NIDA alum Kylie Heart (Cultural Leadership, 2023) is the visionary force behind Midnight Feast, NIDA’s resident company that champions inclusivity in the arts. Her journey from a theatre-loving child to achieving her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Cultural Leadership at NIDA has been remarkable, and the driving force that propelled her career forward as the Founder and Artistic Director of Midnight Feast. In this interview, Kylie divulges the eye-opening experiences that inspired her work, her aspirations around creating opportunities for artists with disabilities and the incredible performances to look forward to, including the highly anticipated Gastrobotic, which will play at the Sydney Opera House.
Can you tell us about your background in the arts and what led you to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Cultural Leadership at NIDA?
I grew up as the middle child of nine children. My older siblings were in theatre and TV, and so, my earliest memories are of cheering with all my heart and just seeing the people that I love in the bright lights on stage and screen in front of me. Everything about my life has always been the love of story and usually, my primary pull is live performance.
After school, I travelled to California to work at a special needs summer camp, and then on to London, where I spent my days off watching theatre, fascinated by its magic. I returned to Australia and attended the Actors Centre in 2002. Additionally, I trained in singing with the late Lisa Schouw, performing one-woman shows and learning performance and producing on the job.
In 2008, I started working at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, running their drama program. I found myself in a hall filled with people who did not have traditional means of communication. It became clear to me that it didn’t really matter what we did as there was no framework and zero expectations. I began the long process of developing a methodology of working with artists with significant disabilities to make sure that we were authentically telling their stories. One of the many profound gifts I received from this time was a deep sense of purpose.
I collaborated with Chrissie Koltai who was my movement teacher at drama school. I knew she was the perfect woman to help me take these stories from page to stage. Chrissie and I co-directed several shows at the Opera House, making history in 2012 as the Opera House had never had so many artists in wheelchairs on stage at one time.
This work was improvisational and collaborative, focusing on performance, movement and voice. That’s what I love to do. I fell in love with physical theatre when I was at drama school. I think if you’re going to make a work of art, why not use all the colours available?
My passion for inclusive arts led me to found Midnight Feast, NIDA’s resident company providing opportunities for artists with disabilities. Our work aims to make audiences comfortable with the unfamiliar through telling epic, inclusive stories.
I pursued my MFA in Cultural Leadership at NIDA. Australia’s leading national institution, where practitioners operate at the highest level. I wanted to learn from the best and engage in conversations with top practitioners globally. Coming to NIDA was a dream come true for me. Having worked in the industry for over 20 years I knew this program would help me grow Midnight Feast, which I had been developing for five years and also extend my personal arts practice and leadership skills. The recognition and quality of education at NIDA are unparalleled and being accepted into the Masters program felt like breaking through a glass ceiling.
Can you share some of the highlights from your time studying at NIDA?
One of the highlights at NIDA was the beginning of each session where we introduced ourselves and our roles within the industry. This allowed me to experiment with different titles and identities, such as Multi-Disciplinary Artist, Inclusion Activist, CEO, Creative Producer or Artistic Director. It allowed me to explore and define what I do in a more structured way, within an institutional context. This self-reflection and declaration process was invaluable in understanding and articulating my professional identity.
Another highlight was the international placement I undertook in Galway, Ireland, which was an incredible experience. I suddenly had this time on the other side of the world to reflect, mid-career. I had space to ask, ‘What’s happening in the industry of the arts? What am I doing? What would I like to do?’ Running an arts organisation, you can get so caught up in the day-to-day operations, so it was a real luxury.
I was able to communicate with the world’s finest and have conversations, ask questions that you’re not necessarily able to ask in a professional setting. I got to interview Kip Williams (Directing, 2009). For an entire hour, I spoke with him one-on-one. To curate that interview and spend that time with him was a rare and privileged opportunity.
During my first year at NIDA, COVID hit. As a member of the student council, I was a part of the conversations that were happening weekly with Liz Hughes and fellow student council members as we made the transition from face-to-face to online learning. I got to sit in on the board meetings, where I was able to witness how NIDA as an organisation responded to the challenge of COVID. This was shortly followed by another significant global turning point, the Black Lives Matter movement. I have nothing but the utmost respect for NIDA’s CEO, Liz Hughes, for her exemplary leadership throughout those times. She spoke openly and offered her phone number to every student. She made herself available to all of us. That was extraordinary. It was extraordinary.
Could you elaborate on the collaboration between Midnight Feast and NIDA? How has this partnership enriched the creative practices of both entities?
The collaboration between Midnight Feast and NIDA has been incredibly enriching for both entities. Over the years, NIDA has provided unwavering support for Midnight Feast’s workshops and productions, with every faculty and department, from AV to front of house, asking, ‘What do you need? How can we help?’ This has fostered an environment of mutual learning and growth, where everyone gets involved and gains valuable insights into inclusive practice. Artists from Midnight Feast have also been employed to teach inclusive practice to NIDA’s second-year Bachelor of Fine Arts students, ensuring that these principles are integrated into their education.
Midnight Feast has been embraced; we marched with NIDA during Sydney Mardi Gras and were involved with prom. We participate in conversations with the student council to make sure that it is accessible. From a broader social perspective, we are welcome in the Facebook communities. We were asked to perform for the entire 2024 cohort of students and executive staff on the first day of academic studies this year, which was new.
This partnership has facilitated numerous opportunities, such as Midnight Feast supporting NIDA in grant applications for upgrading infrastructure access, and even students writing their theses on Midnight Feast’s inclusive practice; including Master of Fine Arts in Voice Pedagogy and Writing For Performance. Some of the costume cohort volunteered to work on our productions at the Opera House. These opportunities define people’s practice from the grassroots.
Midnight Feast achieved significant milestones in 2023, including the success of the film Mine Mine Mine. What do you think contributed to this success, and how do you plan to build on it in the future?
Mine Mine Mine, written by Artistic Associate Heath Ramsay and directed by Artistic Associate Duncan Ragg, is part of a body of work that has indirectly created funding opportunities in the sector. Heath Ramsay, who is now an internationally awarded filmmaker and writer, couldn’t get a grant in Australia. That’s what changes when you have the backing of a recognised institution like NIDA. Mine Mine Mine was funded privately in response to the lack of funding for artists with disabilities, it has won awards all over the world.
The impact of Mine Mine Mine goes beyond just this one project. Midnight Feast ran a two-year-long program in collaboration with The Corinthian Food Store, supported by Screenrights Australia, ABC Australia, SBS Australia, Jungle Entertainment and Easy Tiger Productions, that brought together industry professionals to work with our artists. This has led to more works by people with disabilities being developed and funded. I’ve seen first-hand how this initiative increased visibility and support creating more opportunities for marginalised artists. For example, friends of mine who faced barriers in the past are now leading actors and directors in major productions at Sydney Theatre Company. This project shows how sustained effort and advocacy can create meaningful change, opening doors for greater inclusivity and recognition within in the arts industry.
Can you tell us about the upcoming theatrical production Gastrobotic? What inspired its creation and where can people see it?
The upcoming theatrical production Gastrobotic is Artistic Associate James Penny’s original concept and dream come true. James, who spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child, believed he became a robot when he was hooked up to all that equipment…. machines beeping and flashing. This show is about making that time of his life, telling his story with his words and addressing conversations about artificial intelligence and people’s fear of it. The production is a mixed-media extravaganza, and we’re collaborating with the Creative Robotics Lab (CRL) at the UNSW School of Art & Design to develop the robotics used in the piece.
This collaboration came as a result of an introduction to the CRL team by Amanda McDonald Crowley. Amanda is the current Course Leader of the MFA Cultural Leadership. When she saw an early preview of the work, she came up to James and me afterwards and said that we had to meet the artist Mari Velonaki, founder of the CRL. That resulted in us touring the Lab and making this wonderful connection. We haven’t yet met Mari (but I am sure we will) but her team is phenomenally open to this collaboration. One of the joys of participating in the MFA Cultural Leadership is that I have a network of phenomenal peers and colleagues through the program.
This production will premiere at the Sydney Opera House, it’ll be our piece to say ‘hello’ after COVID. ‘Hello, we’ve been busy, and we’d like to show you all these new developments!’
*Header Image: Kylie Heart at NIDA. Photo by Hannah Fulton.
