Following a sold out debut in 2025, Theatre Makers is an ongoing program of creative workshops and masterclasses for emerging and experienced artists in the Northern Rivers.

Led by respected theatre practitioners from across Australia, the program focuses on practical skill development, creative collaboration and confidence building across performance, movement, storytelling and theatre making.

Theatre Makers provides accessible professional development opportunities locally, strengthening creative networks and supporting artists to grow their practice without needing to leave the region.

‍Individual workshops are announced throughout the year.

Storytellers is Byron Theatre Company’s core development program for Northern Rivers theatre-makers creating new Australian work.

The program supports writers from early ideas through structured development, offering mentorship, dramaturgical guidance and dedicated time to deepen their scripts.

By providing a clear pathway toward main stage production, Storytellers helps local voices develop ambitious work locally, strengthening the pipeline of original theatre made in the Northern Rivers.

‍Applications now open. Closing 1 November at 6:00pm AEST

Presented by Fairbairn + Wild Productions and Byron Theatre Company, Tirra Lirra by the River was Byron Theatre Company’s 2026 Main Stage Production, bringing a major Australian work to the Byron Theatre stage.

When Nora returned to the house where she grew up, the past resurfaced, forcing a reckoning with the life she had lived and the woman she had become.

Directed by Heather Fairbairn and Kate Wild, this contemporary adaptation reimagined an Australian classic through rich visual and sound design, offering audiences a powerful meditation on memory, belonging and place.

“A bold, worthy venture.” - ArtsHub

“Toni Scanlan delivers a formidable performance.” - ArtsHub

Writers: Heather Fairbairn and Kate Wild | Co-directors: Heather Fairbairn and Kate Wild | Production Designer: Savanna Wegman | Lighting and Video Designer: Aron Murray | Composer and Sound Designer: Anthony J Walker | Cast included: Toni Scanlan

Season: June 2026 at Byron Theatre

Tirra Lirra by the River was supported by Create NSW.

What if the only way forward was to face the past?

Jacqui has spent a lifetime studying problems in the natural world while avoiding her own. When a terminal diagnosis cuts through her isolation, she is visited by a mysterious bird who draws her into a surreal journey through memory, myth and healing.

Unfolding across the Australian landscape, Displace I Call Home reflected on the meaning of home and belonging in a transmigratory world. Blending poetic storytelling, physical theatre and cinematic projections, the production launched Byron Theatre Company’s commitment to creating bold, original Australian theatre in the Northern Rivers.

“A feast for the senses.” - Gregory Aitken, actor and producer

Written and directed by Bianca Sirianni | Choreographer: Waangenga Blanco | Projection Designer: Victor Holder | Artistic Mentor: Liz Chance | Cast: Sally Davis as Jacqui, Noa Rotem as the Lyrebird and Doctor, and Tom Davies as Cliff and Harry

Season: July 2025 at Byron Theatre

Displace I Call Home was supported by Create NSW and Regional Arts NSW and was the inaugural production of Byron Theatre Company.

Make a tax-deductible donation to help care for and improve Byron Theatre while supporting original productions, artist development, workshops and community theatre opportunities.

Your contribution helps local artists create and present work in the Northern Rivers and keeps our theatre a vibrant place for the community to gather, connect and celebrate.

Our tax-deductible fundraising account is proudly held in partnership with the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF).

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