A message from our Artistic Director
I am writing this in the middle of Outback Queensland, sitting on the veranda of my cabin in the town of Tambo. We are here to meet and listen to communities ahead of our slow tour of Where is the Green Sheep? throughout Central Western Queensland in 2027. What a privilege it has been to meet local children, parents, councils, teachers, librarians and shopkeepers.
Oh, and the adventures we've had!
Monkey Baa was founded as a regional and remote touring theatre company with the belief that every child deserves the very best theatre experiences no matter where they live, and I'm incredibly proud to say that, in almost 30 years, that commitment has never changed.
And so, it feels right that here, amongst these beautiful communities, under peaceful big skies and vast landscapes, that I have decided to signal my departure from Monkey Baa at the end of 2027.
To the children of Australia, in the furthest corners of this country: we have always seen you. Some of you now have children of your own. Some of you have become incredible artists in your own right. It has always been all of you who have sustained me personally, nurtured me through 29 years of my practice, taught me things I never knew, and the reason why I have never wanted to leave.
But for me, now, the time is right.
Monkey Baa will turn 30 in 2027. I love an even number. And I have many more places to explore.
Our core Monkey Baa team has evolved over the years, and I am deeply grateful to every one of you who has woven your own unique magic into this company and made it what it is today.
To our Chair, Professor Judith McLean; our Executive Director, Kevin du Preez; our incredible board, our former Chair, Libbie Doherty; and all our former board members, I could not have led the last six years as Artistic Director without your support.
To our artist collaborators, our crews, Arts On Tour, all the incredible national presenters of our work, our funders, and the philanthropists who have always believed in our vision: thank you.
And to my two co-founders and best friends in the world, Tim McGarry and Sandie Eldridge. What we envisioned in our tiny little company in 1997 and what has transpired over the years, the works we created, the artists we shared practice with, and the places we went, who would ever have imagined it?
At the end of 2027, I will leave with a heart bursting with pride for the ‘little engine that could’. Because it did. And it will continue to do so because Monkey Baa has so many more adventures ahead.
I look forward to watching the company continue to evolve and bring joy to thousands and thousands of children in Australia and beyond.
For now, though, it is business as usual, with continued collaboration in classrooms, writing rooms and rehearsal rooms. There are still stories to tell before I step away.
And when the time comes, I will leave knowing that being part of Monkey Baa has been the privilege of my life.
Eva Di Cesare
