Opportunities for Artists
Artists are at the centre of what we do
Each year, Sydney Theatre Company presents a season of plays that brings together new works by Australian playwrights, outstanding contemporary international writing, and revivals of classic plays from Australia and around the world.
Productions are initiated by the Artistic Director and the Artistic team, as well as by freelance writers and directors who pitch ideas to STC. New plays are most often works that have been commissioned and developed by the Company.
The season is programmed by the Artistic Director in collaboration with the programming team, which includes the Executive Director, Senior Producer, Casting Director and Literary Manager, with input from the broader Artistic team.
Inviting us to see your show
The STC Artistic team endeavour to see as much theatre as possible, including independent productions, readings and developments. With limited capacity and a busy annual programme, we are necessarily selective about which invitations we can accept.
Decisions about attendance are guided by a range of factors, including the ambition and theatricality of the work, the strength of the material, our interest in the artists involved and their potential to produce work for STC audiences. As STC produces work for large audiences across extended seasons, we most often attend work by artists whose practice is already well-developed.
Members of the team who attend shows may include the Artistic Director, Casting Director, Resident Directors, Literary Manager, Dramaturg, and Producing team.
To invite an STC representative, please email [email protected] with Invitation and the show title in the subject line. We recommend sending invitations well in advance of your opening, at least four weeks prior. You will receive an acknowledgement email, and if we are able to attend, a member of the Artistic team will be in touch directly.
While theatre is best experienced live, we recommend making a recording of your production as company representatives (from STC or elsewhere) may not always be able to attend in person.
For Established Playwrights
Commissions and development
Every year STC commissions and develops original plays and new adaptations by Australian writers with a proven track record of professional production and script development, and who have a concept that is consistent with the Artistic Director’s programming vision.
Commissions usually emerge from ongoing conversations with the Artistic team and are developed with Company support over an extended period, typically between six months and three years.
Writers under commission (as of Jan 2026): Tony Ayres, Andrew Bovell, Angus Cerini, Wesley Enoch AM, Sheridan Harbridge, Jane Harrison, Kim Ho, Emme Hoy, Nakkiah Lui, Kirsty Marillier & Zindzi Okenyo, Nathan Maynard, Ian Michael, S.Shakthidharan, Melanie Tait.
Patrick White Playwrights Fellowship
The Patrick White Playwrights Fellowship is a position for an established Australian playwright, consisting of a year-long Fellowship at Sydney Theatre Company in recognition of their body of work and a commission to write a new play.
There is no formal application process; expressions of interest from established Australian playwrights are accepted on a rolling basis. Email [email protected]
Script submissions
Established playwrights are asked to make submissions via their agent.
For Emerging Playwrights
While Sydney Theatre Company predominantly produces work by playwrights at an advanced stage of their careers, we actively seek out and support exciting new Australian writers.
Patrick White Playwrights Award
Every year, STC invites playwrights to submit their unproduced plays for consideration as part of the Patrick White Playwrights Award. Scripts are assessed through a rigorous process involving readers and the Artistic team. The Award recognises work that is original, artistically ambitious, and has a distinctive theatrical voice.
Applications are currently closed and will be listed on our Careers & Opportunities page when available.
Watershed: Writers
Watershed: Writers is a two-year residency program that supports playwrights to explore their craft, creativity, and collaborative practice as part of STC. The program is co-designed by the participating writers in collaboration with the Artistic team, including the Patrick White Playwrights Fellow.
Applications are currently closed and will be listed on our Careers & Opportunities page when available.
Script submissions
Unsolicited script submissions are considered once a year through the Patrick White Playwrights Award only. Submissions received outside this process are unable to be read and responded to, including hard-copy scripts sent by post. Hard-copy submissions will be recycled and cannot not returned.
Invite us to see your work
Producing your play independently can be an effective way of developing your craft, demonstrating your potential and bring your playwriting to life in performance.
For Directors
Sydney Theatre Company productions are directed by the Artistic and Resident Directors and freelance directors. The Artistic Director and Artistic team regularly meet with external directors and consider expressions of interest from directors at different stages of their careers.
Directors who wish to be considered should submit a CV/bio and brief expression of interest to [email protected] with Directing Expression of Interest in the subject line. Submissions will be acknowledged, and if a suitable opportunity arises, a member of the Artistic team may be in touch.
STC engages Assistant Directors on most productions rehearsed in Sydney. These are paid, full-time positions for emerging directors who demonstrate maturity, resilience and a capacity to self-start.
Applicants are typically directors working in the independent sector or graduates of major dramatic arts training institutions. As a Sydney-based company, these opportunities are available to Sydney-based artists only. STC strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and from artists from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.
Resident Directors meet with applicants on a rolling basis and introduce production Directors to a shortlist of candidates. Directors then select their Assistant Director based on aptitude, suitability for the production, and the development potential of the opportunity.
Directors who wish to be considered should submit a CV/bio and brief expression of interest to [email protected] with Assistant Director Expression of Interest in the subject line. Submissions will be acknowledged, and if a suitable opportunity arises, a member of the Artistic team may be in touch.
If you are making work in the independent sector in Sydney, we encourage you to invite us to see your work.
In the interest of equity, Sydney Theatre Company does not permit unpaid work and is therefore unable to offer general rehearsal room observation opportunities. Observation is only available through formal STC mentoring or development programs.
Exceptions may occasionally be made for students engaged in full-time study where observation forms a required unit of study. Request are considered on a case-by-case basis.
For Actors
When casting for a particular production, Sydney Theatre Company’s Casting team issues briefs directly to agents, as well as via Showcast and Casting Networks. From these submissions, selected actors are invited to audition for specific roles and provided with material to prepare. Not every production in a season will have an open audition call.
General auditions are held to introduce STC to Sydney-based actors we have not previously worked with or seen. While these auditions are not for specific roles, they inform casting consideration across STC’s mainstage and development programs.
General Auditions are held approximately every 12 to 18 months.
Actors who wish to be considered should submit an Acting CV and recent headshot to [email protected] with General Audition in the subject line. Due to the volume of submissions received, submitting materials does not guarantee an audition.
STC strongly encourages submissions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, artists from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, mature age artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists living with disability.
For Designers
Creative teams for each production are assembled by the production’s Director, in consultation with STC’s Artistic Director and Artistic team. Creative teams typically include Set, Costume, Lighting, and Sound Designers as well as a Composer.
Established and emerging designers who wish to be considered for opportunities should submit a CV and/or portfolio to [email protected] with Designer Expression of Interest in the subject line. Submissions will be acknowledged, and if a suitable opportunity arises, a member of the Artistic team may be in touch.