NSW cultural institution Powerhouse has announced a four-year partnership with production company Co-Curious via a new commission centred on the Western Sydney community.
Applications are open for writers to be part of In The Room, which will consist of four connected 20-minute films (to be viewed as one work) set to premiere at Powerhouse Parramatta in 2025.
Co-Curious is known for producing 2021 Sydney Film Festival opener Here Out West, which was borne out of its Behind Closed Doors development program.
CEO Annabel Davis was pleased to have another opportunity to “support, celebrate and showcase” the stories of Western Sydney.
“Our model supports writers from under-represented backgrounds to develop and deliver rich culturally significant stories demonstrating the lived experience of contemporary Australia,” she said.
“This important collaboration will provide a platform for writers to tell their stories with scale while focusing on the diversity of the histories and stories of Western Sydney.
In The Room represents the first major commission for Powerhouse Parramatta, which will be the largest museum in NSW when it is completed in 2024.
Spanning 18,000 square metres of exhibition and public space, the site is expected to attract two million visitors annually.
Powerhouse chief executive Lisa Havilah said her organisation and Co-Curious shared a fundamental commitment to developing under-represented talent.
“In The Room will support Western Sydney storytelling, bringing new voices to the screen sector and supporting a vibrant screen culture,” she said.
“We look forward partnering with a leading cultural organisation that is working in unprecedented ways to tell new stories.”
Once completed, In The Room will form part of the Powerhouse collection.
Find out more information about the program here.