A $50,000 scholarship for Australia's best young musical theatre talent has been cancelled after being accused of unconscious prejudice in its choice of an overwhelmingly white cast of 30 semi-finalists | NickdMiller Catherine Lambert
A $50,000 scholarship for Australia's best young musical theatre talent has been cancelled after organisers said nominees were "targeted and intimidated" in recent weeks.
The RGE was accused of subconscious prejudice after it chose an overwhelmingly white cast of 30 semi-finalists. The semi-finalist announcement last month was met with a chorus of criticism: it was called a "whitewash" in an open letter by performer Hayden Tee, who blamed a "total lack of diversity on your selection committee and board", adding this was no reflection on the talent of the semi-finalists.
But one of the semi-finalists, Tomas Parrish, said on social media they were “not bullied or harassed into making the decision to withdraw” from the competition, and stood “with the First Nations and POC community to create a more equitable and accessible industry”. They were meeting with the entertainment union’s Equity Diversity Committee before making a public statement., Amanda Harrison, welcomed the cancellation announcement.
The Rob Guest Endowment Award is a $50,000 cash prize to be used for professional development. The runner up receives $5000 and the remaining four finalists get $1500 each.
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