Artistic Programs
Resident Directors
Sydney Theatre Company has a proud heritage as a creative hub and incubator for Australian theatre and theatre-makers.
STC is committed to providing professional development opportunities, access to key personnel and resources, and encouragement and support to pursue interests and projects away from STC. Our Resident Artists also play key roles in the day-to-day artistic life of the Company.
Supported by: STC's Artistic Development Donors
Watershed
Sydney Theatre Company has a proud history of nurturing artists for the Australian stage. Over the Company’s four decades the city, industry and community within which STC operates have changed. The careers of playwrights, the development pathways of plays and the needs of our audience and industry have shifted. In response to this ever-evolving landscape, STC created a new home for new work and artistic development – Watershed.
Watershed Writers
Watershed: Writers invites writers for performance to explore their craft, creativity and collaborative practice over a two-year association with the Company. The program is co-designed by the Writers and STC's New Work team and Resident Artists, including the Patrick White Playwrights Fellow, according to the evolving needs of the Writers and the Fellow.
The 2025-27 Watershed: Writers are Danny Ball, Cassie Hamilton, Eric Jiang and Aliyah Knight.
Supporters
Patrick White Playwrights Award & Fellowship
The Patrick White Playwrights Award has been an annual initiative of the Sydney Theatre Company since 2000. It is held in honour of Patrick White’s contribution to Australian theatre and to foster the development of Australian playwrights. In 2010 an additional prize, the Patrick White Playwrights Fellowship, was introduced to recognise and support more established Australian playwrights. The awards together have a total prize pool of $32,500.
The Patrick White Playwrights Award offers a cash prize of $7,500 for a full-length unproduced play of any genre written by an Australian playwright over 18 years of age. We are seeking works that are original, artistically ambitious and have a distinct theatrical voice.
The Patrick White Playwrights Fellowship is a position for an established Australian playwright, consisting of a year-long Fellowship at STC in recognition of their body of work and a commission to write a new play. The winning playwright receives a total prize package of $25,000 which includes a year-long Fellowship in recognition of their excellent body of work, and a commission to write a new play.
Current Patrick White Fellow
2025
Disapol Savetsila, Award
Michelle Law, Fellowship
2024
Karolina Ristevski, Award
Sheridan Harbridge, Fellowship
2023
Wendy Mocke, Award
Joanna Murray-Smith, Fellowship
2022
Aran Thangaratnam, Award
Wesley Enoch AM, Fellowship
2021
Kamarra Bell-Wykes, Award
Emme Hoy, Fellowship
2020
Ra Chapman, Award
Angus Cerini, Fellowship
2019
Keziah Warner, Award
Anchuli Felicia King, Fellowship
2018
Mark Rogers, Award
Nakkiah Lui, Fellowship
2017
Kim Ho, Award
Sue Smith, Fellowship
2016
Lewis Treston, Award
Andrew Bovell, Fellowship
2015
Neil Levi, Award
Tommy Murphy, Fellowship
2014
Debra Thomas, Award
Kate Mulvany, Fellowship
2013
Chris Summers, Award
Angela Betzien, Fellowship
2012
Anna Barnes, Award
Hilary Bell, Fellowship
2011
Phillip Kavanagh, Award
Patricia Cornelius, Fellowship
2010
Melissa Bubnic, Award
Raimondo Cortese, Fellowship (inaugural)
2009
Ian Wilding
2008
Nicki Bloom
2007
Angus Cerini
Timothy Daly
2006
Patricia Cornelius
2005
Wesley Enoch
2004
Stephen Carleton
2003
David Milroy and Ningali Lawford
2002
Reg Cribb
Ian Wilding
2001
Brendan Cowell
Toby Schmitz
Jackie Smith
2000
Bette Guy
Ben Ellis
Ailsa Piper
Details on applications for the Patrick White Playwrights Award will be listed on our Careers & Opportunities pages.
There is no formal application process for the Patrick White Playwrights Fellow; expressions of interest from established Australian playwrights are accepted on a rolling basis.