Melina Wightman and Lia Stark (both 23), are two artsy ladies who enjoy creating and practicing their performance art (as well as updating their tindr profiles) at Vis Ink. Melina and Lia are prevalent in the theatre world of Brisbane (and beyond), the women behind local theatre success Love Letters. The girls have a sweet kind of sisterhood that can be witnessed in their Instagram snaps. They seem to have mastered the art of combining business and friendship-Melina describes working with her best mate as ‘an immense pleasure’.

Melina is a doe-eyed, loud-mouthed QUT theatre graduate who pays the rent working as a barista “I’m living that sweet art graduate hospo lifestyle, as much as I make fun of the trope I really enjoy working as a barista… One day I hope to be able to support myself purely off artistic means, but as a young artist still developing my craft and a name for myself in the industry, art is my part time job, my hobby, my cruel and tender mistress”!

Melina became active in the theatre circuit early in her university degree, working with Vena Cava productions on multiple projects, most notably curating and coordinating a multidisciplinary arts festival Fresh Blood. Melina has previously collaborated with Ruby Donohoe in several different capacities on projects such as Kabul, and Eye Resolution. More recently – ‘I worked with the Suicide Ensemble on the shows The Reality Event: Game/Suicide which was performed at Anywhere Fest 2015 and the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival’.

Melina loves theatre, visual art and food, and cites Broad City, Sex and the City, and her relationships as her primary inspirations – ‘I suppose when you’re an artist, cathartic release is to turn your life qualms into some resort of physical representation of that’.

Visible Ink…

‘is an invaluable source of resources and space, I’m a poor young artist gal, and spaces like this that are free to hire for rehearsal and meetings are sooo important’!

‘is so friendly and inviting, easy to access and such a depth of resources to support young creative people’!

‘It’s always booked out’!!!

-Melina

Lia is twice a university graduate (in both fine arts and marketing) and a café worker with a distinctive cloud of dark curly hair and a dry wit- “When I’m not having an existential crisis about my life, I’m keen on travelling, doodling and hanging out with my dog. I’m still young, so right now I am just trying to absorb as much of the world as I can and funnel it into my work and writing”.

Lia, like Melina, has previously collaborated with Ruby Donohoe, although on a different project, An Act of Intimacy, and has also worked with Vena Cava Productions, writing and directing two original works for the Fresh Blood festival. Lia has also worked internationally – ‘For 6 months last year, I had to the immense honour of working with immersive theatre masters Punchdrunk with their Off-Broadway show Sleep No More. It was large-scale, deep-end, on the job learning. Also in New York, I studied with the Imporabale Stage, a female-run movement and physical theatre company based in Brooklyn.’

Lia loves theatre, literature, comedy, feminist theory, and ‘ARTS OF ALL KINDS’. Lia’s inspiration is derived from a piece of sage advice ‘(You should always aim to be the person you needed in high school) and that has just always pushed my artistic endeavours. If I had hilarious, feminist, sassy, independent successful woman to talk about human relationships, high school would have been a lot more bearable. So that what I’m trying to be’.

Visible Ink…

‘a safe space for young creatives. It’s free. It’s there to help us make the best art we can.’

‘A+ facilities, free printing and a place to network and experience other artists’.

‘Keycards are such a pain! I wish you could be staffed 24/7 but I know thats not always possible’.

-Lia

Find out about Melina and Lia’s current project, Love Letters:

http://instagram.com/loveletterstof*ckbois

No strangers to Visible Ink, members of Terra Nemo Theatre Company have had an active involvement with the space through past projects. “Visible Ink is not only a central venue for young artists to use but also has such fantastic experienced and friendly staff, plus lots of other creatives coming in and out to network, it’s what made it our first choice to rehearse ‘Witchery.’ There is such a welcoming vibe and you’re always made to feel at home.”

‘Witchery’ rehearsals (August 2014), photography by Anissa Roberts, featuring Gwilym
Temple, Nicholas Prior, Hayley Mcallister, Alex Carlton-Thomas and members of the
ensemble.

The group have been working hard developing and rehearsing their ambitious new production, their biggest to date, bringing in over twenty artists from around Brisbane including actors, directors, designers and choreographers. “We’ll be converting our venue into a fully functioning nightclub called ‘Pulse’, inviting the audience to not simply watch but involve themselves as a variety of story lines play out.” We’ve been assured that while a full functioning bar will be present in their new production, it’s still an all-ages gig, and it seems they should know a thing or two about nightclubs, Divi, one of the Terra Nemo directors is also a DJ.

The Terra Nemo crew is made up entirely of young, emerging artists, and they take a fresh outlook on theatre production, “our aim it is to create exciting new theatrical works, where everyone can collaborate and experiment with their own ideas, taking on risks and challenges.” The experimental approach doesn’t stop at the creative product, they even take on new models for creative economies, “because artist development is our focus, we don’t put a price on our tickets but offer our audiences the option to donate what they feel their experience ‘was worth, if at all’ after the performance, and use any funds that we do receive to make our future shows even more exciting”. This in itself becomes an important feedback mechanism to reflect and help their members grow professionally.

“We created the company to provide young artists something different to involve themselves with, an independent company where they can not only perform under direction but experiment with others roles, network with like-minded people and create something that they can call their own. We want to encourage young adults from in and around Brisbane who may be new to theatre to come and give it a try, to open a forum for discussion and to see the level of professionalism their peers can achieve when they have the opportunity to do so. Being able to produce a full-scale work from scratch, with minimal funding, that you can call your own is a really rewarding experience. It’s even better when you get to do it with friends, both old and new.”

‘Crystal Blue Sky’ (April 2014), photography by Daniel B. Jauwhannes, featuring Bella
Bosscher, Alex Carlton-Thomas and Eleni Pergaris

Encouraging people from all creative disciplines is an important focus of the group, “we want to try smashing them all together to create performances that was really interesting”, and this multi-disciplinary approach also carries through to their down-time,  “usually if someone isn’t learning lines or designing costumes then you’ll find them doing something like writing music or painting!” And this perpetual activity may be the secret to their enthusiasm and success, keeping things fresh and exciting. On creative pursuits, Terra Nemo offer this advice:

“The best thing you can do is just take the dive. If you have an idea that you really believe is worth pursuing, start researching how to do it. Get the wheels in motion. If you’re unsure, talk to someone. Get your friends involved. Come to somewhere like Visible Ink. There really is no one stopping you but yourself!”