Thank you, for helping us create
In a time of global economic uncertainty, The Arts always feels under threat. This is especially true for organisations like Forest Collective, who strive to bring new and innovative works into the world, rather than leaning on the same tired canon, ad nauseum.
And now with the looming spectre of AI-generated art, trained on the stolen intellectual property of creatives the world over, it is easy for artists and creatives to feel undervalued, taken for granted, and ignored.
This is why our Forest Family of donors means so much to us. Our annual EOFY appeal, and our ACF appeal for the Australian premiere of Fat Pig with BK Opera, raised a total of over $5,800. We are so grateful to each and every donor for their gift. The generosity of your donations not only helps us create original, innovative and deeply human art, it also affirms the value of artists everywhere. Your donations have made us feel supported as creatives in the modern world – and this is not something we take for granted!
(Left: Daniel with costar Belinda Dalton in Fat Pig - Image by Kate Cameron. Right: Daniel in Labyrinth - image by Pia Johnson)
We are so encouraged to see you all sharing in our vision for diversity and artistic freedom in contemporary classical music, dance, and collaborative projects. As our fearless leader Evan Lawson said in his recent interview with CutCommon: “We have built Forest Collective with the idea that new work is at the core of what we do. Everyone – from the voluntary committee of administrators, to the artists, to our audience and donor base – supports and champions that philosophy.” That has been made truly apparent in our recent campaign.
Your generous donations have enabled the success of our 2025 season, which featured two fully staged works: the Australian premiere of Fat Pig by Matt Boehler and Miriam Gordon-Stewart, as well as the immersive spectacular Labyrinth, by Evan and I. Both seasons played to packed houses, and received effusive praise in the press. We are delighted that Labyrinth has also been named as a finalist for the APRA-AMCOS Art Music Awards, in the category of ‘Work of the Year: Dramatic’.
Your donations, however large or small, have all contributed to the success of these works. So, on behalf of all of us at Forest Collective, we say a huge thank you for helping the arts flourish.
We look forward to seeing you at our next exciting project.
