About

IN WILD COMPANY is an independent multidisciplinary theatre company that specialises in music and theatre storytelling. Our work is inspired by female driven narratives, music, culture, identity and place. Our process is highly collaborative and draws on our artists creative practices in devised theatre, European cabaret and clown traditions, music composition, film, dramaturgy and performance.

 

Through our artistic work and advocacy, we champion diversity as a source of artistic excellence and bold innovation that allows for compelling, new and relevant stories to be amplified by voices and communities that for too long have been missing, ignored or underrepresented. We believe that diverse stories have a central role to play in broadening conversations and debate, and in creating an atmosphere of understanding and empathy across our society.

 

We value kindness, integrity, family, humour, cultural diversity, creative courage and experimentation. Through these values we aim to be ground-breaking, surprising and relevant in our art making and create enriching, wildly playful and compelling art.

 

 

FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

 

JOSIPA DRAISMA (SHE/HER)

 

Josipa is an award winning multidisciplinary performing artist, producer and cultural leader whose practice converges contemporary theatre, music, cabaret, clown, visual art and film. Josipa holds an MCA (Theatre & Performance), is a trained mezzo soprano and has studied performance techniques in NYC, UK, Sydney and Melbourne. Josipa has independently produced, developed and performed in live performance works that have been programmed nationally in performing arts venues and festivals including Sydney Comedy Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, Sydney Opera House, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and Adelaide Fringe Festival. Josipa is an IETM Campus and Playwriting Australia Directors Studio alumni. Josipa is the co-artistic director of The Colour Blind Project and a founding member of the Sydney based clown collective Choo Choo Troupe. Josipa has over fifteen years work experience leading the delivery of performing arts and screen programming, events and professional development initiatives for organisations such as ABC, Beyond Productions, Disney Channel, Screen NSW and Create NSW. Josipa is a passionate advocate for cultural diversity in programming and leadership within the arts, screen and culture sectors, and is currently undertaking her MFA in Cultural Leadership at the National Institute of Drama (NIDA).  

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ASSOCIATE ARTIST

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MARA KNEZEVIC (SHE/HER)

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Mara is a theatre-maker, performer, singer-songwriter and Josipa’s sister. Her theatre credits include the Helpmann Award nominated dance-theatre work PLAYLIST (dir. Karen Therese, PYT Fairfield, 2017) and Croatian/Australian cabaret Ljubičica: Wild Violet (dir. Melita Rowston, 2016). Mara is a classically trained vocalist with over 15 years experience singing a wide repertoire of music spanning across pop and classical. She has collaborated on vocal sound designs for acclaimed theatre and film works and, since 2015, has been the singer/co-writer/one third of the collaborative pop music project MARA DUKE. Mara is a graduate from The University of Sydney with a BA in Performance Studies and Music and is an ongoing member of the female/nonbinary music collective New Age Noise based in Parramatta.

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