The University of Newcastle’s Creative in Residence has been awarded to local playwright, actor and director, Dr Carl Caulfield.
Dr Caulfield is a distinguished creative with an impressive record of award-winning playwrighting, having won the City of Newcastle Drama Award for Best New Play five times.
During his residency at the University’s Auchmuty Library, Dr Caulfield will work on a dramatic performance piece on the life and work of Josef Lycett (1774-1828). Lycett was a convict and artist known for his topographical views of major Australian towns and dramatic landscapes.
With opportunity for drama, passion and insight into what Newcastle was like in 1814, Dr Caulfield will use archives and rare books housed in the library’s Special Collections to explore the colonial context of Lycett’s life. These include examples of Lycett’s prints, engravings, and records. Dr Caulfield will also consult with The Wollotuka Institute to gain insight into the relationships and trust Lycett formed with local Indigenous communities.
As the Creative in Residence, Dr Caulfield will write and research his work at the Auchmuty Library over the next six months, culminating in a live onsite performance in late 2024.
