Photo by Simon Fazio
BIOGRAPHY: Ebony Rattle (they/them) is an artist investigating performance art through an experimental and accessible methodology. Their work predominantly examines metaphysics; alternative universes steeped in questioning identity, existence, possibility, actuality, corporeality, informed by their own lived experience as a disabled, neurodivergent, queer person.
Their work centres emotion and feeling as the key driver of the stories that they tell, leaning into experimentation through lived experience over traditional artmaking structures. Their art is “messy”, “heartbreaking”, “confusing”, “full of longing”, “sterile”, “uncomfortable”, “relatable”, “jarring”, but most importantly, “offering up heart and soul”.
In 2021, Ebony was mentored by esteemed theatre director Adena Jacobs through the Midsumma Pathways Program for LGBTQIA+ artists living with disability. Recent theatre credits as writer/director include Destroyed (2024, Theatre Works/Midsumma Festival), Winona (2023, Nominee: Best International Show, Best Two Person Show, Hollywood Fringe Festival, 2022, LIVE DREAMS/Live Works Festival of Experimental Art, 2022, Melbourne Fringe), Ring, Ring! (2021, Theatre Works) and BLITZ (2019, Melbourne Fringe Festival). Their work has been supported by Creative Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria, The City of Port Philip, Melbourne Fringe and Midsumma Festival.
Additionally, they have almost a decade of experience working in live audio and vision production and have worked extensively with Australia’s most esteemed live performance companies, including Opera Australia, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Theatre Company, Victorian Opera, The Australian Ballet, Ilbijerri Theatre Company, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Contemporary music highlights include mixing at Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata, Japan, Splendour in The Grass, Meredith Music Festival and Fairgrounds Festival.
Ebony currently works as the Creative Producer at feminist arts company Women’s Circus, and has previously worked as Midsumma Festival’s Pathways Program Coordinator. They also sit on the Access and Inclusion committees at Melbourne Recital Centre and Arts Centre Melbourne, and is incredibly passionate about access and inclusion in the performing arts.
They also work as a production manager for the yearly HOLLER Fest, a festival championing the contributions of women and gender diverse people in the local music industry, and is a judge for the yearly Music Victoria Awards.
Ebony is a proud member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).
Their work centres emotion and feeling as the key driver of the stories that they tell, leaning into experimentation through lived experience over traditional artmaking structures. Their art is “messy”, “heartbreaking”, “confusing”, “full of longing”, “sterile”, “uncomfortable”, “relatable”, “jarring”, but most importantly, “offering up heart and soul”.
In 2021, Ebony was mentored by esteemed theatre director Adena Jacobs through the Midsumma Pathways Program for LGBTQIA+ artists living with disability. Recent theatre credits as writer/director include Destroyed (2024, Theatre Works/Midsumma Festival), Winona (2023, Nominee: Best International Show, Best Two Person Show, Hollywood Fringe Festival, 2022, LIVE DREAMS/Live Works Festival of Experimental Art, 2022, Melbourne Fringe), Ring, Ring! (2021, Theatre Works) and BLITZ (2019, Melbourne Fringe Festival). Their work has been supported by Creative Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria, The City of Port Philip, Melbourne Fringe and Midsumma Festival.
Additionally, they have almost a decade of experience working in live audio and vision production and have worked extensively with Australia’s most esteemed live performance companies, including Opera Australia, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Theatre Company, Victorian Opera, The Australian Ballet, Ilbijerri Theatre Company, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Contemporary music highlights include mixing at Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata, Japan, Splendour in The Grass, Meredith Music Festival and Fairgrounds Festival.
Ebony currently works as the Creative Producer at feminist arts company Women’s Circus, and has previously worked as Midsumma Festival’s Pathways Program Coordinator. They also sit on the Access and Inclusion committees at Melbourne Recital Centre and Arts Centre Melbourne, and is incredibly passionate about access and inclusion in the performing arts.
They also work as a production manager for the yearly HOLLER Fest, a festival championing the contributions of women and gender diverse people in the local music industry, and is a judge for the yearly Music Victoria Awards.
Ebony is a proud member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).