Information about DATA: Diverse Australian Theatre Alliance
DATA is an alliance of theatre artists and scholars committed to ensuring that theatre is representative of the culturally diverse reality of Australia.
DATA was formed in 2010 as a result of the Dramaturgies III conference held at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. The Diversity working group that formed part of the conference realised that a long-term strategy for change was required. The aims of DATA are:
• To ensure substantive access for culturally diverse Australians to employment within the theatre industry.
• To support the theatre industry to make, present and promote work that engages a culturally diverse audience.
• To assist the theatre industry to maintain, build and develop culturally diverse audiences.
Statement of Passion One: We want cultural change. We are passionate about theatre. We want the Australian Stage to reflect the diversity of our country. We want artists and arts workers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to be encouraged, nurtured and supported. We want cultural change. Great talent, extraordinary storytelling and powerful voices come in many different shapes, sizes, colours and ethnicities. We want the Australian Theatre industry to step into the twenty-first century and shake off the racism of the past. We want to see the beauty, power, poetry, destruction and humanity of our stories performed on the stage. We yearn to see diverse faces. We want cultural change. - Candy Bowers.
Statement of Passion Two: We are for celebrating difference. We share a sense of similarity in alterity and a sense of equality in variety. We are for culturally diverse stories and bodies on our stages. We are for differences of experience and intellect in our rehearsal rooms. We believe that confronting opposites and working with difference is integral to the creative process. We believe that homogeneity and uniformity kills art. We are for a spirit of conviviality that comes from recognizing, respecting and appreciating diverse views, experiences and knowledge. - Rand T. Hazou.
If the aims stated above are important to you, please show your support by adding your name and contact details to the online register. This register will be used to demonstrate a ground swell of support for change within the industry.Please add your details to the DATA Register via the link below:
