Southern Edge Arts (SEA) is excited to announce its first project for its Silver Jubilee Year! Festy Shorts (a festival of short plays) will be staged in March 2010, and will celebrate young people’s contribution to theatre.

Festy Shorts follows on from SEA’s last project SpringBoard, which saw Sydney based award-winning playwright, Mary Rachel Brown, work alongside five talented young writers to develop several short plays, all based around the theme of Freedom.

SpringBoard concluded on 3 October, with rehearsed script readings in front of a live audience. SEA’s Artistic Director, Simon Clarke, says the resulting scripts showed

“dynamic variety, reflecting each authors unique talent and comparing favourably to other contemporary Australian writing.”

There was a mix of character-based comedy, a journey into a surreal dream world, an existential psychological thriller, and a good dose of conspiracy, love, danger and redemption.

These scripts will be joined by others from other youth theatre companies nationally, including Adelaide’s Urban Myth and will be produced by young people from the Great Southern in the inaugural Festy Shorts Festival!

SEA is now calling for young artists (aged 15 – 25 years) wanting to get involved in all aspects of the process including directing, set and costumes, stage management, music, marketing and project management. SEA is gathering a team of professional artists to mentor young people through the theatre-making process, so young people with all levels of experience are invited to get involved!

Rehearsals will begin in late January, and performances are scheduled for late March 2010. For more information and to register your interest please contact Southern Edge Arts on (08) 98416002 or e-mail simon@southernege.org.au.