News

Biting the hand that funds you

A controversial play about eco-terrorism and climate change is set to reignite debate at this year’s You Are Here festival.

1 Apr 2016

Richard Watts

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Writing and Publishing

Publicity image for Kill Climate Deniers. Photo by Sarah Walker.

In late 2014, Canberra’s Aspen Island Theatre Company received $18,793 from Arts ACT for the creative development of David Finnigan’s provocatively-titled play, Kill Climate Deniers.

The backlash which followed – including complaints by conservative columnist Andrew Bolt and the ACT’s Shadow Arts Minister Brendan Smyth – resulted in a short-lived scandal which was soon forgotten by most of the arts community.

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Richard Watts

Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts