Equity taking
centre stage
La Trobe’s helped set the scene for The Australian Ballet’s 2024 production Oscar©. Our renowned experts in history, sexuality and creative writing helped bring Oscar Wilde’s life, times and works to the stage with integrity and compassion.
Dr Timothy Jones leading a workshop with The Australian Ballet's dancers.
OFF THE PAGE & ONTO THE STAGE
Partners of The Australian Ballet since 2017, we’re proud to join with them in a groundbreaking collaboration, bringing our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion to life on stage. La Trobe believes real impact goes far beyond the walls of our campus grounds, so we’ve harnessed our strengths in humanities and social sciences, to help The Australian Ballet tell Oscar Wilde’s story.
The importance of being Oscar
Oscar© has been carefully crafted with consultation by La Trobe academics. What started as a research paper and workshop by our team of experts to help inform the production's historical setting and character development, is now a book.
The Importance of Being Oscar is a queer reading of Oscar Wilde, diving into Wilde’s career and personal life – both of which contribute to his significance as a writer and complicated gay icon.
As a companion to the unspoken artform of ballet, the book offers insights into Wilde’s story.
Academic consulting team
Dennis is a writer, academic and gay rights activist. He was President of the AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific, was listed in the 100 most influential Australians, and is Patron of the Australian Queer Archives and the Pride Foundation.
Tim is a historian and social researcher specialising in equality and wellbeing related to religion, gender and sexuality. He has worked as consultant and visiting expert to many inquiries and is President of the Australian Queer Archives.
Alexis is the Graduate Research Coordinator for Creative Arts and English. She is an associate editor of Life Writing and has published on Wilde’s lifelong interest in evolutionary theories and how this influenced his prison writings.
Noel teaches screenwriting and performance writing in the Bachelor of Arts. He researches contemporary scriptwriting in Australia and has written extensively for radio, television drama, and more recently, theatre.
Oscar: a literary love affair
Hosted by La Trobe in 2024, this panel discussion explores Oscar Wilde’s influences, his impact on future generations of artists, and how La Trobe and The Australian Ballet brought his story to the stage with Oscar©.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
INSPIRING, ON & OFF THE STAGE
Together, La Trobe and The Australian Ballet make gravity-defying leaps in humanities and sports medicine research. From injury prevention and optimisations of dancer health to literary and historical consultation, we’re making a real impact.
Explore the ballet
Discover more about The Australian Ballet’s 2024 production Oscar©, including synopsis, showing times, ticketing and credits.