Rising theatre director Jessica Arthur steps into a new role at Sydney Theatre Company.

Jessica Arthur has been appointed as Sydney Theatre Company’s new Richard Wherrett Fellow. She succeeds Paige Rattray, who held the post before becoming the Associate Artistic Director at Queensland Theatre.

^{Jessica Arthur. Photo by James Green}

The Richard Wherrett Fellowship is a prestigious career pathway opportunity for emerging and developing directors. As well as Rattray, previous STC Richard Wherrett Fellows include Imara Savage, Sarah Giles, Lee Lewis, Wayne Blair, and Joseph Couch.

Arthur joins an impressive team of STC resident artists including Savage (Resident Director), Elizabeth Gadsby (Resident Designer) and Tommy Murphy (Patrick White Fellow). Established during Andrew Upton’s time as Artistic Director, the STC’s resident artists programme provides professional development opportunities, valuable access to key personnel and resources, and support to pursue interests and projects outside of the Company. Resident artists also work closely with Artistic Director Kip Williams and play a central role in STC’s daily life.

Arthur completed her Bachelor of Performing Arts at Monash University in 2013, and graduated from NIDA’s directing course in 2014. She has directed a number of independent productions, including Intoxication (La Mama Courthouse), Unend by Harry Black for Never Never Theatre Company at Adelaide and Sydney Fringe Festivals, How Are You? by Laura Lethlean for Design Canberra Festival, The Sugar Syndrome by Lucy Prebble for The Kings Collective and Rausch with the guidance of Falk Richter, which led to an internship in Germany at the Schauspiel Frankfurt for Safe Places, by Falk Richter and Anouk van Dijk.

Capping an already extremely promising CV, Arthur was Upton’s assistant director on Endgame for STC in 2015 and also assisted Williams on his Melbourne Theatre Company production of Miss Julie in 2016. She is also a co-founder of the theatre company The Anchor.