About Us
About Us
Fruit Box Theatre is an independent arts organisation committed to developing and staging original LGBTQIA+SB theatre. Our mission is to strengthen queer representation, wellbeing, and collaboration in the arts.
Too often, artistic representations of the LGBTQIA+SB community are constrained by tropes of shame, isolation and discomfort. We at Fruit Box Theatre are passionate about developing and staging original theatrical works that reflect and explore the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+SB lived experience.
With a focus on supporting our community and taking creative works from conception to fruition, Fruit Box invests in the LGBTQIA+SB community through two streams: Development & Production.
Meet the Team
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Madeleine Gandhi (she/her)
Co-Founder & Managing Director
hello@fruitboxtheatre.com.au
Madeleine (she/her) is a producer, lawyer and the General Manager of social enterprise Stage A Change. She was previously the General Manager of Darlinghurst Theatre Company and worked in the legal team of a national theatrical production company.
Madeleine has produced work at Griffin Theatre, Kings Cross Theatre, Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Meraki Arts Bar. She is a Green Room Awards judge, ArtsHub contributor and Non-Executive Director of literary journal The Suburban Review.
Madeleine is passionate about advancing the rights of artists and facilitating opportunities to share authentic Australian stories.
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Sean Landis (he/him)
Co-Founder & Artistic Director
hello@fruitboxtheatre.com.au
Sean (he/him) is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Fruit Box Theatre. He is a director/producer with experience in Sydney’s independent theatre scene and a passion for new queer Australian work. Over the past 12 months he has led the Fruit Box RIPE Development Program in the creation of five new productions which were presented during Sydney WorldPride.
In 2021 he was recognised by Out for Australia’s “30 under 30 Awards” for his work to platform diverse LGBTQIA+ voices in theatre. Sean is the Marketing Manager at Performance Space, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Media Studies) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney.
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Emily Henderson (she/her)
Sustainability Coordinator
producer@fruitboxtheatre.com.au
Emily Henderson is a queer creative who works in the arts and environmental sector, copywriting for climate researchers and teaching creative writing. She is currently completing a Master of Environmental Management at UNSW, and has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from The University of Sydney.
She produced Virginia Woolf’s Orlando in the 2020 Sydney Mardi Gras Festival and has performed in Bondi Feast. She is particularly interested in queer art, and how the arts can contribute to environmental sustainability and regeneration.
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Courtney Henson (she/they)
Access Coordinator
producer@fruitboxtheatre.com.au
Courtney Henson is a driven performer, researcher, and access co-ordinator with a passion for performance, not-for-profit work, and disability advocacy. They recently graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Hons. 1st Class) after completing their thesis on Social Performance and Disability.
They have extensive experience working with artists and not-for-profits and have a desire to address the inaccessibility of the Australian theatre and performance sector through their research and accessibility coordination work.
Our Values
INTEGRITY
We are committed to learning from and listening to our community. Constructive conversations are welcome so please do not hesitate to email us if you have any comments, suggestions or feedback.
Creatives are selected for our programs by the Artistic Director and Managing Director through a merit-based application process. Criteria is clearly specified in Expressions of Interest and feedback is provided upon request.
RESPECT
The process of navigating identity politics in a rehearsal room requires respect, trust and a commitment to learning and unlearning. We ask all participants in our programs to treat different perspectives with empathy and open-mindedness.
We aim to be as representative of Sydney’s rainbow community as possible. Racist, transphobic, sexist, biphobic, ableist, homophobic or otherwise discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated. Any grievances should be communicated to the Artistic Director or Managing Director as soon as possible.
COMMUNITY
Fruit Box Theatre facilitates a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+SB artists to heal, share and express themselves through storytelling. Through doing so, we seek to promote connection and wellbeing within Sydney’s LGBTQIA+SB community.
Our Supporters
Our Partners
Our Awards
