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Dramaturgy and text consultation
Emilie works as a dramaturg and text consultant in a range of contexts including new play and performance work development, fiction and poetry. Her approach is one based on responsiveness – to the needs of each individual person, group and project she works with.
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Workshop facilitation
Emilie is an experienced workshop facilitator with particular expertise in creative writing (poetry, playwriting, fiction and nonfiction) and grant writing. She has created workshops for a range of organisations including Writers Victoria, Geelong Arts Centre and Arts Centre Melbourne, as well as working in community and school settings. She is available and always interested in devising new workshops for new settings.
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Mentoring and teaching
Emilie teaches both poetry and performance writing at tertiary level, working most recently with RMIT and Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University. She has been part of many mentoring programs, working with young and emerging writers and also does independent mentoring at reasonable hourly rates.
Testimonials
“Emilie brought a wealth of knowledge and to the process of writing Phantasmagoria and in developing it for stage. Her sensitivity and constructive criticism helped immensely in shaping the work. Her thoroughness and attention to detail were invaluable in analysing and shaping the dramaturgical elements of such a complex work.”
— Bernadette Trench-Thiedeman
“I first met Emilie as a fellow playwright in 2014, and around that time had seen her magical and painful dreamy Dream Home play. I always love dramaturgs who are writers too, especially ones with a big theatrical imagination and a good sense of humour. Dramaturgs who write know what a pain it is to write, and can be quite sensitive and respectful as you muddle along, while also not trying to let you off the hook. I asked Emilie to attach as dramaturg to two plays of mine, Single Ladies and Security. Emilie listens deeply and she ALSO TAKES NOTES. I love this, as she will grab notes from the conversation around the table while also giving you a set of notes from her own brain. About that, Emilie is great with logic - why this, why that, does that make sense? So she's finicky in a good way, catching you on small details while also asking big questions. Emilie's mode is to offer, encourage, gently challenge you to see the play, or the parts of the play, in different ways. She pays attention to technical things but the poetic, hard-to-pin things. She will be quick too to give you compliments and praise, so she also recognises the things which are 'working'/ticking along. She has a strong writing voice herself and gets that that is a big part of the signature in a play, so she respects that and never intrudes on that. I love working with her and would work with her again and again.”
— Michele Lee
“I found this day fantastic, I really enjoyed the material and content. I felt so alive again that I went home and wrote away happily for hours”
— Writing intensive participant
“This class has meant so much to me. Each week it has provided a safe (and challenging as you choose to make it) place to explore ideas and unlock feelings, and energy, with words. The teaching has been creative, gentle, skilled, funny, always interesting”
— Student
“Emilie worked with me as an editor on a preliminary draft of a new novella I’m writing. She is wonderful to work with. The sharing of raw, new work with someone is delicate and precarious. I felt very safe with Emilie. She is a fantastic listener, and she listened very clearly to what I was asking from her and responded thoughtfully and deeply. Her feedback about my work was very insightful, clear, and supportive, and helped me to understand what I am making and to figure out the next steps I need to take. Emilie is very open, made herself available to me to ask questions, and balances positive thoughts with constructive and helpful suggestions. It was a positive and productive experience, and I look forward to working with her in the future”