Shopfront Arts Co-op

Shopfront Arts Co-op is a theatre facility, with three rehearsal studios, sound studio and digital film editing suite, located in Carlton, New South Wales, Australia. Also known as Shopfront Theatre For Young People, its stated aim is to provide space, resources, training, and development opportunities for young artists, aged between 8 and 26.

For the front of a shop, see Storefront.

Shopfront Arts Co-Op
Formation1976
HeadquartersCarlton, NSW, Australia
Executive Director/CEO
Daniel Potter
Creative Director
Natalie Rose
Creative Producer/Access and Inclusion
Lauren Oakes
Young Leader
Lily Hayman
Websiteshopfront.org.au
Old Façade of Shopfront

Company history
Comedian and Artistic Director Julia Zemiro has been one of the teaching staff at Shopfront.
Trevor Ashley, seen at the Helpmann Awards, began his acting and performance career at Shopfront.

Shopfront was formed in 1976 in Penshurst, by Errol Bray and Garry Fry, two theatre directors, devoted to the of providing opportunities upcoming writers, actors and directors, because, in the words of Bray: "Too often the expression and creative ability of young people is patronised or ignored."[1][2][3]

Australian actors have started careers there or taught there, such as actors Trevor Ashley and Paul Capsis, director Andrew Upton and comedian Julia Zemiro.[4][5][6][7]

Productions have been as diverse as The Greening of the Common in 1983 (about the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp), Detective Story by Sidney Kingsley and Jean-Paul Sartre's In Camera both in 1991 to Romeo and Juliet in 2015.[8][9][10][11] Its company was invited to perform its play Piece by Piece for International Youth Year at the United Nations in June 1985.[12]

Shopfront started running workshops in Hurstville under the name St George Theatre for Young People.[3] It began in a dancehall on Carlton Parade, an adjacent house and two shops – a women’s fashion store and a butcher shop – hence the name Shopfront Theatre.[3] In 1979 the co-operative raised money to buy the building – through 50-hour Actathons, costume parades, raffles, income from show, donations they raised $43,000, and with the additional help of Rockdale and Hurstville Council, the NSW Government, with a bank loan the building was purchased by the young people's coop.[3] Thirty years later Shopfront was still at the venue but had shortened its name to Shopfront.[3] The organisation shut down 1990 for seven years, by 1997 it had "risen from the ashes."[8] Thanks to funding from Australia Council for the Arts and the Member for Banks, the site was redeveloped as a three-storey creative arts and community centre for the region.[13]

Current building of Shopfront Arts Co-Op

Australian National Young Playwrights Weekend and "Interplay"

From 1977 Shopfront initiated and hosted the Australian National Young Playwrights Weekend.[2] Held annually, this weekend congress brought together youth from all over the country who were actively writing for live theatre. Local professional acting and writing talent such Max Gillies as Anna Volska and Pamela Van Amstel volunteered as mentors, and attendees' plays would be workshopped privately or performed in full in the Shopfront theatre space.[2][14] The event ran into the 1990s.[14]

In 1984 the concept evolved to become the ambitious "World Interplay", billed as The 1st International Festival of Young Playwrights, which drew more than 40 participants from the UK, Europe, Central America and the USA.[15] The first patrons of the festival included Dorothy Hewett, Edward Bond and Stephen Sondheim.[15]

Notable former members

Past Productions

Over the years, Shopfront and their members have hosted a large number of Theatrical Productions including:

  • Negotiation Tactics for the Weak Willed (Members Show) 2022
  • Teen Angst 2022
  • The Lies We Were Told 2022
  • Senior Ensemble - Hit Reset 2021
  • Elevate Festival 2020
  • Never, Ever 2020
  • To My Younger Self 2020
  • The Unknown 2019
  • Cake 2019
  • "The Pecking Order, 2018"
  • "The Magnificent, Terrible, Hottie Avery, 2018"
  • "Organs!, 2018"
  • "ArtsLab: BREAK GLASS (IN CASE OF EMERGENCY), 2018"
  • "Voices and Visions, 2018"
  • "Dignity of Risk, 2017"
  • "Un(Talented), 2017"
  • "Umami, 2017"
  • "Star-Crossed, 2017"
  • "Telling Myths, Telling Lies, 2017"
  • "ArtsLab: TREATS, 2017"
  • "The Greg Show, 2016"
  • "Welcome To My World, 2016"
  • "Piece By Piece redux, 2016"
  • "Chasing Your Shadow, 2015"
  • "Romeo and Juliet, 2015"
  • "The Hungry Games, 2014"
  • "Out of Line, 2014"
  • "CITADEL, 2014"
  • "The Drawing, 2013"
  • "A Walk in the Dark, 2013"
  • "Travel Songs of Sea and Land, 2013"
  • DanceHall Daze, 2012"
  • "Arcade Assembly, 2012"
  • "Island, 2011"
  • "Machine Atlas, 2011"
  • ""Imagine Title Here, 2010""
  • "At the drive-in, 2010"
  • "Detours and Destinations, 2010"
  • Too Good To Be True, 2009"
  • "three:Artslab Residency Showing, 2009"
  • "Superperfect, 2009"
  • "RAW reanimated meat, 2009"
  • "Rambos on Rollerskates, 2009"
  • "Villainous Business, 2008"
  • "Atomiser:ArtsLab Residency Showing, 2008"
  • "(lost toy story), 2008"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAW no use-by date, 2008"
  • "Dracula's cabaret disco, 2008"
  • "Kaboom:ArtsLab Residency Showing, 2007"
  • "A City of Shadows and Ice, 2007"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAW-Shaken&Stirred, 2007"
  • "Polyphonic Bonus Features, 2007"directed by Chris Ryan
  • "The Tuesday Clan, 2006"
  • "POP UP!, 2006"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAW On Fire, 2006"
  • "Shifting Spirits, 2005"
  • "The(Neo)Sun, 2005"
  • "Angels in the Architecture, 2005"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "Drop It Like It's RAW, 2005"
  • "Shimmerer, 2004"
  • "Off the Wall, 2004"
  • "Menus 4 Madness, 2004"
  • "Wadya Call Me?, 2004"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "RAWAir, 2004"
  • "Frog Rocket, 2003"
  • "CODA, 2003"directed by TJ Eckleberg
  • "Rated X" directed by Jeremy Rice – won AWGIE for best play (PP Cranney and the participants)
  • "Laugh and Have No Care" directed by Alison Richardson
  • "Laugh or Die" directed by Julia Zemiro
  • "Gannon's Forest Gothic" directed by Jeremy Rice
  • "Picnic at Hanging Rock" directed by Jeremy Rice
  • "St George and the Dragon" produced by Christina Mimmocchi
  • "Mary Queen of Scots" directed by Gemma Garner
  • "Detective Story" directed by Jeremy Rice
  • "Za Dusa"
  • "Make RAW Not War, 2003"
  • "Live By The Die, 2002"
  • Bella's Caravan", conducted by Christina Mimmocchi
  • "RATED M, 1992–1993, Directed by Kaela Scott, Winner of Australia Day Award 1994"
  • "Types Like Us" and "When the Sky Falls" 1990, Pacific Rim Tour to Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the United States. Directed by John De Feu and Michael McLaughlin.
  • "Piece By Piece", 1985 US/Canada Tour
  • 1984 UK Tour
  • 1986 UK Tour - "Power Play" - Dir. Kingston Anderson and "Great Australian Family Show" - Dir. Cathy Henkel
  • "Room – The Musical," 1983
  • "The Caravan Touring Company, 1980"
  • "The Playground Play Touring Company, 1979"
  • "Quest for the IYC (ie International Year Of The Child) Touring Company, 1979"
  • "Childmyth", 1979"
  • "Concrete Sox", 1978"
  • "Thirteen", 1977"
  • "Playground Re-Play", 1978
  • "Kid's Cabaret" 1978
  • "Cappelletti", by John Turnbull, 1978
  • "The Playground Play" 1977
  • "Replica" 1980
  • "A Rose For Zhivord Gardovich" 1980

References
  1. "THE SHOPFRONT SHOW". Tharunka. 3 March 1981. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. "Theatre Australia 2(5) September-October 1977 by UOW Library - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  3. Trembath, Murray (15 November 2016). "New arts centre for St George". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  4. Rugendyke, Louise (29 June 2019). "'They don't think I'm as big a force to be reckoned with as I am'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  5. Low, Lenny Ann (26 August 2011). "Too wog. Too gay. Too short". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  6. "Shopfront theatre company faces axe as funding cuts to youth arts companies bite". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  7. Carmody, Broede (18 April 2020). "Arts leaders warn of Australian youth theatre's 'steady demise'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  8. "TREADING THE BOARDS". Tharunka. 16 September 1997. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  9. "IN CAMERA Jean Paul Satre Shopfront Theatre". Tharunka. 20 May 1991. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  10. "LIFE STYLE". Canberra Times. 18 November 1983. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  11. "Talented star Ruben Hadges to shine as new Romeo at Shopfront". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  12. "UN youth theatre invitation". Canberra Times. 15 May 1985. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  13. Trembath, Murray (15 November 2016). "New arts centre for St George". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  14. "NIDA". Tharunka. 27 August 1990. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  15. "Young playwrights festival in Sydney". Canberra Times. 7 December 1984. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  16. "Leave It To Diva". Archived from the original on 13 April 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
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