As it approaches its 40th anniversary year, the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation has unveiled a substantial round of 2026 grants along with the latest recipient of the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award, at its annual Christmas celebration held in the Seaborn Library at Neutral Bay.
With Foundation President Peter Lowry AM temporarily indisposed, the announcements were delivered by Simon Moore OAM, assisted by Peter Poole. Both are announcers with Sydney community radio station 2MBSFM 102.5 Fine Music, where the S,B&W Foundation sponsors two performing arts programs: Stage & Screen and In Conversation. ttendees also welcomed the prominence given to puppetry in this year’s funding round, and the strong representation of interstate projects
From 88 applications, roughly double the number received last year, the Foundation’s Grants Panel selected 17 projects for support. According to S,B&W Foundation, these applications came in roughly equal measure from companies and individual practitioners.
The largest of the 2026 grants, $35,000, was awarded to Queensland’s Dead Puppet Society for the development of Echo, continuing the Foundation’s support of puppetry and visual theatre.
Other successful recipients include:
- Polyglot Theatre (VIC) for Forest, a site-specific immersive theatre experience for children
- Simon Abrahams (VIC) for a curatorial secondment with Theatre of the World Festival
- Sandra Long (VIC) for The Engineer in the Snow, a vocal-visual theatre work
- Louise Howlett (VIC) for Secret of the Raft
- Felicity Wilcox (NSW) for Emergenc/y, a contemporary opera
- Chloë Sobek (VIC) for Dialogues Across Time, a professional development project
- Cecilia Martin (QLD) for Steam, a dance/theatre work
- Bangarra Dance Theatre (NSW) to support an international tour to Canada
- Spare Parts Puppet Theatre Inc (WA) for Wandabaa Gaay Guwaali, a puppetry project
- Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (NSW) for an international choral tour to the United Kingdom
- Sydney Youth Orchestra (NSW) for an international tour
- Australian Plays Transform (NSW) for mid-career playwrights development
- Kate Millett (VIC) for an internship at Finnish National Opera & Ballet
- Fleur Murphy (VIC) for development of her theatre work Never Always Ever Was
- Andrée Greenwell (NSW) for music theatre composition professional development
- The Last Great Hunt (WA) for a United States tour of theatre works New Owner and Alvin Sputnik
In anticipation of the S,B&W Foundation’s 40th anniversary, the Board also approved 11 President’s Discretionary Grants, with a focus on developing audiences, supporting young people and preserving theatre history. Such grants went to:
- Horizons Theatre Company (Maddy Slabacu) for Treasures, a new children’s puppet production
- David Spicer Productions for the premiere of musical Woman’s Best Friend by Geraldine Turner at Bondi Pavilion Theatre
- Ensemble Theatre for its Ed Elevate Program, delivering free tickets for disadvantaged students, mentorship for young theatre-makers and in-school workshops
- Griffin Theatre Company to develop and workshop Into the Light, a new play by Alex Broun and Ian Roberts, co-winners of last year’s Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award
- Poetry in Action for a rehearsal partner program involving training, employment and touring
- Bell Shakespeare for its Western Sydney Schools Access Program
- Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) to expand Ready, Set Listen! (2024) for young children
- New Ghosts for the development of three new Australian plays
- Performing Lines to preserve its archives and make them accessible
- Co B Ltd (Belvoir St Theatre) for an adaptation of the novel Runt, focused on resilience for younger audiences and directed by Neil Armfield
- Sydney Theatre Company (STC) for HSC staged play readings supporting high school students
The evening concluded with the announcement of the 2025 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award. The 2025 award went to Brisbane playwright, researcher, theatre producer, teacher and mentor Elaine Acworth for her new play Rowan’s Story. The play explores themes of partner violence and gender equity.
