Queensland performers have a long history of feeling maligned by local producers and companies. Feelings of projected inferiority are common across Australia outside the “cultural hubs” of Melbourne and Sydney, made explicit in federal funding. In 2023, the issue became urgent enough for the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to launch a ‘Hot Locals for Hire’ campaign. Queensland actors were repeatedly losing out on local roles to interstate counterparts.
For these Queensland local companies and artists, it is difficult to change the long-held cultural assumption that Queensland lacks culture. Queensland actor Anna McGahn wrote in 2023: ‘When I lived interstate, I was invited to perform as a “returning Queenslander”, much to the frustration of my peers who never left. However, when I decided to live here permanently, Queensland theatre auditions stopped completely, while film and television auditions shifted leads to bit parts. It was as if I’d announced my retirement.’
