About Us

Transforming who we are and who we imagine ourselves to be

Milk Crate Theatre is the homeless and marginalised person's theatre company, direct from the streets, committed to creating original theatrical works that give a voice and a vision from those often lost and abandoned by the society they inhabit.

Milk Crate Theatre is dedicated to the arduous creative development, production and promotion of contemporary theatre that examines issues of homelessness and marginalisation, exploring the impact not solely on the individual, but also on what these stories expose within the culture and sensibility of our Australian society itself. We create theatre that creates change. 

When we dream of the potential of a truly functional society - we see one that empowers its citizens to think, feel and dream. To be creative and to use that inspired spirit to understand each other, to connect to each other across our differences - dissolving the barriers so that we can each be valued for what we bring to our society, regardless of whether we have a roof over our heads or not.

Milk Crate Theatre's programs aim to:

• nurture creativity as a way to connect, question, inspire and empower;
• teach life skills in expression, teamwork and communication;
• facilitate education, training, volunteering or employment opportunities and peer to peer learning;
• express voices in the community that aren't often heard;
• improve and foster societal understanding and involvement with the complex issues involved with homelessness and marginalisation; and
• create high quality, inventive and interactive theatre productions.

Using theatre to make a difference, Milk Crate Theatre works from a theatre model rather than a therapy model, although there are strong therapeutic outcomes that result from our work. Put simply we seek to make a difference in the lives of those who seek it.

We operate on three levels:

• Individual - building self esteem, self-belief and capacity to make changes in life.
• Relationship - increasing sense of community, increasing group and social skills, interpersonal negotiation and dialogue, and working towards community dialogue amongst services.
• Societal - increasing opportunities for communities to actively engage and have a voice on issues that directly relate to them, and reduce social isolation amongst those that are homeless and marginalised. Taking an active role in exploring social systems and dynamics, promoting social inclusion via large-scale, high quality artistic productions that educate and engage the wider public on issues such as mental illness and social marginalisation.

Milk Crate Theatre is committed to promoting integrity and maintaining the highest standard of ethical conduct in all of our activities. We are dedicated to the following principles:

Milk Crate Theatre is an ensemble-based company. Its strength lies in our creative and human collaboration, in working together. Milk Crate Theatre's programs are designed to be transformative, not a destination in themselves. Although individuals can attend Milk Crate Theatre activities for as long as they wish, we aim to see individual's progress from our programs on to education, training, volunteering or employment opportunities.

Milk Crate Theatre began as a joint project between Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Edward Eagar Lodge and the South Sydney Council in June 2000. Read more.

Our Board

Angus White (Chair)
Angus is a director of various philanthropic and not-for-profit organisations. He has a background in humanitarian charitable work and outdoor adventure education, and holds degrees in commerce and teaching.

Natalie Devlin
Natalie has held executive roles involving strategy development, organisation design, process re-engineering, risk management and cultural change. She holds degrees in Law, Psychology and Human Resource Management.

Julie Rosenberg
Julie is a former commercial lawyer. She has spent many years working in the third sector and currently works with MH Carnegie & Co developing and growing social investment opportunities within Australia.

Michael Sharp
Michael has worked as a lawyer, journalist and corporate communication adviser. Over the past 15 years he has advised a number of leading Australian companies and organisations to communicate effectively with key stakeholders including employees, investors, government and the media.

Our Staff

Artistic Director/CEO - Mirra Todd
General Manager - Siena Balakrishnan
Education Coordinator - Maree Freeman
Financial Consultant - Jocelyn Payne
Artistic Director (maternity leave 2011) - Beck Ronkson
Administration Coordinator - Kate McBride

Our Actors, Teachers and Directors

Maurie Barlin (Joker/MC), Sean Barker, Margie Breen, Michael Cullen (Joker/MC), Catherine Davies, Cecily Hardy, Sarah Hone, Eliza Logan, Rashelle McHugh, Craig Meneaud and Graeme Rhodes.

Joining our volunteer team

Volunteering with Milk Crate Theatre is a great way to experience a unique community cultural development program, and be part of Australia's leading homeless and marginalised person's theatre company and creative community. We offer a range of volunteer opportunities from administration through to stage management and site crew. Read about how to get involved here.

To read about our 2010 program and  achievements check out our 2010 Annual Review.