Rob Guest Endowment announces cancellation of 2020 scholarship

On 20 August, the Rob Guest Endowment announced the 30 semi-finalists for this year’s scholarship. Due to the lack of racial diversity of the semi-finalists, we received criticism for not doing enough to attract black, Indigenous and people of colour applicants. We heard this message and agreed that we should have done more to ensure there was a greater BIPOC representation. We unreservedly apologised and vowed to do better.  Our initial response in August contained language that we should have known was offensive and we apologise unreservedly for any offence caused.

On 16 September we announced a wide range of changes to ensure that in the future, the endowment would involve people of colour and of Indigenous and other diverse backgrounds in every area of the competition, and we introduced measures to ensure that semi-finalists in future competitions included a diverse array of entrants including Indigenous Australians and people of colour. Details can be found on our website.

The Rob Guest Endowment is run totally by volunteers passionate about the musical theatre industry. Our goal is to help promising young performers in the name of one of Australia’s greatest musical theatre performers Rob Guest, who guided, mentored and taught young artists and theatre workers, boosting their resilience and determination.  For more than a decade, the endowment has been a unifying and positive force in the commercial musical theatre industry.

The endowment team is particularly concerned for the mental health and welfare of the 30 semi-finalists in this year’s competition.  They have endured significant challenges which are likely to intensify should the competition enter its second and third rounds.  We are aware that some semi-finalists have been targeted and intimidated from a number of sources and as a result have experienced significant anxiety over recent weeks. Bullying and intimidation have no place in a competition that has only ever sought to bring joy and hope to talented young performers in the commercial musical theatre sector.

The semi-finalists in the Rob Guest Endowment competition are our first priority, and their wellbeing comes before the scholarship. To protect them, it is with great regret that the 2020 Rob Guest Endowment Competition will now be cancelled and this year’s scholarship grant is suspended until 2022. 

To emerging young performers in the commercial musical theatre industry in Australia, we will endeavour to continue to support and encourage your talent.  We look towards the future and to the next scholarship, which will usher in a new era of change for the endowment. Information about future dates and details will be announced on our website.

The Rob Guest Endowment leadership committee. 

Statement from the Rob Guest Endowment – Announcement of future changes

For over a decade the Rob Guest Endowment (RGE) has provided vital support and encouragement to young emerging performers, musicians and technicians, awarding over $400,000 in scholarships to assist them in their pursuit of excellence in their chosen discipline within the commercial musical theatre genre.

The competition seeks out the best emerging performers and works to broaden their experience, contacts and knowledge of the industry so they are equipped to further engage confidently into the world of commercial musicals.

The RGE has successfully navigated its charter since its inception and will continue to operate within this charter for years to come.

Managed by volunteer industry professionals who donate their time to the management of the endowment, there are three principal groups that make the endowment work – the leadership committee, the industry panellists and of course the contestants in each cycle of the competition.

Whilst the endowment is open to any emerging performer who is an Australian citizen between the age of 18 and 25, the 2020 endowment failed to attract many entries from Indigenous Australians, people of colour and other performers from diverse racial backgrounds.

We accept unreservedly that the leadership committee should have done more to ensure that contestants in the competition were drawn from a much more diverse cross section of emerging musical theatre performers across Australia. We apologise for our omissions and failures in the 2020 competition. The RGE is determined to do better in the future.

We have sought and will continue to seek the guidance of industry leaders and organisations on the actions that we can take to ensure that the endowment is inclusive, safe and welcoming for all who seek to apply including Indigenous Australians, people of colour and all ethnicities.

We appreciate that while working within our charter, the RGE can be an important influencer to encourage equity and diversity in the commercial musical theatre sector.

With this objective in mind, we announce the following changes to the way the RGE is conducted, which will apply to future years.

  • The leadership committee will include a minimum 20 per cent BIPOC and diverse participation drawn from leadership roles in the commercial musical theatre business in Australia. We have commenced discussions with a number of people who have offered themselves for these positions;
  • The judging panel will increase from 12 to 15 members and will include a minimum 20 per cent BIPOC and diverse representation with a background as a director, musical director or choreographer with experience in auditioning and casting for first class commercial musicals in Australia. Some have already been appointed;
  • Subject to availability, judging panels for each stage of the competition will have a minimum 20 per cent BIPOC and diverse representation;
  • The first round of the endowment will include a quota that ensures a minimum of 20 per cent of the semi-finalists are drawn from a diverse array of entrants including Indigenous Australians and people of colour;
  • The RGE will reach out to a wider community to ensure that Indigenous Australians, people of colour and other ethnicities are made aware of the competition and how to enter, and foster a message of inclusiveness and safety for these musical theatre performers; 
  • We will continue to engage with industry leaders, Indigenous leaders and industry organisations to improve our understanding of how the endowment can reach the diverse range of emerging performers from around Australia seeking a career in the musical theatre;
  • We will work with governments and agencies to find a pathway for permanent residents to be able to enter the competition, in order to broaden its appeal and reach for entrants from more diverse ethnic backgrounds;
  • The application process for the endowment will be altered to ensure that people can identify their diverse backgrounds;
  • These changes will be implemented by the leadership committee over the next six months, however we note that changes to expand the judging panel have already been made.

While we considered possible changes to this year’s endowment, it became clear that given the progress so far, the best path forward would be to continue to work with and support the current semi-finalists, while working to bring significant and exciting change to future years. The semi-finalists have gone through the qualifying process and were judged the best of this year’s many excellent applicants.

We thank the semi-finalists and offer them our full support and best wishes for progress through the 2020 Rob Guest Endowment. 

We look forward to playing our part in this quest to broaden our industry and to make Australia a richer nation through the participation of emerging musical theatre performers from diverse backgrounds.

The Rob Guest Endowment leadership committee. 

SEMI-FINALISTS FOR 2020 ROB GUEST ENDOWMENT AWARD ANNOUNCED!

Earlier this month, the Rob Guest Endowment held auditions to search for this year’s winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Award. After a record number of entries, the 30 Semi-Finalists for the 2020 Rob Guest Endowment Award have been selected.

The Rob Guest Endowment committee is very pleased to announce the following Semi-Finalists who will perform in September to determine the six Finalists for the 2020 Rob Guest Endowment Award.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2019/2020 ROB GUEST ENDOWMENT AWARD ARE NOW CLOSED

Semi-Finalists for 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award Announced

Earlier this month, the Rob Guest Endowment held auditions in Melbourne and Sydney to search for this year’s winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Award. After careful consideration, the 30 Semi-Finalists for the 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award have been selected.

The Rob Guest Endowment committee is very pleased to announce the following Semi-Finalists who will perform in front of a panel of judges on 1 October to determine the six finalists for the 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award:

Annie Aitken
Kirrah Amosa
Embla Bishop
Alessandra Bizzanelli
Georgina Charteris
Jemma Cher
Doron Chester
Rachel Davies
Tom Davis
Pia Frangiosa
Joel Granger
Manon Gunderson-Briggs
Zoe Ioannou
Gareth Isaac
Luke Jarvis
Todd Jacobsson
Oliver Lacey
Jenni Little
Rubin Matters
Joe Meldrum
Alessandra Merlo
Courtney Monsma
Caitlin Rose
Ashleigh Rubenach
Cypriana Singh
Molly Stewart
Connor Sweeney
Stephanie Wall
Monique Warren
Lyndon Watts

Semi-Finalists for 2018

2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award Recipients Announced!

Congratulations to the incredibly talented award recipients and RGE finalists. We are delighted to announce the following award winners:

2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award:
Georgina Hopson

2017 Melbourne’s East End Theatre District Artist Development Award:
Stefanie Caccamo

2017 Playbill Future Prospect Award:
Sam Ward

2017 Technical Award in Honour of Sue Nattrass:
Natalie Carige

2017 Musician Award:
Anthony Barnhill

2017 Finalists:
Imogen Moore, Morgan Palmer, Jayme-Lee Hanekom, Thomas McGuane

2017 Rob Guest Endowment Finalists Announced

The Rob Guest Endowment is delighted to announce the 2017 Rob Guest Endowment Finalists!

Competing against over 250 applicants, six outstanding artists were chosen by an expert panel of judges, which included Kellie Dickerson, Martin Croft, David Skelton, Dana Jolly, Andrew Pole, Michael Tyack, Geoffrey Castles and Gary Young.

2017 Rob Guest Endowment Finalists

The 2017 Rob Guest Endowment finalists will be judged at an invitation-only Presentation on Monday 20 November in front of a wide selection of industry professionals. Finalists will have the chance to have musical, dramatic and movement sessions with judges and coaches on the day. They will workshop their chosen material with the judges prior to the Presentation, allowing the judges to get to know the finalists and see how they work, better informing their decision. Following the Presentation will be a social function where finalists and the winner will be introduced to the industry professionals attending, and make direct contact with people who can assist them in developing their career. This fulfils the aim of the Rob Guest Endowment to better connect young performers with industry professionals who can encourage, mentor and advise them.

Good luck to our Finalists!

2017 ROB GUES ENDOWMENT SEMI-FINALISTS ANNOUNCED!

The Rob Guest Endowment is thrilled to announce our 2017 Semi Finalists. Congratulations to:

Annie Aitken, Prue Bell, Nicola Bowman, Stefanie Caccamo, Ali Calder, Baylie Carson, Rebecca Cullinan, Jessica Di Costa, Joshua Firman, Bronte Florian, Jayme-Lee Hanekom, Bobbie-Jean Henning, Georgina Hopson, Nigel Huckle, Todd Jacobsson, Julian Kuo, Matthew Manahan, Kieran McGrath, Thomas McGuane, Alessandra Merlo, Imogen Moore, Matilda Moran, Joshua Mulheran, Morgan Palmer, Brittanie Shipway, Alana Tranter, Jack Van Staveren, Sam Ward, Rachael Ward and Lyndon Watts.

Earlier this month, the Rob Guest Endowment held auditions in Melbourne and Sydney to search for this year’s winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Award. The judges saw over 200 applications, and after careful consideration, the 30 Semi-Finalists for the 2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award were chosen to progress within the competition.

On the 16th of October, the Semi-Finalists will commence their Semi Final audition day at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, where the judges will determine the six finalists for the 2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award.

We would like to give a special thanks to our judges and accompanists for the 2017 first round auditions. Thank you to Kellie Dickerson, Andrew Pole, Michael Tyack, Geoffrey Castles, Gary Young, James Simpson and Hayden Barltrop.

Well done to everyone who applied and auditioned this year, and congratulations to our 30 Semi-Finalists!

Semi Finalist Headshots

2017 ROB GUEST ENDOWMENT COMPETITION IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

Applications are now open for the 2017 Rob Guest Endowment!

Now in its ninth year, the Rob Guest Endowment is only getting bigger with the Rob Guest Endowment Award, Technical Award and Musician Award totaling a prize package of more than $50,000 this year.

The Rob Guest Endowment is Australia’s most exciting scholarship program in performing arts, providing financial assistance and industry support to the next generation of musical theatre stars, creators and musicians.

The Rob Guest Endowment Award is a $20,000 cash prize intending to guide new artists in the musical theatre industry and shape them to become a leading Australian performer.

Also returning in 2017 are the Technical and Musician Awards, which aim to support members of the technical and musical fields and guide them to become leaders in their respective fields. Each award offers a $10,000 cash prize to assist them in this endeavour.

Applications for all three awards are now open, please visit the awards page to apply!

GUEST ARTISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2016 ROB GUEST ENDOWMENT CONCERT

The 2016 Rob Guest Endowment Grand Final Concert guest artists have been announced! The Concert will be hosted by Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee, guest artists performing will include pop sensation Paulini, principal cast members from Aladdin, the Helpmann Award winning Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin and Bella Thomas who originated the role of Matilda in Australia, past winners Samantha Dodemaide and Blake Bowden, 2015 Rob Guest Endowment winner Daniel Assetta, and cast members from Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical.

Tickets for this year’s Gala Concert are on sale now via Ticketmaster and are selling fast! Get yours for a night of wonderful entertainment celebrating the musical theatre industry in Australia!