Last night, the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation, a charity established in 1986 to assist the performing arts in Australia, celebrated its 40th Anniversary year by announcing $400,000 in Grants awarded to successful applicants for 19 projects scheduled for 2027.
In presenting the awards, S,B&W Foundation’s President Peter Lowry AM, congratulated the recipients, wished them well and expressed thanks to the Grants Panel who had the task of selecting winners from over 100 entries, a 40% increase on last year. The 2026 Grants were awarded to ten individuals and seven organizations, with an additional two Foundation Directed Grants reflecting the Founder’s inclinations. Peter also mentioned the importance of the loyal Friends of the Foundation in carrying out the Foundation’s mission, a dedicated community of performing arts supporters now numbering over 1,000.
The venue, the UUSC Club was chosen in honour of the Founder, the late Dr Rodney Seaborn AO OBE, who was a member, and selected it for anniversaries in previous decades. Toasts were proposed to Dr Seaborn by his friend, artist Paul Delprat, and to the S,B&W Foundation by the Hon Ben Franklin MLC President of the State Legislative Council and a former Arts Minister. The MC was Simon Moore OAM, prominent radio presenter, producer and Chair of the Board of Directors at 2MBSFM Fine Music, where the S,B&W Foundation is a sponsor of two popular performing arts programs, Stage & Screen and In Conversation.
Attendees appreciated the opportunity to meet and converse with other performing arts practitioners and welcomed the eclectic mix of successful applicants, from many branches of the performing arts, a proportion coming from interstate in line with the Foundation’s mission to assist the performing arts throughout Australia. Entertainment was provided by Steven Kramer, composer and writer of Phar Lap – The Electro-Swing Musical, an award-winning production that was supported by the Foundation. Steven, who together with cast member Justin Smith performed Heart from the show, confirmed that the show’s journey continues. It will return to Carriageworks in July 2027 before embarking on a national tour.
INDIVIDUAL GRANTS
Jack Bolton (ACT)
To support his Master of Opera Singing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig, Germany, providing advanced vocal training, performance opportunities and professional development.
Patrick Cronin (Vic)
To support the development of The Journey, an immersive theatre experience for young audiences, combining music, storytelling and 360-degree sound to take children on an imaginative journey through unconventional performance spaces.
Jeremy Goldstein (NSW)
To support the development of Spider Love, a new theatre work exploring working-class queer identity, masculinity, friendship and belonging through poetry, documentary testimony and personal histories.
Melinda Hole (NSW)
To support international professional development, mentorship and artistic exchange in Australia, Germany and Austria, strengthening her career as a conductor and fostering international musical connections.
Alon Ilsar (Vic)
To develop Cymbalism, an innovative new performance language combining percussion, movement, interactive visuals and his custom-designed electronic instrument, the AirSticks.
Caroline Lee (Vic)
To support the creative development of Exhibition, a multidisciplinary theatre work exploring the lives and artistic legacies of marginalized female artists through performance, text and design.
Eugene Lynch (NSW)
To support his interstate residency in Melbourne while directing Victorian Opera’s 2027 production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, marking his debut with the company.
Jessica Nicholls (SA)
To support the international tour of Shake Shake Theatre’s puppet production, The Story of Mr B, to the Back to Ours Festival in Hull, England, bringing Australian puppetry to young audiences and families.
Augusta Supple (NSW)
To support Parramatta’s Lit! Play Development Program, providing paid opportunities for Western Sydney playwrights and theatre-makers to develop new Australian works through workshops and public readings.
Solomon Thomas (NSW)
To support the development of The Shed, an innovative theatre work combining live performance, documentary interviews, field recordings and soundscapes in the form of a true-crime podcast.
ORGANISATION GRANTS
Canberra Youth Theatre (ACT)
To support New Stories, Young Voices, bringing two new Australian plays by emerging playwrights Sonia Dodd and Sarah Matthews to the stage in 2027, while providing professional opportunities for young theatre-makers.
Country Arts South Australia (SA)
To support Kumarangk: Sisterhood, a Ngarrindjeri-led theatre production telling the true story of the women who resisted the construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge, celebrating their leadership, cultural knowledge and connection to Country.
Ensemble Offspring (NSW)
To support a regional tour of Bila’s Big Dance, a First Nations musical storytelling experience for children, sharing contemporary Indigenous music and stories with audiences in regional communities.
PYT Fairfield (NSW)
To support a contemporary reimagining of The Ratbags, the company’s inaugural 1987 production, bringing together its original playwright, Donna Abela, and emerging artists from the Fairfield community to celebrate PYT’s 40th anniversary.
RaCreate Productions (NSW)
To support the world premiere of Interior Exterior, a new Australian play exploring migration, family relationships and cultural identity, to be presented as part of Griffin Theatre Company’s 2027 Lookout program.
Sydney Chamber Opera (NSW)
To support the fully staged world premiere of The Raft, a new Australian chamber opera by Cathy Milliken, exploring themes of exile, migration, survival and human compassion.
Sydney Opera House Trust (NSW)
To support Kids Sensory Music Playtime, an accessible live music program introducing children with sensory and physical disabilities to classical music and orchestral instruments through interactive performances.
FOUNDATION DIRECTED GRANTS
Foundation Directed Grants are awarded at the discretion of the Foundation to recognise organizations whose ongoing work embodies the philanthropic vision of the Foundation’s founder, Dr Rodney Seaborn AO OBE.
ATYP – Hayden Tonazzi (NSW)
This Foundation Directed Grant is made in recognition of the Australian Theatre for Young People’s longstanding contribution to the Australian performing arts. For more than 60 years, ATYP has nurtured generations of young actors, writers, and theatre-makers, providing professional training, creative opportunities, and pathways into the industry. This grant acknowledges the organization’s enduring commitment to developing Australia’s next generation of theatre practitioners.
Australian Theatre Live – Grant Dodwell (NSW)
This Foundation Directed Grant is awarded in recognition of Australian Theatre Live’s significant contribution to the accessibility and preservation of Australian theatre. Through the professional recording and distribution of full-length stage productions, Australian Theatre Live has enabled Australian theatre to reach audiences across Australia and internationally, while preserving an important record of contemporary performance for future generations.
