About Us
Store Room Theatre (SRT)
After many years of presenting and producing The Store Room consolidated its energies and vision into a group of Artistic Associates. In 2006 SRT was launched by The Store Room as an evolution of the company’s intentions to further focus on the professional long term development of projects.
SRT is a national research and development theatre company driven by an evolving community of Associate Artists; generating diverse and challenging works for a contemporary audience.
SRT places its primary focus on providing an environment that is supportive of artists and is conducive to artistic freedom and experimentation. The needs of the artist lay at the heart of the model and it provides an intensive and high level profession R&D process across all forms that enhances and supports individual artists through the opportunity for peer feedback.
SRT model is fluid, responsive and thorough, able to developing works at any point in their life, whilst providing a concrete foundation for seeding and development.
The Store Room
Co-founded by Ben Harkin and Todd MacDonald in December 1999, The Store Room has become an integral part of Melbourne’s theatre community. The company has been at the forefront of the growth and cohesion of Melbourne’s Independent theatre scene, providing much advice and support to emerging artists and companies and encouraging collaboration with local companies such as a joint programming and marketing initiative with Red Stitch Actors Theatre and the inaugural LOVE IT Independent Theatre Ball in 2004 which brought together over 35 independent theatre companies to raise funds and increase the profile of Melbourne’s Independent Theatre community.
Through producing Fringe Festival, Comedy Festival and INSTORAGE seasons, The Store Room has supported local artists and provided audiences with an eclectic mix of work from Melbourne’s most exciting independent theatre makers. Focusing on the presentation of new Australian work, the INSTORAGE seasons of 2003, 2004 and 2005 (in which artists received free venue hire, marketing and publicity, admin and technical support and approximately 90% of the box office revenue) enabled artists to present work with minimal financial risk and in addition has established an ongoing audience base in Melbourne for new work through the development of a subscription base.
The artistic success of the company has been evident not only in the audience attendances, the industry presence and critical acclaim that the venue has quickly established from 1999 - 2010, but also the funding support the company has received to date and countless nominations and numerous awards that have been received by The Store Room and the productions it has presented in that time.
Garry Topp, Brad Martin, Michael Jankie and Richard Watts.
