Playwright and director Claire Christian describes her relationship with Brisbane as “a swoon-worthy love affair”.
The Gold Coast native moved to the city for university and felt an immediate connection with its creative community, winning Queensland Theatre Company’s 2008 Young Playwrights Award for Bloom.
“I met and collaborated with artists on that process and a whole new world opened up to me,” Claire said.
“I believe wholeheartedly in the idea that we cannot become what we cannot see and this experience solidified not only my longstanding passion for theatre, but that I could contribute and be included in the world.”
Claire likened Brisbane’s arts industry to a unique ecosystem that thrived on solidarity and support; a community where everyone is loosely connected to each other and “has your back”.
Fuelling the city’s creativity is a generous and hungry audience with a willingness to embrace new things.
“I think Brisbane audiences just want to see and experience work that is exciting and joy-filled and that they can feel a part of,” she said.
“Brisbane Festival reminds us how glorious shared experience is, regardless of the bubbles we exist in. It reminds us that we're all in this thing together.”
Claire reveals she “swoons” at being included in the Brisbane Festival community, both as theatre-maker and audience member.
“The doubt I feel about choosing to be an artist in this climate, when so much is up in the air, is always reaffirmed at festival time,” she said.
“I’m inspired to keep going and to make work because it matters.”
Claire has been working with The Mamas Boys Collective, a group of 12 young male artists from Logan, since 2014, helping them develop the new work, Brothers Book Club, in partnership with Brisbane Festival and La Boite Theatre Company.