NORPA has concluded its 2025 Dinner Party at the End of the World development series, a season of artist-led exploration, community engagement, and cross-disciplinary creative investment that has brought together some of the Northern Rivers’ most exciting storytellers.

Guided by the belief that creativity can help communities adapt and thrive in a changing climate, the series of short works is part of a larger project, Dinner Party at the End of the World, set to premiere in 2027, honouring the courage, generosity, and ingenuity that defined the Northern Rivers community in the wake of the 2022 floods. 

Over the past few months, NORPA has supported 41 artists working across theatre, dance, circus, First Nations storytelling, poetry and hybrid forms, delivering labs, workshops and school programs, and engaging with 241 participants across the region.

The development series concluded on Saturday, November 15, with a unique community sharing showcase between 160 of the artists, participants and project stakeholders. 46 artists shared their creative responses in a pop-up stage at its new home, The Joinery, which is undergoing repairs and restoration.

(Dinner Party at the End of the World was performed at The Joinery, NORPA's new home. Photo: Tajette O'Halloran)

NORPA said it was wonderful to see the space overrun with artists, alive with new ideas, bold experiments and the strong sense of community.

At the sharing Sprung!! Ensemble explored movement and music through disability led processes and included an incredible spoken word from Tallula Bourne. Bunuba man Fred Copperwaite led a local theatre chorus surrounding community impact and strength.

Javanese Australian choreographer Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal explored a riverscape inspired dance, and Proud Yaegl and Widjabul Wia-bul artist Mitch King created inspiring theatre, movement and sound inspired by the Dundurimba swamp lands.

The season also strengthened NORPA’s connection with young people through Noa Rotem’s Future Feast program, which engaged 184 students, who explored the impact of catastrophe and the healing of art across in young people in a moving video piece shown at the sharing event, through a partnership with the Catholic Schools Office and the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

“We caught a glimpse of these artists’ brave new works — beautiful, thought-provoking, and brimming with creativity. The creative conversations and collaborations unfolding here highlight the vibrant artistic ecology of the Northern Rivers that inspires so much of what we do.

"A huge thank you to all the incredible artists and performers involved in this ambitious project. We’re now developing a suite of short films inspired by the works, to be released in the new year”. Julian Louis, Artistic Director

On the development series and sharing event, a number of involved artists and community members commented on the success of the showing and their first experience inside The Joinery.

Artist Mitch King said, “Saturday was amazing to see everyone's work, and to get a chance to perform in the new space was also incredible. I'm looking forward to continuing to develop and shaping this new work and see where it goes. 

Kimberly McIntyre, artist, said, “It was really special on so many levels, not just the work that was shared. I loved seeing what everyone else has been invested in over the last months. NORPA pushed us all into that shell of a building and started the future.

Deborah Mills, an audience member, said, “It was exciting to be inside The Joinery and see it functioning as a new arts precinct.”

For More information: www.norpa.org.au/events/dinner-party-creative-development/.