HOTA WELCOMES NEW HOME COMPANY: EVERYBODY NOW!

Everybody NOW! is described as a collective of performance makers and producers who create participatory experiences that are both celebratory and playful. 

Working with real people and telling real stories, Everybody NOW! are known for their beautifully crafted and engaging works that designed to move communities.

The company are dedicated to the creation of outstanding, community engaged arts projects created with, for and by communities, locally on the Gold Coast, as well as nationally and internationally. 

“Everybody NOW! infuse a real sense of joy in everything they do,” said HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke. “I am truly delighted to welcome them on board as a new HOTA Home Company.”

Gehrke and her team are strong believers that art blooms when there is collaboration, mentorship and shared ideas, and therefore are proud to encourage HOTA as a home base for Gold Coast artists and creatives.

“It’s no secret that we love to work with artists that share our values and vision of the Gold Coast as a true home of creativity, where new work is created, communities are connected through art, and boundaries are always fearlessly pushed.” 

Everybody NOW! Co-Artistic Directors Kate (McDonald) Baggerson, Ian Pidd, and Bec Reid, have been working together since 2015 with a cohort of talented collaborators from all over Australia including right here on the Gold Coast. Over this time, they have carved a dynamic, national reputation for an inclusive and joyful brand of participation and access to the arts. 

While HOTA might be the new home for Everybody NOW!, both teams have collaborated in the past to deliver successful works including their involvement in HOTA’s initial Creative Development Program.

“Through the Creative Development Program, HOTA are the proud founding supporters of a new music-theatre work called R.I.N.K that celebrates powerful women’s stories from Roller Derby. HOTA also commissioned Everybody NOW!  to create a spectacular outdoor dance event, Dance Beneath the Stars, part of HOTA’s Home series in December 2019.”

Everybody NOW! Co-Artistic Director and Executive Producer, Kate Baggerson says “we are thrilled to have the opportunity to embed the company into the heart of the arts here at HOTA. Our projects are designed to bring communities together and we look forward to being able to do that at HOTA as a home company.”

Everybody NOW! joins HOTA’s other home companies such as the Gold Coast Film Festival, The Farm, and Supercell: Festival of Contemporary Dance, all of whom are deliver their own custom creative spark to the Gold Coast city. 

HOTA aims to provide opportunities and freedom for creatives to meet, collaborate and learn from some of the incredible calibre of national and international artists who visit the arts hub.

As HOTA welcomes Everybody NOW! as a Home Company, they look forward to presenting even more high-quality participatory art and community-engaged arts experiences throughout the year. 

Currently, Everybody NOW! are collaborating with HOTA on a ‘future dreaming residency’ in March which entails a 3-day artist workshop to develop new ideas and projects for the future, as well as an original program, Tin Can Tapes that will premiere as part of HOTA’s Kids Take Over program in September 2021. 

For more information on Everybody NOW! visit: https://www.everybodynow.com.au/

To learn more about HOTA’s Home Companies, head to their website: https://hota.com.au/what-is-hota-homegrown/ 

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ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Bria Mastroianni | M10 Collective

E: bria@m10.com.au M: 0490 017 539

Amy Stalinescu | M10 Collective

E: amy@m10.com.au M: 0411 789 195

Here is a LINK TO THE MEDIA KIT with available images.

ABOUT EVERYBODY NOW: 

Everybody NOW! are a collective of performance makers and producers who create participatory performance experiences that are celebratory and playful, propelled by passion and curiosity. 

The company is dedicated to the creation of high quality, community engaged and participation-based performances that are created on and from the Gold Coast, Australia, that reach out to collaborators nationally and internationally. 

Since formation in 2015, Everybody NOW! has established itself as a leader in contemporary community engagement and performance., 

Everybody NOW has attracted commissions from Australia’s Major Festivals including Brisbane Festival, Darwin Festival, Festival 2018 for the International Commonwealth Games Arts and Culture Program and Bleach* Festival. They have reached over 40,000 people as audiences and participants in 70 communities across five states of Australia, between the ages of 3 – 99 years young. 

Everybody NOW! is a purpose driven organisation with a vision To Move Communities. 

Everybody NOW is about, real stories and real people. Everybody. NOW!

ABOUT HOTA HOMEGROWN: 

You can’t be a home for art without artists. And HOTA particularly love our homegrown Gold Coast artists and creatives. 

HOTA believes art thrives when there is collaboration, mentorship and shared ideas. HOTA currently shares their home with Gold Coast Film Festival, Everybody NOW! and are working with The Farm and Supercell amongst others. 

HOTA provide opportunities for artists to meet, collaborate and learn from some of the amazing national and international artists who visit their gallery and regularly commission work. 

Funding is also available to local artists through our annual Creative Development program and in early 2020 HOTA’s Rage Against the V(irus) fund was a quickfire response to supporting artists during challenging times. 

HOTA also set up an Artist Pass to make coming to HOTA more affordable for artists. 

HOTA offer the freedom, space and time to make something different. And there are more opportunities to come.