, but very rarely have an opportunity to experience.

Whilst the development process may lead to public presentation at some point after development, this is not the prime purpose of the program. Development is seen within a deeper context that includes development of skills, relationships, and knowledge or concept pool.

Permission to explore, fail and succeed are all part of this program, as is allowing artists to investigate ideas and stage inventive and detailed explorations as part of, and extending out from, the development of a single work.

WATDI is for the entire WA independent theatre sector, across the spectrum of practice, interests and experience.

Development investments of $30,000, $60,000 and $90,000 will be allocated to between two and four successful development proposals in 2010, through a funding process that's a bit different to the norm.

The 2010 round is the final of a two-year pilot program. The future of WATDI beyond 2010 will be reviewed later in the year.