NO FEELING IS FINAL CREATIVE AUSTALIA 2025
Project Timeline – No Feeling Is Final: Live
City of Melbourne Arts Grant Application
This timeline outlines key milestones for the presentation-focused iteration of No Feeling Is Final: Live, supported by the City of Melbourne. The project will culminate in a free public presentation at Science Gallery Melbourne in 2026. (Final dates will be confirmed for either Jan/Feb or May/June 2026, based on team availability.)
JUNE–DEC 2025: PREPARATION (Not City of Melbourne Funded)
Finalise key collaborators, including Director
Confirm presentation dates with Science Gallery Melbourne and key creative team (Jan or May 2026)
Early creative development:
Script development by Honor Eastly
Rehearsal and planning sessions at low-cost venues (e.g., Kathleen Syme Library)
Project coordination with venue staff
Initial marketing and audience outreach planning
JAN or MAY 2026: CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT PHASE (City of Melbourne Funded)
Two-week creative development residency at Science Gallery Theatre:
Week 1: Script refinement with Director (TBC) and Dramaturg (Ahmarnya Price)
Week 2: Technical development with full creative team (sound, video, lighting - Rob Curruli and Nikki Castle)
Lived experience advisory group script consultations (2 sessions during creative residency)
Check-ins with mental health consultant Dr. Tim Sharp
Finalise show design, blocking, and presentational technical cue programming
Launch marketing campaign targeting both arts audiences and mental health sector
This phase, enabled by City of Melbourne funding, is critical in transforming the work into a mobile, presentation-ready format suitable for black box and unconventional venues. Project partners Science Gallery Melbourne is the perfect venue to develop, test and present this new version of the work given it’s similar to venues we’ll be looking to perform it at in the future.
FEB or JUNE 2026: PUBLIC PRESENTATION AT SCIENCE GALLERY (City of Melbourne Funded)
Technical installation and final rehearsals in the venue
Presentation of 1–2 free public performances of the newly revised 60-minute version at Science Gallery Melbourne (200-seat venue). A second performance may be added based on demand.
While technically and creatively advanced, this version is a presentation-ready milestone — an essential stepping stone to full production and national touring, with future enhancements (e.g., additional design development, full sound and video design) to follow.
Distribution of access documentation and audience support materials
Audience and team feedback gathered via surveys and creative debriefs to inform final refinements and future tour plans
The public presentation will be treated as a creative checkpoint — allowing the team to test performance and design elements in a real-world setting, refine audience access strategies, and demonstrate the work’s viability in non-traditional touring venues.
Additional Notes
Why now? This revised iteration builds on a 2022 developmental performance supported by the City of Melbourne, and responds to sector demand (demonstrated through WA Museum, Big Anxiety Festival and Dr Tim Sharp support letters) for a tour-ready version of the work.
Strategic value: This presentation offers Melbourne audiences a rare opportunity to engage with an ambitious new work in a key transitional phase — transforming a critically acclaimed podcast and sold-out 2022 prototype into a national touring production. It enhances Melbourne’s reputation for innovation in emotionally resonant, socially engaged performance.
Audience outreach and marketing avenues: The presentation builds on strong public interest from the 2022 sell-out developmental version at The Capitol Theatre (the venue’s first post-pandemic sellout). Audiences will be reached through: Big Feels Club’s 7,000+ email list, Big Feels Club and Honor Eastly’s social media following (18k+), Science Gallery’s promotional channels, and strategic mental health sector outreach (via Eastly’s established relationships with organisations such as Beyond Blue, SANE, headspace, and Orygen).
Dates may shift between Jan–Feb or May–June 2026 depending on team availability, with all stakeholders briefed on contingency scenarios.