Hutchinson Indigenous Fellowship supports projects exploring truth-telling and celestial knowledge

Themes of truth-telling, celestial knowledge and divinity will be explored as part of two new Indigenous theatre and circus projects supported by the 2025/26 Hutchinson Indigenous Fellowship.

Theatre maker Amy Sole and circus practitioner Harley Mann have been jointly awarded the 2025/26 Hutchinson Indigenous Fellowship and Residency at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).

Established by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust in recognition of Mr Darvell Hutchinson AM, former Chair of the Trust, the Fellowship supports the artistic practice of Indigenous artists based in Victoria. Awarded annually and valued at up to $45,000, it includes a one-year residency at the University of Melbourne.

Amy Sole, a proud Wiradjuri/Worimi person, VCA alum and Creative Associate at First Peoples theatre company ILBIJERRI, is a strong advocate for First Nations theatre who is committed to supporting the next generation of First Nations artists. Amy says they are grateful for the opportunity provided by the Fellowship to examine their own dramaturgical practice more deeply.

“So much of my energy goes into supporting the practices of others—enabling Mob to articulate their stories, discover their practices and to be grounded in cultural storytelling—so it’s fantastic to be supported to develop my own practice,” they said.

Amy will work with a cultural mentor and will spend time on Country to further hone their cultural storytelling. Amy’s research will culminate in the development of an original theatre piece, after which they plan to undertake a PhD on First People’s dramaturgy, with a focus on truth-telling.

“Whatever story I’m telling—it’s always about truth,” they said. “We’ve been telling stories since time immemorial, but Blak theatre has really developed its own dramaturgies. I’m interested in centring First Peoples’ practices, ways of doing and ways of telling story.”

Fellowship recipient Harley Mann, a Wakka Wakka man who grew up on Gadigal Country, is a leading figure in contemporary circus. Harley says the Fellowship will provide him with the time, support and resourcing to explore Blak circus and what makes it uniquely Indigenous.

Harley will use the insights gained from this research to develop a performance blending circus and theatre called It’s Not Worth Looking up for the Gods are Invisible, in which performers will be suspended above the audience, which he hopes to premiere in 2030.

“I’m really interested in our relationship as human beings to divinity and to Sky Country,” said Harley. “Celestial knowledge is constantly growing as we have greater access to the skies, and our relationship to divinity shifts and changes. First Nations deities and Gods often reflect our own humanity, and have deep lessons embedded into them.

“The way we hold and view art and story is important. In my storytelling, I love to push boundaries and see what’s possible—contrasting extraordinariness with mundaneness can be really powerful.”

VCA Director Professor Emma Redding congratulated the two recipients, and said they join an esteemed group of Indigenous artists who have shared their knowledge and talents as Hutchinson Fellows at the University of Melbourne.

“I am delighted that both of these outstanding Indigenous creative practitioners have been honoured in this way,” she said. “I look forward to seeing the opportunities and synergies the residencies provide over the year to Amy and Harley, as well as to the staff and students at our Faculty and in our broader creative community.”