Phunktional Arts
Phunktional is a leading Australian not-for-profit arts company that delivers long-term Community Arts and Cultural Development projects, tours educational theatre and produces award-winning dance, theatre and film productions.
Our purpose is to support the creation of art that is a catalyst for greater connectedness, community engagement and inter-cultural understanding.
Our vision is to create world-class art that enables a greater diversity of human perspectives and experiences to be heard in Australian and international conversations.
Background
Inspired by the heart-breaking stories of young people in Juvenile Justice Centres, Gerard Veltre (the artistic director of Phunktional) wrote his first educational theatre production, Love Drunk, to educate and support other young people at risk of making similarly avoidable and painful mistakes.
The incredible success of Love Drunk led to the creation of another show entitled #POINTS. These shows ultimately led to the creation of Phunktional Limited, in 2007. In the very beginning, Gerard ran Phunktional out of the back of his car. Now, over 350,000 people around Australia have seen Phunktional’s shows, award-winning films and theatre productions. The company supports multicultural emerging and established artists, consistently produces ground-breaking new works and delivers long-term place-based Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) projects around Australia.
Phunktional is passionate about providing equal opportunities for diverse communities, including Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD); Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer (LGBTIQ); and youth at risk to use the arts as a vehicle for creative expression, to inspire change and to confront social issues of concern
Phunktional has a long history of working with leading arts industry peers, peak service organisations and with the support of trusts and foundations that have a strong commitment to positive social change. Phunktional consistently collaborates with local, national and international artists and is committed to supporting emerging Australian and international artists from diverse backgrounds.
Queensland & Victoria Modern-day Songline
Phunktional has had the honour of working with communities in Robinvale, Cairns and Far North Queensland (FNQ) for over 3 years. During this time, we have come to learn that these geographically disparate communities are actually deeply connected by family ties, and their very own modern-day songline.
For several generations, families from Cairns and FNQ would harvest sugar cane and then drive down in convoys to Robinvale, in Victoria, to pick almonds and grapes. Each year they would follow the same picking seasons, and travel the same modern-day songline. Discovering that Phunktional’s community projects have been playing a part in this modern-day songline has enriched our community work in both areas, and continues to motivate and inspire us.
Phunktional’s creative suite includes:
#POINTS and Love Drunk are educational theatre performances that have been seen by over 300,000 young people in schools and communities across the nation. These shows are now at the core of our new Education Program, ‘Exploring Patterns’, that is being delivered in Dandenong and Wyndham over the next two years.
Youth & Community arts projects
Phunktional delivers multi-year, place-based, Community Arts and Cultural Development projects that are tailored to the needs of the communities we work with.
Phunktional delivers world-class workshops and masterclasses in contemporary & traditional dance, theatre, film and music.
Professional Development workshops
Professional Development workshops are designed for teachers and youth workers, and are delivered in partnership with leading social, health, legal and education organisations.
Phunktional produces world-class performances, developed with professional and emerging artists, in dance, theatre, film and music.