Clara Solly-Slade
Clara Solly-Slade graduated from The Adelaide College of the Arts (Acting, 2013) before undertaking further training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London (Acting Shakespeare, 2016). In 2017, she trained in Italy with La Mama Experimental Theatre Company at their International Directors Symposium.
She interned in the USA with The H.E.A.T Collective (Healing. Education. Activism. Theatre), Working Classroom, and La Mama Experimental Theatre Company. Clara spent two years as an Emerging Director Fellow with the State Theatre Company of South Australia and State Opera of South Australia (2019–2020). Throughout Clara’s emerging director fellowship she was Assistant Director on six different works including Madame Butterfly. She is the creative director of multidisciplinary art collective The Bait Fridge and co-founder of The Kinetik Collective.
Clara directed Kill Climate Deniers (2022) for the State Theatre Company’s Stateside Program and co-directed The River that Ran Up Hill with Andy Packer for Slingsby Theatre Company, presented at the 2023 Adelaide Festival and the Sydney Opera House in 2024. Other recent projects include Hypercolour Miscellaneous Bistro Buffet with Dave Court for Slow Mango and The Bait Fridge (Illuminate Adelaide) and The Sight with Victoria Falconer (Dark Mofo).
Clara Solly-Slade, Helpmann Academy Emerging Director Fellowship 2019 recipient.Without the opportunities I had from the Helpmann Academy to continue developing my skill set, reconnect with the passion and finding moments of self-belief and determination there are several key moments I know I would have left the industry.
- 2016
Acting Shakespeare / The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London
2015Receives Helpmann Academy grant, and travels to London to attend an eight week Acting Shakespeare course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Value: $4,000
- 2017
Attends International Directors Symposium at La Mama International, Umbria, Italy
2017Receives Helpmann Academy grant, and travels to Umbria, Italy to partake in the International Symposium for Directors/Theatre-Makers with LaMama Theatre Company Value: $4,000
- 2019
Assistant Director Madame Butterfly, State Opera Company of South Australia
2017Recipient of the Neil Curnow Award which supported her to undertake a self-directed professional development program in New York and Albuquerque, New Mexico Value: $10,000
- 2020
Receives a grant from Arts SA supporting the commissioning and development of new work Speculative Friction (working title)
- 2020
Directs Decameron 2.0 with State Theatre Company of South Australia
2019Panel member for a Helpmann Academy Residencies seminar Value: $100
- 2021
Directs Everything She Ever Said With Fingers Crossed Behind her Back with Say Arts for Dream Big Festival
2019Receives a Helpmann Academy Emerging Director Fellowship with State Theatre Company and State Opera South Australia, allowing for hands-on experience and observational learning throughout the rehearsal and performance stages of several productions Value: $33,000
- 2021
Co-Founds The Kinetik Collective
2020Receives second year of the Helpmann Academy Emerging Director Fellowship with State Theatre Company and State Opera South Australia Value: $33,000
- 2022
Directs Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons at Adelaide College of the Arts
- 2022
Directs Kill Climate Deniers by David Finnigan with Kinetik Collective within State Theatre’s Stateside Season
- 2022-2023
Rehearsal Director with Slingsby’s Flying Squad
- 2022-2025
One of the Creative Directors for Experimental Arts Collective The Bait Fridge
- 2023
Co-directs The Sight commissioned by Dark Mofo for their Night Mass programme
- 2023
Co-Directs The River that Ran Up Hill with Andy Packer from Slingsby Theatre Company for Adelaide Festival
- 2024
Co-Directs Hypercolour Miscellaneous Bistro Buffet with Dave Court for Slow Mango and The Bait Fridge with Illuminate Adelaide
- 2025
Directs My Hair is Thinning through The Mill Adelaide’s Theatre Residency Program
- 2025-2026
Co-Founder of digital storytelling company BARK Communications with Max Brading
$84K +
value in support and
opportunities from
Helpmann Academy
- 2015
Receives Helpmann Academy grant, and travels to London to attend an eight week Acting Shakespeare course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Value: $4,000
- 2016
Acting Shakespeare / The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London
- 2017
Attends International Directors Symposium at La Mama International, Umbria, Italy
- 2017
Receives Helpmann Academy grant, and travels to Umbria, Italy to partake in the International Symposium for Directors/Theatre-Makers with LaMama Theatre Company Value: $4,000
- 2017
Recipient of the Neil Curnow Award which supported her to undertake a self-directed professional development program in New York and Albuquerque, New Mexico Value: $10,000
- 2019
Assistant Director Madame Butterfly, State Opera Company of South Australia
- 2019
Panel member for a Helpmann Academy Residencies seminar Value: $100
- 2019
Receives a Helpmann Academy Emerging Director Fellowship with State Theatre Company and State Opera South Australia, allowing for hands-on experience and observational learning throughout the rehearsal and performance stages of several productions Value: $33,000
- 2020
Receives a grant from Arts SA supporting the commissioning and development of new work Speculative Friction (working title)
- 2020
Directs Decameron 2.0 with State Theatre Company of South Australia
- 2020
Receives second year of the Helpmann Academy Emerging Director Fellowship with State Theatre Company and State Opera South Australia Value: $33,000
- 2021
Directs Everything She Ever Said With Fingers Crossed Behind her Back with Say Arts for Dream Big Festival
- 2021
Co-Founds The Kinetik Collective
- 2022
Directs Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons at Adelaide College of the Arts
- 2022
Directs Kill Climate Deniers by David Finnigan with Kinetik Collective within State Theatre’s Stateside Season
- 2022-2023
Rehearsal Director with Slingsby’s Flying Squad
- 2022-2025
One of the Creative Directors for Experimental Arts Collective The Bait Fridge
- 2023
Co-directs The Sight commissioned by Dark Mofo for their Night Mass programme
- 2023
Co-Directs The River that Ran Up Hill with Andy Packer from Slingsby Theatre Company for Adelaide Festival
- 2024
Co-Directs Hypercolour Miscellaneous Bistro Buffet with Dave Court for Slow Mango and The Bait Fridge with Illuminate Adelaide
- 2025
Directs My Hair is Thinning through The Mill Adelaide’s Theatre Residency Program
- 2025-2026
Co-Founder of digital storytelling company BARK Communications with Max Brading
$84K +
value in support and
opportunities from
Helpmann Academy