Introducing Leland Kean and MERRIGONGX

Words Duncan Rintoul

Images Tracy Leigh, Children of the Revolution, Justin Huntsdale

Merrigong Theatre Company produces more new, local work than any other regional arts organisation in Australia. Leland Kean is Merrigong’s artistic development manager and, as he explains over lunch at The Fitz in Bulli, a lot goes on behind the scenes to make this happen.  

Tell me about your project?

The artistic development program at Merrigong has a few different sides to it. Each year we commission two or three mainstage shows, we offer a range of community programs, and we run a really focused independent artists program, where we support local creatives to develop and present new work. We have four MERRIGONGX shows in 2023: two in autumn and two in spring. These are brand new, Australian productions that we’re funding and supporting all the way through to the stage. Then there’s another 17 projects this year that aren’t public facing – we’re providing artists with access to space, resources and mentoring through the developmental process.

What’s the impact you’re aiming for?

I’ve always been a big believer in community and connection. What we’re trying to do is create a space where local artists across different artforms can come together, make connections and find their voice so that it can be heard. There are some great stories where homegrown talent has springboarded out of our artistic development program onto stages far and wide. Kay Proudlove’s Dear Diary is a great example of this. It started for us as a couple of songs that Kay played at one of our ‘Made From Scratch’ nights, where independent artists come together to share drafts and works in progress. Kay’s songs were based on her teenage diaries, and we all could tell straightaway that there was something really special about them. During Covid, we helped her develop this work into a one-woman show, which delighted audiences over a three-night run at IPAC last year and has now been picked up for a national tour in 2024. She’s killing it.

Why is this program important? What makes you passionate about it?

Creating the conditions to develop and show new Australian theatre has been the focus of my entire working life. Artists are constantly told they can’t: they can’t make a life out of their craft, can’t have a career, can’t support themselves. That their art will have to be a side hustle. Through our artist development program we’re able to show that there is a way. In fact there are lots of ways, and we help emerging artists establish themselves so they can not just keep the dream alive but build it into a career.

More broadly, as a society, artistic expression lets us tell our stories. It has the ability to be responsive and reveal something of the architecture of who we are and how we are thinking and talking at a given moment in time. As an audience, live performance plays your lives back to you in a way that really disarms and cuts through the noise – it brings things to your consciousness and makes you react and reflect, and invites you to be part of the conversation as you discuss and explore the ideas and the conflicts that are raised for you. And frankly, we need that. As Australians living in the Illawarra, there are important things we need to talk about. And good, new Australian theatre can help us have those conversations.

Beyond that, there’s just a unique and beautiful thing about seeing something live. We all lost a lot during the pandemic, and when the live scene was taken from us we really, really missed it. Live performance gives you a collective experience that you just can’t get at home, on your own or on your phone. And although Covid was disastrous for our industry, one silver lining is how it rekindled the passion that Australian audiences have for live shows.

What makes the Illawarra a great place to do this work?

The Coal Coast is full of amazing stories. We’re a really diverse community, with rich history culturally – from First Nations stories through to the post-war migration period, and more recently the migration wave from Sydney. Without new artistic work that’s local to the area, our stories don’t get told and we’ll always be listening to other people’s stories.

The new work we develop always aims for universal resonance – not just local relevance. I firmly believe that the best stories are regional stories – this is true globally.  One of the first pieces I was involved with at Merrigong was Landscape with Monsters, a co-production with CIRCA that tells the story of post-industrial cities that are in decay. This work premiered here in 2016 and went on to tour nationally, but its second outing was actually in the UK at the Latitude Festival where British audiences recognised the story as one that echoed their own, half a world away. There’s also a really vibrant artistic community here in the Illawarra, and that’s only growing. What we’re doing at Merrigong is part of a much broader ecosystem – an ecology of artistic work that expresses the culture of the area, and we’re really proud to be part of this.

Wollongong is also wonderfully political. Audiences are very vocal and engaged. If I do something they don’t like, they’ll find me in the mall – and they’ll tell me. I actually love this, and I love being held accountable. Artists are incredibly resilient creatures. Rejection is something that artists deal with as part of the normal ebb and flow. You learn how to receive critical feedback, and not take it personally.

What else have you learned about the process of leading change? Nuggets of wisdom for other budding Coal Coast Changemakers?

Two things. First, never be afraid to ask questions. The arts industry is full of generous, talented people who are very open to sharing their experience and knowledge. And second, just jump in. I’ve always taken a guerrilla approach to creating new work. Change is difficult. Change creates conflict. It will never be easy – don’t expect it to be. But the end result will always be worth it. Don’t worry when you can’t see around corners, you’ll be surprised how often the magic comes from somewhere you least expect.

How can the community get involved?

I always believe the best way to get involved is to come and see what happens. Come as a punter first, sit in the audience and have the experience. From there, we have a whole raft of ways for artists to engage. Local independent artists can check out the full range of opportunities at merrigong.com.au/for-artists.

And for anyone keen to support new and emerging artists, get along to the Made From Scratch and MERRIGONGX shows. Details at merrigong.com.au