Kate Sulan
Kate Sulan is a performance maker, dramaturge and facilitator, specialising in collaboratively devised performance.
Kate has collaborated on many new works across theatre, dance and interdisciplinary projects. Kate was the founding Artistic Director of Rawcus, an award-winning ensemble of performers with diverse minds, bodies and imaginations and led the company for 22 years (2000-2022). Her work has been described as “a moving assertion of humanity with a wicked sense of humour.”
Kate is also a long-term collaborator with Back to Back. She has worked with the company as a co-devisor, dramaturge and director.
Kate was one of the team of artists working on the multiyear Refuge project at Arts House. Refuge explored the role of artists and cultural institutions in times of climate catastrophe, bringing together emergency management, artists, the community, local, regional and international partners. In 2021, Kate co-designed and co-facilitated (with Jen Rae, Christine Drummond and Jonathan Craig) the City of Melbourne's emergency exercise drill 'Exercise Torrent' and has worked with the Centre for Reworlding, co-delivering their Creative Resilience Lab (Mount Alexander Shire).
In 2009, Kate created a work in Ahmedabad, India as part of an Asialink Performing Arts Residency. The work was a collaboration between Darpana Performing Arts Academy and residents from Apang Manav Mandal, a home for disabled girls.
Kate graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Post Graduate Diploma in Animateuring. She also has an Advanced Diploma in Group Facilitation (Groupwork Centre) and is a trained mediator (Resolution Institute). She holds space and facilitates complex and challenging conversations with care and creativity.
Kate’s practice is relational and collaborative. Her work embraces complexity and diversity and is underpinned by the desire to amplify connection, fuel dreams, accumulate questions, slow down time and open possibilities.
Kate is based in Naarm/Melbourne and is currently a lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts (Theatre) and the Chair of Theatre Network Australia.