Emerge Project
Switchboard Arts was founded in 1987 and provides a vehicle for creatives to come together and cooperatively support their arts activities through activation opportunities. One of its longest running project was the Emerge Project, a partnership between Switchboard Arts and Judith Wright Centre with support from QUT, Creative Arts Faculty providing a model for developing and nurturing emerging playwrights and other theatre workers in Brisbane. Emerge began in early 2005. It is run by Switchboard Arts and overseen by its Board.
Timeline
2005
The Emerge Project Feb-Nov program included 36 plays and 26 episodes (20-minutes each) of a live soap-opera ("Valley People") … 26 local writers were involved + 13 from interstate (included in 10-minute play program.
"Emerge-ncy!" – 10-Minute Plays … 71 actors!! … 13 directors … 31 techies and backstage team (not counting the professional staff at JWC) … several composers & musicians … 12 set, costume & poster designers … several senior theatre people as mentors
Emerge 2005 had 120 people and 8 independent performance companies (JWC allowed us to include other small, fringe companies in our year’s program.)
2006
"TEN X TEN" - The 10-Minute Play Fiesta - 35 local writers; 30 plays produced; 76 actors; 14 directors.
2007
"Perfect Ten" – 10 plays 10 writers 10 minutes. 29 writers; 65 actors; 4 new music compositions; a night of 10 short films by local groups.
2008
26 writers; another short films event; “The Carbon Footprint Cabaret” with huge cast and an opera “The Icecaps Are Melting”; “Tripping” a full length play about disability by a disabled writer. “Ten x Ten Squared” 10-minute play fiesta.
2009
16 writers; Saturday writing workshops with Richard Jordan (winner of 2008/9 QTC Premier’s Drama Award; and an EP founder); free acting workshop for EP actors with the legendary Carol Burns; experimental production written by four writers “Symphony in A Flat” with a live music ensemble moving amongst the action (music by Bernard Houston); and … "T O O T TEN OUT OF TEN” - the final 10x10-minute play production.
2012-2014
The Babble-on Project a program for new cabaret/music theatre done in partnership with State Library of Qld and the Mantel Group
2019
For its 10th anniversary, Switchboard Arts published e-book "10-Minute Plays"
