I admit it. Fine. Ok… I’m a theatre kid.
With that out of the way, I can now whole heartedly say that when it comes to safe queer spaces, one can look no further than the arts. While there is indeed an ever present cynicism in this scene, there is also a community grounded in acceptance, growth and empathy. The many Ryan Evans of the world flood their way to the stage and in doing so find themselves and a community to hold them.
An ever increasing diversity within the arts has propelled the space in a more progressive direction – favouring and praising the voices of minorities, creating space for queer and BIPOC stories. In fact, our very own UTS Backstage took on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, directed by Sachi Subramanian, for the first show of their 2025 season. This production added an additional dimension to the narrative by putting a spin on lead characters Sebastian and Antonio’s relationship – manipulating the script to suggest something more than just a ‘bromance’... something more intense?
Just down the light rail track, UNSW’s theatre society, NUTS, put on their second show of the year: A Midsummer Nights Dream… in Drag! Directed by Olivia Castree-Croad, the production enjoyed a sold out run, buzzing with anticipation before opening!
The ‘gender bend’ has also been at the forefront of student theatre for years (primarily due to a lack of men in theatre, but I digress). Shape-shifting and experimenting with characters is what makes theatre such a safe space for discovering identity. Even within UTS’s Media Arts and Production (MAP) major, it is clear that students are taking a more liberal approach to casting – casting blindly for characters that once seemed strictly binary.
What is clear, is that creatives are making space for queer stories in theatre.
But as the cost of living crisis persists, theatres are beginning to close (rest in peace ARA Theatre), and venue prices continue to rise. Available spaces for student and community theatre are becoming increasingly difficult to source, resulting in the migration of the arts further west.
So, if USyd has the Cellar Theatre and, at times, the Seymour Centre, and UNSW has Studio One – where does that leave UTS in supporting the arts?
Sure, we have the Great Hall, which is brilliant considering we don't have a theatre degree. Or perhaps even the Bon Marche space in Building 3. But these spaces are scarcely available to UTSActivate societies such as UTS Backstage, and at times have a hefty fee attached to them.
However, UTSActivate is taking steps in the right direction in their support of the arts. They are listening to the needs of various creative societies on campus and trudging forward with plans to renovate and build a space for performance-based societies where the old UTS merchandise store once stood. Hopefully, this will mean greater certainty for rehearsal spaces on campus, fewer double bookings, and more time for creatives to focus on creating – rather than faffing about begging for security to open up rooms.
Additionally, at the start of Semester two (now!), Activate is launching a new engagement program featuring Creative and Performing Arts Life in Sydney. This initiative will offer students opportunities to attend shows, galleries, student film screenings, dance classes and design workshops. These developments mark positive progress in fostering and supporting the arts at UTS.
If UTS truly cares about the wellbeing of its student body, it will see that investing in the arts can only be a good thing. Funding spaces where students – particularly minority students from diverse backgrounds – can come together and create, is vital towards the fabric of our community.
And if you're reading this thinking “God, I haven’t been onstage in a while,” I urge you to go to societies like C.R.A.P., UTS Backstage, and MuscUTS. Whether you are a friend of the stage or barely a mere acquaintance, theatre is truly a space to grow, cathart, and maybe belt a chorus or two in the arts.
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