Nathan Sibthorpe is a contemporary performance-maker and video designer based in Brisbane, Australia. He is best known as the director of Counterpilot – the award-winning collective of transmedia performance artists responsible for: Adrift (Metro Arts, 2022); C’est Bon Salon (Brisbane Festival, 2022); Avoidable Perils (Brisbane Festival & Darwin Festival, 2020); Truthmachine (Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival & others, 2019-22); Statum (Brisbane Powerhouse & Flipside Circus, 2019); Crunch Time (Next Wave Festival & Metro Arts, 2018) and Spectate (Metro Arts, 2017).

Counterpilot received the Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work at the 2018 Matilda Awards, and their most recent work Adrift received the Judge’s Award for “pushing artistic boundaries” at the 2022 Matilda Awards. Nathan has been nominated for a further twelve Matilda Awards, receiving the award for Best AV Design for Blue Bones in 2017. In the same year, he was also the recipient of the Dr Don Batchelor Award for Drama Research at QUT. In 2021, Nathan received a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People, with I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You.

Nathan was previously Queensland Theatre Company’s Geek-In-Residence in 2012-14; the Festival Director of Short+Sweet Queensland from 2013-16; and the Creative Director for Markwell Presents Cinematic Theatre Company from 2016-18. Nathan sometimes teaches performance studies at QUT, where he holds a Masters Degree in contemporary performance.

Credits as a
Performance-Maker

> writer
> director
> dramaturg
> co-devisor
> co-creator

  • Pigeon Fool - as director, writer & video designer
    (2024, Counterpilot & World Science Festival Brisbane)

  • Scaredy House - as director & writer
    (2024, Counterpilot & Metro Arts)

  • Night of the Nerds - as director
    (2022-24, World Science Festival Brisbane & QPAC)

  • Not a Cult* - as director & co-writer
    (2023, Counterpilot, Metro Arts, NAFA, Darwin Festival)

  • Adrift - as director & co-writer
    (2022, Counterpilot & Metro Arts)

  • Escape from Monotony - as director & co-devisor
    (2022, Counterpilot & Museum of Brisbane)

  • Bunker - as co-director & co-video designer
    (2022, Lisa Wilson Projects & Metro Arts)

  • C’est Bon Salon - as director & writer
    (2022, Counterpilot & Brisbane Festival)

  • Breaking - as director & co-writer
    (2022-23, Counterpilot, Metro Arts, Critical Stages, Melbourne Fringe)

  • IMB Institute of Light - as director & co-devisor
    (2021, Counterpilot, Brisbane Festival, IMB)

  • Avoidable Perils - as director & co-devisor
    (2020, Counterpilot, Metro Arts, Darwin Festival & Brisbane Festival)

  • One Bottle Later - as co-creator
    (2020, The Good Room & Brisbane Festival)

  • Statum - as writer & director
    (2019, Counterpilot, Flipside Circus & Brisbane Powerhouse)

  • Truthmachine - as writer & director
    touring seasons continue (2019-20, Counterpilot & Metro Arts)

  • Ephemera - as associate artist
    video installation (2020, Benjamin Knapton & Metro Arts With Love)

  • Crunch Time - as writer & director
    (2018, Counterpilot, Next Wave Festival & Metro Arts)

  • I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You - as key creative
    (2018, The Good Room & Brisbane Festival)

  • Spectate - as writer & director
    (2017, Counterpilot & Metro Arts)

  • Tyrone & Lesley in a Spot - as co-creator
    (2016, Queensland Cabaret Festival, Metro Arts & David Megarrity // 2019 Season @ Brisbane Festival)

  • This is Capital City - as dramaturg & assistant director
    (2015, Counterpilot & Brisbane Powerhouse)

  • Clarity in Transit - as co-creator & dramaturg
    (2014, Counterpilot, La Boite Theatre Company & Brisbane Airport Corporation)

  • Sob Story - as writer & director
    (2014, The Arts Centre Gold Coast Works-in-Progress Program)

  • Total Dik - as co-devisor
    (2013, Queensland Theatre Company Creative Development Series)

  • Into the Woods - as director & designer
    (2013, Ignatians Musical Theatre)

  • Some Dumb Play - as writer & director
    (2012, Metro Arts Allies)

  • Voice - as writer & director
    (2012, Northcote Town Hall, Melbourne)

  • Fallen Tree - as writer & director
    (2011, Vena Cava Productions)

  • I Feel Awful - as performer & collaborator
    (2011, Black Lung Theatre, Queensland Theatre Company & Brisbane Festival)

Credits as a
Video Designer

  • La Bella Figura (2021, JUTE Theatre)

  • Horizon (2021, Playlab Theatre)

  • Weathering Well (2021, Woodward Productions)

  • The Holidays (2020, Queensland Theatre)

  • To Kill a Cassowary (2020, Jute Theatre)

  • Leotard (2020, deBase & Metro Arts With Love)

  • State of Origin: The Musical (2019, Home Ground Productions)

  • SOX (creative development - 2019, David Megarrity & QUT)

  • Warmwaters: InExperience (2018, QUT CreateX Festival & deBase)

  • Wireless (2017, Lisa Wilson Projects, Metro Arts & Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts)

  • Blue Bones (2017, Playlab Productions)

  • Plunge (2016-17, Seeing Place Productions & Bleach Festival)

  • Viral (2016-18, Shock Therapy Productions, Arts Centre Gold Coast, NORPA)

  • Woodford Folk Festival Opening Ceremony (2015)

  • Vis & Ramin (2015, Metro Arts)

  • It's Not the Heat, It's The Humidity (2015-16, John Willsteed, Brisbane Powerhouse, & QUT CreateX)

  • Locked In (2015-16, Shock Therapy Productions)

  • Song (2015-16, Brisbane Powerhouse, Yakkana & Accolade Productions)

  • He Dreamed a Train (2014-17, Ben Knapton, Margi Brown Ash & Brisbane Powerhouse)

  • Mercy Thieves (2014, Arts Centre Gold Coast)

  • Genesis (2013, Ben Knapton & QUT)

  • The Social Me (2012, Markwell Presents & Artslink QLD)

  • Bear With Me (2012, David Megarrity & Out of the Box Festival)

  • Gaijin (2011, Ben Knapton & Gardens Theatre)

  • The Harbinger (2011, La Boite & Dead Puppets Society)

  • I Feel Awful (2011, Queensland Theatre Company & Brisbane Festival)

  • The Go-Go-Getters (2010, David Megarrity & Out of the Box Festival)

  • Alice in Wonderland (2009, Markwell Presents & Flipside Circus)

Credits as a
Playwright

  • Stocktake - 2019
    (commissioned by Markwell Presents & Villanova College)

  • Puff Post - 2018
    (commissioned by Markwell Presents & Villanova College)

  • In-Tents - 2017
    (commissioned by Markwell Presents & Villanova College)

  • Bad Gravy - 2016
    (commissioned by Markwell Presents & Villanova College)

Awards

  • Dr Don Batchelor Award for Drama Research
    through QUT Creative Lab 2017, for Spectate

  • Matilda Awards
    + 2022 Judge’s Award for Adrift
    +     2018 Best New Australian Work for Crunch Time
    +     2017 Best AV Design for Blue Bones

  • Sydney Theatre Award
    + 2020 Best Production for Young People for I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You

  • Matilda Award Nominations
    + 2022 Best Director for Bunker
    + 2022 Best Video Design for Bunker
    + 2021 Best Video Design for The Holidays
    + 2021 Best Video Design for Horizon
    + 2019 Best AV Design for Statum
    + 2018 Best New Australian Work for Crunch Time
    + 2018 Best AV Design for Crunch Time
    + 2017 Best New Australian Work for Spectate
    + 2017 Best AV Design for Spectate
    + 2017 Best AV Design for He Dreamed a Train
    + 2016 Best AV Design for Viral
    + 2014 Best Technical Design for He Dreamed a Train

  • Adelaide Fringe Awards for Truthmachine
    + Hong Kong Tour Ready Award
    + Melbourne Tour Ready Award
    + Best Film, Digital or Interactive Award

  • Short+Sweet Festival Award
    2011 Best Director for The Voyeurs

  • Green Room Grounding Award
    2011 Most Outstanding Contribution to Multimedia in Theatre for The Harbinger

Other Employment

  • Queensland University of Technology
    Sessional Tutor & Lecturer (2015-ongoing)

  • QUT International College
    Sessional Tutor, Lecturer, Unit Coordinator, Unit Development (2016-19)

  • Short+Sweet Queensland
    Festival Director (2013-2016)

  • Queensland Theatre Company
    Geek-in-Residence (2012-14)

  • Markwell Presents
    Artistic Associate (2009-12, 2014-15)
    & Creative Director (2016-18)

Other Positions

Education

  • Master of Fine Arts, Practice-led Research
    ”The Effect of Embodied Metafiction in Contemporary Performance” - Thesis Available Online
    QUT, 2015-2018

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Studies, Minor in Creative Writing, with Distinction
    QUT, 2012

  • Certificate 3 in Multimedia
    QANTM College, 2008

Assistant Director Roles

  • Delicacy (2013, Lucas Stibbard)

  • Colder (2011, Michelle Miall)

  • Brontë (2010, Brenda Monaghan)

For a full copy of Nathan's Curriculum Vitae, please contact directly: nathan.sibthorpe@gmail.com