Shopfront

Shopfront Arts Co-op (also known as Shopfront Theatre For Young People) has members between the ages of 8 and 26, located in Carlton, New South Wales, Australia. Shopfront provides a place, resources, training, and development opportunities for young artists. The Shopfront building is a theatre facility, with three rehearsal studios, sound studio and digital film editing suite.

For the front of a shop, see Storefront
Shopfront Contemporary Arts Centre, Carlton

Company history

Shopfront was formed in 1976, by Errol Bray and Garry Fry, two theatre directors with a goal in mind that young people needed their own space to create work with independence and creative freedom. Shopfront started running workshops in Hurstville under the name St George Theatre for Young People. In 1977 Shopfront started renting a venue on Carlton Parade with a dancehall, adjacent house and two shops and renamed itself as Shopfront Theatre for Young People. Thirty years later Shopfront is still at this venue but have since shortened its name to Shopfront. In 1979 the co-operative raised money to buy the building – through 50-hour Actathons, costume parades, raffles, income from show, donations they raised $43,000, and with the additional help of Rockdale and Hurstville Council, the NSW Government, with a bank loan the building was purchased.

Australian National Young Playwrights Weekend and 'Interplay'

From 1978 Shopfront initiated and hosted the Australian National Young Playwrights Weekend. Held annually, this weekend congress brought together youth from all over the country who were actively writing for live theatre. Local professional acting and writing talent such as Anna Volska and Pamela Van Amstel volunteered as mentors, and attendees' plays would be workshopped privately or performed in full in the Shopfront theatre space. The event ran for many years into the 1990s.

In 1985 Errol Bray used his experience with the National Weekend to open up the concept to young writers beyond Australia, launching the ambitious "World Interplay", billed as The 1st International Festival of Young Playwrights, which drew more than 40 participants from the UK, Europe, Central America and the USA. This was not held at Shopfront's main Carlton site (initially based at University of Sydney's Seymour Centre) but Shopfront Theatre was very much its spiritual home. World Interplay proved popular, and was held biennually until at least 2007, spawning several overseas sister-festivals such as Interplay Europe and Interplay Africa.

Current Staff
  • Executive Director / CEO: Daniel Potter
  • Creative Director: Natalie Rose
  • Director, Young Audience Development/Playwave Director: Valentina Corona
  • Director, Young Artist Programs: Lauren Scott-Young
  • Development Manager: Cathy Nisbet
  • Marketing & Communications Manager: Rowena Tuziak
  • Young Leader: Carlee Heise
  • Administration & Systems Coordinator: Nicole Pingon

Notable Ex-members

Former Staff

Kingston Anderson, Lynne Atkinson, Marianne Bragge, Errol Bray, Greg Bull, Justin Byrne, Peter Callinan, Aylin Cimilli, Kate Clugston, Samuel Dalley, Gabrielle Dalton, John De Feu, Gemma Deacon, Katrina Douglas, Paul Dwyer, TJ Eckleberg, Sarah Emery, Amanda Foote, Garry Fry, Gemma Garner, Hannah Grant, Kathy Henkel, Mishline Jammal, Robert Love, Howard Matthew, Michael McLaughlin, Christina Mimmocchi, Don Munro, Caitlin Newton Broad, Kevin Ng, Andy Paviour, Margot Politis, Jeremy Rice, Beck Ronkston, Kaela Scott, Rob Simpson, Meg Simpson, Hannah Strout, Saskia Vromans, Michael Webb, Faye Westwood, Richard Williams, Nerida Woods, Christie Woodhouse, Hannah Goodwin

Past Shows
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
  • ''The Unknown'' 2019
  • ''Cake'' 2019
  • "The Pecking Order, 2018"
  • "The Magnificent, Terrible, Hottie Avery, 2018"
  • "Organs!, 2018"
  • "ArtsLab: BREAK GLASS (IN CASE OF EMERGENCY), 2018"
  • "Voices and Visions, 2018"
  • "Dignity of Risk, 2017"
  • "Un(Talented), 2017"
  • "Umami, 2017"
  • "Star-Crossed, 2017"
  • "Telling Myths, Telling Lies, 2017"
  • "ArtsLab: TREATS, 2017"
  • "The Greg Show, 2016"
  • "Welcome To My World, 2016"
  • "Piece By Piece redux, 2016"
  • "Chasing Your Shadow, 2015"
  • "Romeo and Juliet, 2015"
  • "The Hungry Games, 2014"
  • "Out of Line, 2014"
  • "CITADEL, 2014"
  • "The Drawing, 2013"
  • "A Walk in the Dark, 2013"
  • "Travel Songs of Sea and Land, 2013"
  • DanceHall Daze, 2012"
  • "Arcade Assembly, 2012"
  • "Island, 2011"
  • "Machine Atlas, 2011"
  • ""Imagine Title Here, 2010""
  • "At the drive-in, 2010"
  • "Detours and Destinations, 2010"
  • Too Good To Be True, 2009"
  • "three:Artslab Residency Showing, 2009"
  • "Superperfect, 2009"
  • "RAW reanimated meat, 2009"
  • "Rambos on Rollerskates, 2009"
  • "Villainous Business, 2008"
  • "Atomiser:ArtsLab Residency Showing, 2008"
  • "(lost toy story), 2008"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAW no use-by date, 2008"
  • "Dracula's cabaret disco, 2008"
  • "Kaboom:ArtsLab Residency Showing, 2007"
  • "A City of Shadows and Ice, 2007"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAW-Shaken&Stirred, 2007"
  • "Polyphonic Bonus Features, 2007"directed by Chris Ryan
  • "The Tuesday Clan, 2006"
  • "POP UP!, 2006"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAW On Fire, 2006"
  • "Shifting Spirits, 2005"
  • "The(Neo)Sun, 2005"
  • "Angels in the Architecture, 2005"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "Drop It Like It's RAW, 2005"
  • "Shimmerer, 2004"
  • "Off the Wall, 2004"
  • "Menus 4 Madness, 2004"
  • "Wadya Call Me?, 2004"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAWAir, 2004"
  • "Frog Rocket, 2003"
  • "CODA, 2003"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "Rated X" directed by Jeremy Rice – won AWGIE for best play (PP Cranney and the participants)
  • "Laugh and Have No Care" directed by Alison Richardson
  • "Laugh or Die" directed by Julia Zemiro
  • "Gannon's Forest Gothic" directed by Jeremy Rice
  • "Picnic at Hanging Rock" directed by Jeremy Rice
  • "St George and the Dragon" produced by Christina Mimmocchi
  • "Mary Queen of Scots" directed by Gemma Garner
  • "Detective Story" directed by Jeremy Rice
  • "Za Dusa"
  • "Make RAW Not War, 2003"
  • "Live By The Die, 2002"
  • Bella's Caravan", conducted by Christina Mimmocchi
  • "RATED M, 1992–1993, Directed by Kaela Scott, Winner of Australia Day Award 1994"
  • "Types Like Us" and "When the Sky Falls" 1990, Pacific Rim Tour to Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the United States. Directed by John De Feu and Michael McLaughlin.
  • "Piece By Piece", 1985 US/Canada Tour
  • 1984 UK Tour
  • 1986 UK Tour - "Power Play" - Dir. Kingston Anderson and "Great Australian Family Show" - Dir. Cathy Henkel
  • "Room – The Musical," 1983
  • "The Caravan Touring Company, 1980"
  • "The Playground Play Touring Company, 1979"
  • "Quest for the IYC (ie International Year Of The Child) Touring Company, 1979"
  • "Childmyth", 1979"
  • "Concrete Sox", 1978"
  • "Thirteen", 1977"
  • "Playground Re-Play", 1978
  • "Kid's Cabaret 1978
  • "Cappelletti", by John Turnbull, 1978
  • "The Playground Play" 1977
  • "Replica" 1980
  • "A Rose For Zhivord Gardovich" 1980

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 April 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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