The future of Wharf 2

Last week, Simon Ferguson reported in the Daily Telegraph that Brendan Cowell will be leaving the Sydney Theatre Company and heading to the UK to be with long term partner, Rose Byrne.

This is hot on the heels of Chris Mead's departure from the Wharf2Loud season to head up PlayWriting Australia.

Earlier this year I interviewed the two of them as Mead's tenure was drawing to a close, and I recall asking them about the future of the programme. I remember feeling that there was more to it than met the eye, also suspecting that Cowell would be out of there soon as well.

This is a big blow to the Sydney Theatre Company's Wharf 2 programme. Robyn Nevin's commission of these two has boosted the profile of the company to a more varied audience in a spectacular way. Their instinct and vision contained a clarity that allowed for an efficient and experimental programme that has been beneficial to individuals and the industry as a whole.

As I wrote in my article in January;

Creatively they are challenging the independent scene to steer away the aspirational high-tech productions and to get back to the basics of story telling. But the introduction of these Pushes has really meant that more and more emerging writers, directors and actors are walking through the stage door of the STC, and a platform is being provided to harness their skills closer to the professional stage.

This is a relief to many. The infrastructure of Sydney theatre means that there are two distinct tiers in place with little cross over - the funded professional theatres and the non-funded fringe scene. Between the two of them, there is little to prepare independent artists for the responsibility and glory of a larger venue.

The loss of the playwright and the dramaturg who have been the first to engage with audiences through the Wharf2 programme is naturally a cause of concern, especially after the less than impressive programme previously implemented.

What should the Sydney Theatre Company's vision be for Wharf 2 next year? How should they advance the credible start to Mead and Cowell's programming? How else can the STC spend that $500,000 allocation?

It would be nice to see a continuation of the development of playwrights along with design and directing teams. It would be advantageous to continue seeing more and more young talent being shown the inner workings of the Sydney Theatre Company. As well as this, the concept behind giving a showcase to the more successful Push Teams to create a full production is something definitely worth continuing.

Building further bridges between independent artists and the STC is paramount. The work that Mead and Cowell have done has brought down large barriers between these two sectors and made the institution a lot more accessible.

What is missing between the two, however, is a middle ground. It's certainly one thing to produce a show at any of the smaller venues in Sydney, but quite another to produce something at the Wharf.

I suppose that this is really the realm of a third party, or an initiative that could be established between the two sectors and some funding arrangement. There would be no reason for the STC's Wharf 2 activities to be restricted to just Wharf 2.

It would be extremely interesting to see what a working group could come up with. A dialogue between the STC, independent artists and venues along with the Australia Council, Arts NSW and ABAF to see how the channels between all these stakeholders could be opened up even further.

A working group that could establish a ten year plan or a proposal for the sector in ensuring the long term viability of its artists, its playwrights, directors and future audiences. The theatre scene is very different to what it was a few years ago and the cooperation between the now, very different elements, would be creatively and financially sensible.

The departure of Mead and Cowell may be a blow, but the potential that they have created could turn their vision into something that is even more tangible, even more adventurous and make a mark for the future of Sydney's theatre industry.

Image: London Tube