How to get your show from idea to onstage — and actually make it work.
Thinking about producing your own work? Wondering how others do it — and make it sustainable?
Join us for a free, in-depth panel discussion with some of the country’s most dynamic independent producers — Daniel Cottier, Dino Dimitriadis, Kaleigh Giles and Gus Murray — each with a proven track record of getting shows off the ground and in front of audiences, from grassroots venues to national tours and major festivals.
This is your chance to hear first-hand how they do it: how they find and develop work, build creative and producing teams, navigate funding and budgeting, promote shows with limited resources, and create pathways for touring and future presentation. The conversation will cover both the art and the logistics of producing — from big-picture vision to day-to-day realities.
Expect honest talk about challenges, inspiring success stories, practical strategies, and plenty of tips you can apply to your own producing journey. Whether you’re a first-time producer, a self-producing artist, or just theatre-curious, you’ll leave with real tools, fresh ideas, and new connections.
And yes — you’ll be able to ask questions, too.
Free event | Secure your seat via BOOK NOW link. Limited availability.
Available within the Festival Passport
Times
Saturday 19 July | 3pm
Running Time
Approximately 60 minutes
Additional Info
The Panellists
Daniel Cottier
Dan is a non-binary producer, writer and director.
They started their own company – Daniel Cottier Productions – in 2024. They produced two works, winning the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Independent Production for The Inheritance.
Dino Dimitriadis
Dino Dimitriadis is a multi-award-winning cross-disciplinary director and creative producer. Their work centres queer performance, trans dramaturgies and intersectional narratives.
As a creative producer and curator, Dino has works across theatre, dance, music and experimental practice. They have worked widely in the festivals and queer arts spaces, holding producing and curatorial positions at: Performance Space Sydney (Program Producer) and Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art (Festival Producer), The Old Fitz Theatre (Executive Producer), Sydney Mardi Gras (Curator) and National Art School (Creative Producer Queer Contemporary).
Kaleigh Giles
Kaleigh DWS Giles is a theatre and live events producer and project manager. She holds an MBA from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Music from the Australian Institute of Music. When not producing brand activations and events with Rockstar Management, Kaleigh is one half of Pinwheel Productions, presenting Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Hayes in May 2025. Kaleigh also works as a consulting producer, most recently on the tour of In the Heights for Joshua Robson Productions.
Kaleigh’s previous credits include In the Heights (Consulting Producer, JRP, Sydney Opera House 2024), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (2023), Let the Right One In (2022), and Once (2022, Melbourne Comedy Theatre 2023) with Darlinghurst Theatre Company.
Independent credits include Forgetting Tim Minchin (Belvoir 25a), Switch Witchetty’s Almanac of Everything (Edinburgh, Adelaide, Newcastle Fringe), and The Tale of Ichabod Scrubb. She also co-developed Stay at Home Mysteries, supported by Brand X’s Prototype grant.
Gus Murray
Gus Murray is an actor/producer who runs Sugary Rum Productions. In 2018, Sugary Rum co-produced the Australian premiere of The View UpStairs at Hayes Theatre Co (nominated for four Sydney Theatre Awards, including ‘Best Production of a Musical’). In 2019 the company produced: the Australian premieres of Jess and Joe Forever by Zoe Cooper at Downstairs Belvoir (nominated for one Sydney Theatre Award) and Anatomy of a Suicide by Alice Birch at the Old Fitz Theatre (nominated for four Sydney Theatre Awards); and The Underpants at the Seymour Centre. 2020 saw the company create a new musical comedy, The Rise and Disguise of Elizabeth R, starring Gerry Connolly as Queen Elizabeth II at Hayes Theatre Co. In February 2021, Sugary Rum co-produced the musical RENT at the Sydney Opera House. In 2024, Sugary Rum co-produced The Inheritance at Seymour Centre which won three Sydney Theatre Awards, including Best Independent Production.
-
Accessibility
Wheelchair Seating
A limited number of accessible seats are available in the front row of the theatre (A13-A15). These, as well as Companion seats, can be purchased through the ‘Book Now’ link.
Please contact the box office on (02) 8065 7337 or visit our Accessibility Page if you have any questions regarding our accessibility.