Why I've Programmed Fourteen for Bathurst

When managers program performing arts events for their venues, there are many things taken into consideration: demographics of the community, existing audiences, potential audiences, reputation of the performers or the production company, an opportunity to grow the exposure of performers or the production company, entertainment value, quality of work, relevance to the local community, political climate, social issues and hot topics.

Sometimes art imitates life or holds a mirror up to the audience and reflects something about itself back at it. And sometimes a production can be part of a national conversation. In the case of Fourteen, this was definitely part of the decision-making process. So how and why is a show set in 1999 about a year in the life of a Year 9 gay kid at an all-boys catholic school in regional Queensland with a soundtrack of banging 90s songs relevant to Central West NSW in 2024? Incredibly, for far too many reasons.

This opinion piece was originally published on Arts Hub - click here to read the full piece.