Established in 1992 and based in Cairns, JUTE Theatre Company develops and produces new Australian works that engage audiences and reflect the lived experiences of regional communities. JUTE also tours and delivers accessible, high-quality theatre to remote areas, while building skills and creating opportunities for emerging artists in regional Queensland. Through partnerships with community, government, and industry, JUTE supports connected communities and contributes to the development of relevant cultural policy and practice.

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As Refugee Week begins, we honour the extraordinary young cast of Resist the Switch — all of whom, apart from Claudia Harms, come from refugee backgrounds. Some had only been in Australia for three months when they joined the Ubuntu Theatre Program.

Led by playwright and director Grace Edward, this journey has been supported by incredible partnerships with Cairns African Association, Centacare FNQ, Cairns Safer Streets, and Trinity Bay High School. Together, they’ve created space for growth, expression, and community.

Special thanks to Anna Jones (President, Cairns African Association) and Eric Bagwaneze (language and general support) for their ongoing commitment and care.

As the Ubuntu philosophy reminds us: “I am because we are.” This work is a living example of what happens when we support each other’s humanity.Image attachment

As Refugee Week begins, we honour the extraordinary young cast of Resist the Switch — all of whom, apart from Claudia Harms, come from refugee backgrounds. Some had only been in Australia for three months when they joined the Ubuntu Theatre Program.

Led by playwright and director Grace Edward, this journey has been supported by incredible partnerships with Cairns African Association, Centacare FNQ, Cairns Safer Streets, and Trinity Bay High School. Together, they’ve created space for growth, expression, and community.

Special thanks to Anna Jones (President, Cairns African Association) and Eric Bagwaneze (language and general support) for their ongoing commitment and care.

As the Ubuntu philosophy reminds us: “I am because we are.” This work is a living example of what happens when we support each other’s humanity.
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2 days ago

This video was created at the very start of our Ubuntu program. Next week, these amazing young people will take to the stage and bring "Resist the Switch" to life, a new play written by Grace Edward, inspired by their experiences. Don't miss this amazing culmination of many months of hard work and dedication!

Tickets: collections.humanitix.com/resist-the-switch
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5 days ago
Theatre skills Microcredentials for First Nations youth (15+ not currently going to school). Its not too late to sign up for our next instalment of a pilot program to skill more First Nations people for jobs in the theatre sector, Binalmalmal. There are so many opportunities in our beautiful sector, on and off stage. For more information, visit our web site and get in touch! 

www.jute.com.au/binalmalmal

Theatre skills Microcredentials for First Nations youth (15+ not currently going to school). It's not too late to sign up for our next instalment of a pilot program to skill more First Nations people for jobs in the theatre sector, Binalmalmal. There are so many opportunities in our beautiful sector, on and off stage. For more information, visit our web site and get in touch!

www.jute.com.au/binalmalmal
... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Alicia Melonie Jones

Only 9 days to go!

The countdown is on for Resist The Switch – an unflinching new theatre work by Grace Edward that dives deep into identity, migration, and the unspoken rules of belonging.

🔥 African-Australian teens.
🎒 A school camp.
📱 TikTok meets traditional stories.
💥 Culture clashes, code-switching, and the fight to stay true to yourself.

📍 Bulmba-ja Arts Centre
📅 June 20–21
🎟️ Tickets: https://collections.humanitix.com/resist-the-switch

Only 9 days to go!

The countdown is on for Resist The Switch – an unflinching new theatre work by Grace Edward that dives deep into identity, migration, and the unspoken rules of belonging.

🔥 African-Australian teens.
🎒 A school camp.
📱 TikTok meets traditional stories.
💥 Culture clashes, code-switching, and the fight to stay true to yourself.

📍 Bulmba-ja Arts Centre
📅 June 20–21
🎟️ Tickets: collections.humanitix.com/resist-the-switch
... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago

1 CommentComment on Facebook

So thrilled for this. Grace is an amazing director, and theatre maker. My time with her on Pearler: The Winifred Atwell story, showed me her talent.

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MEDIA RELEASES, NEWS and STORIES

Only 9 days to go!

The countdown is on for Resist The Switch – an unflinching new theatre work by Grace Edward that dives deep into identity, migration, and the unspoken rules of belonging.

🔥 African-Australian teens.
🎒 A school camp.
📱 TikTok meets traditional stories.
💥 Culture clashes, code-switching, and the fight to stay true to yourself.

📍 Bulmba-ja Arts Centre
📅 June 20–21
🎟️ Tickets: https://collections.humanitix.com/resist-the-switch

Only 9 days to go!

The countdown is on for Resist The Switch – an unflinching new theatre work by Grace Edward that dives deep into identity, migration, and the unspoken rules of belonging.

🔥 African-Australian teens.
🎒 A school camp.
📱 TikTok meets traditional stories.
💥 Culture clashes, code-switching, and the fight to stay true to yourself.

📍 Bulmba-ja Arts Centre
📅 June 20–21
🎟️ Tickets: https://collections.humanitix.com/resist-the-switch
...

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Congratulations to this incredible team on completing their second Creative Development for Dog Years! Supported by the Queensland Government and Creative Australia through JUTE Theatre Company’s DARTS initiative, the week-long intensive brought together a dynamic mix of song composition and lyric development across multiple genres. It also laid the foundation for a strong narrative structure and saw the exciting beginnings of a distinctive puppetry collaboration with artists from Dead Puppet Society.

About Dog Years:

Dog Years is a vibrant new musical in development by Cairns-based playwright Kathy Carruthers, produced by Box Jelly Theatre Company.

Six ordinary people vie for an extraordinary prize: extending their beloved dog's life by 20 years. This heartwarming and though-provoking exploration of love, loss, science and the importance of living in the moment, asks audiences to consider their own priorities and cherish every precious moment with their furry companions.

Congratulations to this incredible team on completing their second Creative Development for Dog Years! Supported by the Queensland Government and Creative Australia through JUTE Theatre Company’s DARTS initiative, the week-long intensive brought together a dynamic mix of song composition and lyric development across multiple genres. It also laid the foundation for a strong narrative structure and saw the exciting beginnings of a distinctive puppetry collaboration with artists from Dead Puppet Society.

About Dog Years:

Dog Years is a vibrant new musical in development by Cairns-based playwright Kathy Carruthers, produced by Box Jelly Theatre Company.

Six ordinary people vie for an extraordinary prize: extending their beloved dog`s life by 20 years. This heartwarming and though-provoking exploration of love, loss, science and the importance of living in the moment, asks audiences to consider their own priorities and cherish every precious moment with their furry companions.
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TONIGHT 6PM 

Join us for an exclusive showcase of Hunters, the powerful new work by acclaimed playwright Michael Sams.

Set over a single charged night in a remote hunting cabin in 1991, Hunters brings together three generations of men—a retired cop, his psychiatric nurse son, and a teenage grandson—on what was meant to be a bonding weekend. Instead, old wounds, long-held grievances, and toxic patterns rise to the surface, forcing each man to confront the shadows of bigotry, violence, and fractured family ties.

Hunters offers a raw, honest look at masculinity, generational tension, and the delicate bonds between fathers and sons.

This Creative Development Showcase offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the work-in-progress and engage with the creative team as they shape this compelling new Australian drama.

To book tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/hunters-creative-development-showcase

TONIGHT 6PM

Join us for an exclusive showcase of Hunters, the powerful new work by acclaimed playwright Michael Sams.

Set over a single charged night in a remote hunting cabin in 1991, Hunters brings together three generations of men—a retired cop, his psychiatric nurse son, and a teenage grandson—on what was meant to be a bonding weekend. Instead, old wounds, long-held grievances, and toxic patterns rise to the surface, forcing each man to confront the shadows of bigotry, violence, and fractured family ties.

Hunters offers a raw, honest look at masculinity, generational tension, and the delicate bonds between fathers and sons.

This Creative Development Showcase offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the work-in-progress and engage with the creative team as they shape this compelling new Australian drama.

To book tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/hunters-creative-development-showcase
...

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The Board of JUTE Theatre Company is delighted to welcome acclaimed theatre maker, director, and arts leader Chris Kohn as its new Executive Artistic Director following the retirement of co-founder, Artistic Director and CEO, Suellen Maunder.

Kohn’s appointment follows an extensive national search and marks the beginning of a new chapter for the company, with the formal handover scheduled later this month.

Kohn brings more than two decades of experience across Australia’s arts and cultural sectors. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts in Directing, Kohn is recognised for his visionary approach to contemporary theatre and commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and regional storytelling.

Head to our website for the full story (link in bio).

The Board of JUTE Theatre Company is delighted to welcome acclaimed theatre maker, director, and arts leader Chris Kohn as its new Executive Artistic Director following the retirement of co-founder, Artistic Director and CEO, Suellen Maunder.

Kohn’s appointment follows an extensive national search and marks the beginning of a new chapter for the company, with the formal handover scheduled later this month.

Kohn brings more than two decades of experience across Australia’s arts and cultural sectors. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts in Directing, Kohn is recognised for his visionary approach to contemporary theatre and commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and regional storytelling.

Head to our website for the full story (link in bio).
...

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With the Creative Development of Hunters underway this morning, playwright Michael Sams and director Amber Grossmann (pictured) set the stage for a blistering three-hander that tears open the legacy of masculinity, violence, and buried trauma in one freezing night at a remote hunter’s cabin.

Three generations of men—grandfather, father, and son—circle each other with liquor, memory, and a loaded rifle in reach. What begins as a bonding trip becomes a pressure cooker of truths, confrontation, and survival. Raw, gripping, and darkly funny, Hunters is a bullet aiming straight for the heart.

This Creative Development Showcase offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the work-in-progress and engage with the creative team as they shape this compelling new Australian drama.

Tickets to the showcase are only $10. To book: 
https://events.humanitix.com/hunters-creative-development-showcase

With the Creative Development of Hunters underway this morning, playwright Michael Sams and director Amber Grossmann (pictured) set the stage for a blistering three-hander that tears open the legacy of masculinity, violence, and buried trauma in one freezing night at a remote hunter’s cabin.

Three generations of men—grandfather, father, and son—circle each other with liquor, memory, and a loaded rifle in reach. What begins as a bonding trip becomes a pressure cooker of truths, confrontation, and survival. Raw, gripping, and darkly funny, Hunters is a bullet aiming straight for the heart.

This Creative Development Showcase offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the work-in-progress and engage with the creative team as they shape this compelling new Australian drama.

Tickets to the showcase are only $10. To book:
https://events.humanitix.com/hunters-creative-development-showcase
...

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Acknowledgement of Country

JUTE wishes to pay its respects to Elders, past and present, of the lands where we work, live and perform. JUTE acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land as well as the many regional areas we visit, tour and produce work. We recognise that these lands have always been places of art and story-telling.