Speakeasy Scratch Night Program

Through our pilot Companies in Residence Program, we saw PO PO MO CO and the voice in my hands deliver four Scratch Nights at Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre in the first half of 2025.

Continuing our support of community-focused practice, we’re rolling out three Speakeasy Scratch Nights in the second half of the year, curated by independent artists: Tra Mi Dinh, David Prakash and a collaboration between Slanted Theatre and Shane Woon.

Each Scratch Night will showcase a range of works-in-progress, with opportunities for discussion and exchange between performers and audience. If you’re looking to connect with other artists through a community of practice, this is for you.

To keep up to date on this program, follow us on Instagram, or sign up to the Darebin Arts Speakeasy mailing list here.

A woman with long dark hairs pulled back in a ponytail wears a grey buttoned shirt and a silver necklace on her neck. She does not smile towards the camera.

Tra Mi Dinh is a choreographer and dance artist. She is the most recent recipient of the Keir Choreographic Award (2022) for her work The ___.

Her choreographic practice has been supported by Lucy Guerin Inc, Temperance Hall, Australian Dance Theatre, ReadyMade Works, Critical Path, March Dance, Ausdance NSW, Tasdance, and Sydney Fringe Festival.

As a dancer, Tra Mi has worked with artists and companies including Lucy Guerin Inc, Chunky Move, Stephanie Lake Company, Dance Makers Collective, Joel Bray Dance, Michelle Heaven, Victoria Chiu, and more. In 2019 Tra Mi received a Green Room Award nomination for her performance in Lucy Guerin’s Make Your Own World.

Get to know her work at tramidinh.com

Tra Mi Dinh will curate a Speakeasy Scratch Night on Thursday 2 October.

A man with short dark hair and a beard wears a blue denim jacket and a white shirt underneath. He smiles tot he camera.

David Prakash is an Indian/Samoan dancer/dance maker who began his journey into the realm of street dance in 2012. During this time, he has explored multiple genres such as Popping, Hip Hop freestyle, House, and Krump.

In 2018, David co-founded 'Jam On Toast' with peer and close friend Oliver Le. JOT served as one of Naarms biggest community dance jams for people to come hang out and connect with new people.

David over the past 5 years has actively taught and facilitated classes across Naarm, Boorloo & Mparntwe. Honouring the lineage of Black American, LatinX & LGBTQI+ street dance pioneers, David aims to create spaces for curious minds to seek and find what it means to connect with one another in communal contexts.

David Prakash will curate a Speakeasy Scratch Night on Thursday 30 October.

A group of four men and one woman, all of Asian descent, stand arm in arm next to each other a lit theatre stage. They raise their hands in the air in joy and celebration.

Slanted Theatre is a Sydney-based collective championing Asian-Australian stories on stage and screen. Founded by Tiffany Wong in 2021, Slanted has collaborated with over 160 artists across four years, building a bold and inclusive platform that celebrates the richness and complexity of Asian identities. From award-winning productions to Lunar New Year play festivals, the company is reshaping Australia’s cultural landscape by rejecting tokenism and fostering authentic representation. Recognised as a Champion of the AA22 List in 2022, Slanted continues to spotlight emerging talent, challenge stereotypes, and transform the face of contemporary Australian theatre.

Shane Woon is a Naarm based playwright where he received his Masters of Theatre (Writing) from the Victorian College of The Arts. Shane’s works include Feng Shui Secrets (Slanted Theatre with National Theatre of Parramatta), A Guide to Becoming Immortal (Melbourne Fringe) and Rabbit & Watson (VCA Theatre Writers Festival). Alongside writing, Shane has also dramaturg for Denise Chan’s Kopi Diem (KXT, Storyteller’s Festival).

He is an active contributor to theatre education in Victoria through teaching and consulting with arts organisations. (Art Centre Melbourne’s VCE Resource for Yong, Panel Discussion Host: Miss Peony and VCE Theatre Studies Monologue and Arts Hub Interview with Michelle Law for Miss Peony). Shane has mentored numerous students whose work has been recognized in the VCAA’s annual Season of Excellence: Top Class: Theatre Studies. His work in theatre education is dedicated to amplifying the experiences and stories of marginalised communities.

Slanted and Shane Woon will curate a Speakeasy Scratch Night on Tuesday 25 November.

Image credits: Top image: Tra Mi Dinh (supplied); Middle image: David Prakash (supplied); Bottom image: Actors Matt Yuen, Gerwin Widjaja, Ellie Chan, Director: James Lau, Writer: Shane Woon, Feng Shui Secrets by Shane Woon 2025 for Slanted Theatre's Serpent Secrets @ National Theatre of Parramatta.