Brisbane-based performance collective Counterpilot are our 2022 – 2023 Company in Residence – part of an ongoing commitment by Metro Arts in continuing to support the career development of Australia’s contemporary artists.
Counterpilot is an award-winning collective of interdisciplinary artists based in Brisbane, Australia. They create interactive performance works – activating audiences with new technology, rich design, and transmedia storytelling.
As part of their Company in Residency at Metro Arts, Counterpilot will present x2 new works in 2022 Adrift – an immersive theatre experience where audience members work together to build a story; and Breaking – a live and unedited digital theatre experience able to be witnessed from anywhere in the world.
Jo Thomas, CEO and Artistic Director at Metro Arts said the Company in Residence Program was developed to provide vital resources to artists of all stages and skill levels – so they can continue to make work, and thrive, rather than just survive:
“Metro Arts is committed to developing new models of supporting artists and rebuilding our sector. Through our Company in Residence program, we’re employing artists in long-term positions, because they are workers, just like everyone else.”
“By embedding Counterpilot into our organisation, we can help them build entrepreneurial skills for future opportunities, including national and international touring and local opportunities in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics,” Ms Thomas said.
Nathan Sibthorpe, Director of Counterpilot said that Metro Arts’ Company in Residence program provides a much needed industry resource for the arts – allowing artists to focus on creating work, rather than worrying about how they will be able to find time, resources and work to carve out a living:
“Employment in the arts has always been a source of uncertainty, and particularly in the pandemic era, it’s been stressful and discouraging to navigate the industry as a contemporary freelancer.”
“Working as a company-in-residence allows us to leverage the consistency and stability of an established organisation, while still putting our work in the centre and pursuing a collaborative body of work that is driven by compelling ideas, new forms, and intuition.”
“To be Company in Residence at Metro Arts is a fantastic opportunity for us to establish a base of operations in such a vibrant, arts focused community hub,” Mr Sibthorpe said.
Alongside the residency, Metro Arts will continue to act as lead producers for seasons of their work, Truthmachine, as a part of Cairns Festival and Festival of Dangerous Ideas taking place at Carriageworks, Sydney.
Image: Counterpilot – L-R: Christine Felmingham, Nathan Sibthorpe and Mike Willmett.
Discover more about Counterpilot HERE.
