Bundanon

Brittanie Shipway is a Gumbaynggirr, Turkish and Australian storyteller, whose creative practise encompasses performing, writing, directing and dramaturgy.

Shipway wrote and performed in her debut play A Letter For Molly (Ensemble Theatre), under the directorial helm of Ursula Yovich. A Letter For Molly was developed in 2020 as part of Belvoir’s shutdown residency, and received funding from both Create NSW and the Australia Council for the Arts. This debut play was a semi-finalist piece in the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award (2021) and nominated for Best Play for the 2022 Broadway World Awards.

Her next play Senser, premiered at Theatre Works in 2022, directed by kindred creative spirit Miranda Middleton, featuring original music by composer Jess Newman.

In 2022, Brittanie was the recipient of the prestigious Dreaming Award from the Australia Council of the Arts as well as Create NSW to develop her musical Yellow Rock. This new Gumbaynggirr musical also received the 2022 APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards (Music Theatre) and a Koori grant from Create NSW. Yellow Rock will be developed and showcased in 2023.

Brittanie has also written and performed her queer audio piece Salt & Biber for ABC Radio, and has written a short story Gözleme which was recently published by SBS Voices. As a dramaturge, Brittanie has worked on Hannah Reilly’s new musical The Deb which opened at ATYP’s new Rebel Theatre, Priscilla Jackan’s staged adaptation of Girls In Boys Cars (NTOP) and Laura Murphys’ Zombie! The Musical (Hayes Theatre Co).

As a performer, Brittanie has made her mark at the Sydney Opera House as Hermia in Bell Shakespeare’s worldwide premiere of The Lovers. She recently starred as Margaret Whitlam in the new Australian musical The Dismissal, as well as a national tour of Rolling Thunder Vietnam with the John Farnham band. She has also performed in a national tour of The Sapphires, Big Fish (The Hayes), Ordinary Days (Chapel Off Chapel), and starred in alongside Natalie Bassingthwaite and Paulini in Chess.

In Residence at Bundanon

During my Bundanon artist residency, my focus will be on refining my Gumbaynggirr musical Yellow Rock, which centres around Sammy’s struggle with cultural identity. As the composer and playwright, I’ll use this time to implement feedback from workshops, crafting character arcs, and consulting with family for cultural insights. Storyboarding, outdoor walks for lyrical inspiration, and observing nature will influence the musical arrangements. The residency also involves recording soundscapes, creating vocal harmonies, engaging in logistical tasks, and documenting my process for future reference and sharing with fellow creatives.