Merrigong Theatre Company proudly announces the 2025 MERRIGONGX Artists’ Program, an inspiring showcase of the extraordinary breadth of local talent from the Illawarra region.
MERRIGONGX places artists and their practices at the heart of the community. From in-house creative developments to fully staged public presentations of new work and everything in between, MERRIGONGX provides independent artists with essential financial, technical, marketing, and artistic resources.
The program launches in February with Yandha Djanbay (Go Slowly) by acclaimed Gunai artist Kirli Saunders. This powerful meditation on resilience, connection, and healing blends intimate storytelling with audiovisual projections. Drawing from her deep connection to Country, Saunders creates a work honouring land as a source of solace and strength in times of hardship.
Lucy Heffernan’s Dog People takes the stage in June, exploring love, loyalty, and loss. With a blend of alt-rock, pop, and heartfelt ballads, this work delves into what it means to be human, using music to channel our primal instincts.
September brings Squatch Watch: LIVE by Vaguely Adjacent, a new performance collective led by Nick Vagne. Interrogating conspiracy, hoaxes and how they are proliferated through modern social media, they are sure to entertain with a hilarious, darkly comedic take on live podcast shows.
Rounding out the year in October, The Corinthian Food Store presents Public Access, transforming Wollongong City Library into a vibrant, inclusive performance space. This innovative work explores the places where people come together to be seen and heard – and who decides what truly matters in these shared spaces.
Beyond the staged season, MERRIGONGX will support over 40 local artists across various projects throughout the year, including talents such as Bonnie Curtis, Bradley Ward and Jordon Mahar.
The program also continues its annual Made From Scratch multi-artform performance nights in March, June and September. These events allow emerging and established artists to experiment and present new ideas to live audiences in a supportive environment.
From February 20 – October 25
More information about the MERRIGONGX 2025 Season can be found at www.merrigong.com.au/merrigongx
