The Substation/ Artist/Empty Seat/
Empty Seat is reshaping the Australian cultural landscape by amplifying voices through powerful storytelling and original works that celebrate local talent. Committed to fostering a diverse creative community, a majority of our co-founders hail from CALD backgrounds.
Demonstrating a passion for innovative creations, Empty Seat was founded in 2022 by Rachel Kamath, Ruby Duncan and Vivian Nguyen and boasts a robust track record as producers. Notable collaborations include a creative development of new work ‘Bruv' by Tamil-Australian playwright Chenturan Aran, directed by Isabella Vadiveloo, and funded through the Flourish Grant from Merri-bek Council. Another standout is 'Thin Threads' by co-founder Vivian Nguyen, supported by the Besen Foundation and featuring a public reading at La Mama in October 2023, directed by Jessica Arthur. Our upcoming debut production, 'Akaraka,' has garnered support from Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, and Hobson City Bay Council.
As versatile creatives, our practice spans across acting, playwriting, producing, intimacy coordination, cultural safety, and dramaturgy. With performance credits at esteemed venues like Elbow Room Theatre, La Mama, fortyfivedownstairs, TheatreWorks, RISING, ABC, BBC, Netflix, and AppleTV+, our team has individually collaborated with renowned institutions such as Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), and La Boite. Our art is rooted in shared values of community, sustainability, and cultural authenticity, and we strive to contribute meaningfully to the cultural narrative.
