Naja Lush

Who we are
Our vision is to be a regionally based leader in the creation and growth of dynamic performing arts in Australia. Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) is a regional performing arts organisation that creates, produces and presents cross art-form theatre from its home in the Lismore City Hall, NSW. NORPA is unique in that it is one of only a few theatre companies left in regional Australia that are creating and producing their own work.

We believe in performing arts that reflect contemporary Australian culture, are highly collaborative and spring from the curiosity of all kinds of artists;
We believe in providing a space for new ideas and artistic experimentation;
We believe in a workplace that values respect, accountability and resourcefulness; and strives for quality, sustainability and success.

Our goals are to achieve a unique identity, an engagement with audiences, a healthy organization, a leadership in the region and connections with the community.


What we do
NORPA develops its own work through the Generator program. Generator supports locally made work that is inspired by community and told in ways that are dynamic, entertaining and engaging. Workshops and artists in residence are part of the development process. The presentation of the work challenges the notion of traditional theatre, taking the audience to a new type of theatre environment that enhances the work’s theme and engages the audience.

NORPA presents a season of performances from companies around Australia to a regional audience. The season is curated by NORPA’s Artistic Director Julian Louis who chooses work of artistic vibrancy that speaks to the diverse cross-section of community that is the Northern Rivers.

NORPA provides a space for artists, community groups and creative industries to meet, connect, experiment, share and grow. This cultural space is the Lismore City Hall, provided by Lismore City Council and managed by NORPA.


Background
NORPA has earned a reputation for creating adventurous works that express regional perspectives and contribute significantly to the artistic identity of Australia.

NORPA began in 1993 under the Artistic Direction of Lyndon Terracini. Highlighted original works include The Cars That Ate Paris (1995) and The Flood (2004) which were first glimpses into large scale works that connected with community and reflected the ‘culture of place’.

In 2007 Julian Louis took over as Artistic Director and immediately set to work continuing to forge an original identity for NORPA in the support, creation and development of new Australian work. Not like Beckett (2007), an absurdist one man show that explored Australia’s dark colonial past, and The Bloody Bride (2008), which was an original work written by Hilary Bell inspired by Lorca’s classic Blood Wedding.

Louis has always believed in the generation of creativity through connection, collaboration and exploration. As a newcomer to the region, Louis saw the Northern Rivers as a unique environment that inspired all kinds of creativity. Collaboration and exploration were essential to connecting with the region, harnessing the creativity that existed and transforming it into stories that were relevant, pertinent and accessible to the entire region, not just a traditional theatre going audience.

It was with this in mind that Louis decided to set up Generator in 2010, a creative development program whose focus is the generation and presentation of new locally made work, inspired by the region’s stories and told by a collaboration of local and national artists. Generator’s creative process involves the development of form and theme; an experimentation of both the art form, whether it be dance, circus, music, visual art; and an exploration of a story’s theme, its message and the challenges this presents in the community. Such a process takes the form of workshops, residencies and showings, housed at NORPA’s space in Lismore City Hall, a venue that provides a supportive environment in terms of mentorship in creative expression and technical production.