Kate Champion

Kate is the current Artistic Director of Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia. She has decades of experience working in theatre, dance-theatre, opera, musicals, film and circus – in many genres ranging from devised original work, new Australian plays, classics, comedy, multi-art form work, interactive and physical theatre. In 2002, Kate founded the company Force Majeure based in Sydney, and helmed the company from a project-based concern to a multi-year funded company premiering five original main stage works for major festivals and touring extensively regionally, nationally, and internationally until 2015. Force Majeure has toured twice to WA. Kate works extensively on large-scale projects, and for major theatre companies as well as in the small-to-medium and independent theatre scene. Kate is presently working as director on the development of a new play with local Perth actors Mandy and Hayley McElhinney. Kate had a 26-year career as a performer and dancer with companies both nationally and internationally and created two acclaimed solo shows. Kate performed her solo show FACE VALUE at PICA. Kate is a multi-award winning artist, winning the Helpmann Award Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production for SAME SAME, BUT DIFFERENT (Sydney Festival), Most Outstanding Performance by a Company at the Australian Dance Awards for ALREADY ELSEWHERE (Sydney Festival and Biennale de la Danse in Lyon), the 2012 Helpmann Award for Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production for NOT IN A MILLION YEARS, and Most Outstanding Performance by a Company at the Australian Dance Awards forTHE AGE I’M IN (Sydney and Adelaide Festivals, touring to Dublin, Montreal and Seoul). Kate currently sits on the board for Belvoir Theatre and Legs on the Wall.