Encounter
Encounter is a Perth-based, not-for-profit intercultural theatre company founded in 2021 that produces stage works and runs artist-development programs (Stories Begin Here, ThisGen Fellowship, Youth Ensemble) for CaLD, First Nations, and IBPoC creatives across Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersPerth, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Encounter does
Encounter Theatre Inc is a not-for-profit association registered in Western Australia, founded in 2021 by Jay Emmanuel, an internationally trained performer and director (Jacques Lecoq School, Paris). The company operates as an intercultural theatre company headquartered in Perth (Noongar Boodjar / Whadjuk Noongar Country), with a 12-person staff and a mandate to produce theatrical works and artist-development programs that elevate Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD), Indigenous (First Nations), and IBPoC voices in Australian performing arts. Its portfolio comprises major stage productions (e.g., Mahabharata with Why Not Theatre and Perth Festival; Children of the Sea; Nightwalks with Teenagers; Beneath The Music; The Tides of Longing) alongside structured artist-development programs including Stories Begin Here (a six-stream playwright/dramaturg development program), the ThisGen Fellowship (a paid leadership pathway for mid-career IBPoC/CaLD creatives), the Youth Ensemble, and bespoke workshops such as Devising The Epic. The organization is not a technology company; its core capability is creative direction, intercultural curatorial practice, and community-embedded production.
The business model is that of a small arts non-profit with three primary revenue streams: tax-deductible donations and major-gift cultivation (gifts over A$2 deductible; major donor outreach handled directly by the Business Manager for gifts over A$1,000); modest program and workshop fees (e.g., A$5–A$10 per play-reading/dramaturgy session, A$100 for the Introduction to Playwriting program); and institutional/government grants from bodies such as Creative Australia, the WA Government, and regional arts councils, supplemented by matched-giving partners (Plus1) and philanthropic supporters (Spinifex, Arts Impacts, UFF). Distribution is achieved through direct co-productions with flagship partners (Perth Festival, Sydney Festival, Why Not Theatre in Canada, Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Blue Room Theatre, Centre for Stories, Mammalian Diving Reflex) and through self-serve online workshop delivery (Dramaturgy Development Group via livestream). Governance is founder-led, with a Board of Directors chaired by Karl Matacz, complemented by a 2024-introduced Board Observership Program for emerging arts leaders aged 21–29. The organization holds Deductible Gift Recipient status with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
Encounter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Encounter
- Legal name
- Encounter Theatre Inc
- Website
- https://encountertheatre.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Encounter is a Perth-based, not-for-profit intercultural theatre company founded in 2021 that produces stage works and runs artist-development programs (Stories Begin Here, ThisGen Fellowship, Youth Ensemble) for CaLD, First Nations, and IBPoC creatives across Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Encounter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
Keywords
Where Encounter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Perth
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Encounter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Tax-Deductible Contributions: Encounter Theatre Inc is a registered not-for-profit and deductible gift recipient. Donations over $2 are tax deductible, with major donor cultivation for gifts over $1,000.
- Workshop and Program Fees: Revenue from various workshops including Dramaturgy Development Group ($10/session), Play Reading Group ($5/session or $20 for all five), Introduction to Playwriting ($100 registration), and other program registrations.
- Government Funding and Grants: Supported by government bodies including Creative Australia, WA Government, and local arts funding bodies for various programs and productions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dramaturgy Development Group sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Play Reading Group sessions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Introduction to Playwriting complete program |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Tax-deductible donations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Encounter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Encounter Theatre Inc is a not-for-profit intercultural theatre company that produces professional theatrical productions (Mahabharata, Children Of The Sea, Beneath The Music, Nightwalks With Teenagers, The Tides Of Longing) co-produced with major festivals, and runs community and artist development programs for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) and First Nations artists in Western Australia. Core structured programs include the Stories Begin Here playwright development program with six streams, the ThisGen Fellowship for mid-career IBPoC and CaLD creative leaders, and the ENCOUNTER Youth Ensemble for diverse young performers.
Product overview
ENCOUNTER is an intercultural theatre company that operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company provides theatre productions and community programs, with its primary structured offerings being the Stories Begin Here program (six interconnected streams for playwright development: Expressive Writers Group, Play Reading Group, Introduction To Playwriting, Screenwriting Group, Dramaturgy Development Group, and New Horizons), the ThisGen Fellowship (leadership development for diverse creatives), the ENCOUNTER Youth Ensemble (youth arts education), Devising The Epic workshops, and ongoing theatrical productions including Mahabharata, Children Of The Sea, Nightwalks With Teenagers, Beneath The Music, and The Tides Of Longing. The company also participates in collaborative partnerships such as Festival Commons and Words In Motion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stories Begin Here An innovative playwright and dramaturg development program for diverse cultural backgrounds across Western Australia, offering six tailored streams for writers at different career stages: Expressive Writers Group, Play Reading Group, Introduction to Playwriting, Screenwriting Group, Dramaturgy Development Group, and New Horizons. Delivered in partnership with Black Swan State Theatre Company, The Blue Room Theatre, and Centre for Stories.
- ThisGen Fellowship A paid fellowship opportunity empowering diverse mid-career IBPoC and CaLD creatives to transform the cultural sector with bold creative approaches to leadership through immersive training, residencies, labs, and mentorship. The 2024 cohort supported six Culturally and Linguistically Diverse producers and directors.
- ENCOUNTER Youth Ensemble A performing arts program for young people with a passion for creativity, storytelling, leadership, and community, delivered in partnership with Edmund Rice Centre WA and BN Collective. Targeted at diverse young people.
- Devising The Epic Workshop A 3-day workshop with Why Not Theatre exploring the creative process behind Mahabharata, blending physicality, improvisation, and storytelling to create theatre that balances Eastern and Western cultures. Limited to 15 participants for mid-career theatre makers.
- Mahabharata A theatrical production in partnership with Why Not Theatre and Perth Festival, transforming the ancient Sanskrit epic poem about dynasties vying for control into a once-in-a-generation theatrical experience. Co-devised by Jay Emmanuel and Miriam Fernandes.
- Children Of The Sea An emotional and epic theatrical piece sharing the journey of young maritime survivors who came to Australia by boat, inspired by true stories and developed through a two-year research project.
- Nightwalks With Teenagers An immersive experience where participants explore their neighbourhood with local young people as guides, seeing the streets of the city with different eyes.
- Beneath The Music A poetic new physical theatre work created by Jay Emmanuel and written by Karthika Naïr, celebrating gender fluidity and queerness across generations, traditions, and cultures. Co-produced with Performing Lines in 2023.
- The Tides Of Longing A world premiere collaboration between Lachlan Skipworth and Jay Emmanuel, set to Arvo Pärt's haunting soundscape Fratres, telling the story of a young refugee's voyage and memories of home.
- Festival Commons A program supporting the next generation of IBPoC festival-makers, curators and cultural conveners in Greater Sydney and the Asia Pacific, embedded within Sydney Festival's program. Delivered with partners including Blacktown Arts and CAAP.
- Words In Motion A collaborative pilot program where emerging and mid-career Western Australian playwrights develop unproduced plays through a two-week intensive script development process with established directors, actors, and a dramaturg, in partnership with Australian Plays Transform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Six diverse fellows supported in 2024-25 ThisGen cohort
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Encounter
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Encounter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Encounter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Black Swan State Theatre CompanycoreWA's flagship theatre company. Partner in Stories Begin Here program including New Horizons mentorship for four mid-career playwrights led by Andrew Bovell, and Words in Motion script development program.
- The Blue Room TheatrecorePerth-based theatre company. Partner in Stories Begin Here including Introduction to Playwriting workshops, Words in Motion development program, and ongoing venue collaboration.
- Centre for StoriescorePerth-based storytelling organisation. Partner in Stories Begin Here hosting Expressive Writers Group and Play Reading Group sessions, and co-hosting Longhouse intercultural discussions.
- Sydney FestivalflagshipMajor Australian festival. Partnership for Festival Commons - a program supporting next generation of IBPoC festival-makers, curators and cultural conveners embedded within Sydney Festival's 50th anniversary program.
- Blacktown ArtscoreNSW arts organisation. Festival Commons delivery partner alongside CAAP and ENCOUNTER for IBPoC festival-maker training program.
- Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP)coreArts organisation focused on Asian Australian performance. Festival Commons partner and Longhouse intercultural practice collaboration host at The Blue Room Theatre.
- Australian Plays TransformcoreNational play development organisation. Partnership for Words In Motion - pilot program for WA playwrights to develop unproduced plays through intensive script development with directors, actors and dramaturg.
- Perth FestivalflagshipWestern Australia's premier arts festival. Co-producer of major productions including Mahabharata (2025), Children of the Sea (2021), and Nightwalks with Teenagers (2024).
- CreativeClimateminorDelivery partner for ThisGen 2026 program.
- Why Not TheatrecoreCanadian theatre company led by Miriam Fernandes. Partnership includes Devising The Epic 3-day workshop (Feb 2025) exploring Mahabharata creative process, and ThisGen Fellowship collaboration with Encounter for CaLD and First Nations arts leadership development.
- Yirra Yaakin Theatre CompanycoreWA's leading Aboriginal theatre company. ThisGen 2024 program partner and collaborator on writer development programs.
- Performing LinescoreNational producing organisation. Co-producer of Beneath The Music with Encounter (2023).
- Mammalian Diving ReflexcoreToronto-based theatre company. Partner with Encounter and Amana Living for The Collider Project (2026) bringing together different generations.
- Edmund Rice Centre WAcoreCommunity organisation. Partnership with Encounter and BN Collective for ENCOUNTER Youth Ensemble program for young people from diverse backgrounds.
- BN CollectivecoreCollective partner with Encounter and Edmund Rice Centre WA for Youth Ensemble program delivery.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Encounter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Next Wave: National emerging-arts organisation led by board member Frances Robinson, focused on supporting under-30 artists from diverse backgrounds. Comparable to Encounter in championing emerging diverse artists, with adjacent but distinct (multidisciplinary) artistic focus.
Direct peers
- ILBIJERRI Theatre Company: Australia's leading First Nations theatre company, focused on First Peoples storytelling, artist development, and intercultural work. Closest national peer to Encounter's CaLD/First Nations mission, programming model, and scale.
- Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company: WA's leading Aboriginal theatre company and a ThisGen 2024 program partner. Directly comparable mission focus on First Nations storytelling, professional productions, and artist development within the same Western Australian market.
- Centre for Stories: Perth-based storytelling organisation hosting Expressive Writers Group, Play Reading Group, and Longhouse discussions as an Encounter delivery partner. Comparable as a small WA non-profit with a diverse-voices cultural mandate.
- Black Swan State Theatre Company: WA's flagship theatre company and a direct strategic partner on Stories Begin Here and New Horizons. Operates a producing theatre model with mainstage seasons, making it a close comparable in scale, geography, and partnership role.
- Moogahlin Performing Arts: Sydney-based First Nations performing arts company producing work and developing Aboriginal artists. Direct peer in mission, production model, and artist development programs at similar organisational scale.
- Why Not Theatre: Toronto-based intercultural theatre company co-producing Mahabharata and ThisGen with Encounter. Closest international peer — a small-to-mid producing company focused on intercultural work, new work development, and diverse artist leadership.
- The Blue Room Theatre: Perth-based independent theatre and a core delivery partner on Stories Begin Here, hosting Introduction to Playwriting, Longhouse discussions, and program workshops. Comparable in size and as a small-stage producing entity serving WA artists.
- Performing Lines: National producing organisation and co-producer of Beneath The Music with Encounter. Comparable as a touring producing body that develops and presents new Australian performance work with diverse artists.
Broad incumbents
- Sydney Theatre Company: Australia's largest theatre company, where Encounter's Resident Dramaturg Jules Orcullo works. Comparable as a producing theatre focused on new Australian work, but operates at substantially larger scale and budget across a full subscription season.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Encounter social profiles
Digital presenceEncounter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Encounter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Encounter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Encounter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Encounter
What does Encounter do?
Encounter Theatre Inc is a not-for-profit intercultural theatre company that produces professional theatrical productions (Mahabharata, Children Of The Sea, Beneath The Music, Nightwalks With Teenagers, The Tides Of Longing) co-produced with major festivals, and runs community and artist development programs for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) and First Nations artists in Western Australia. Core structured programs include the Stories Begin Here playwright development program with six streams, the ThisGen Fellowship for mid-career IBPoC and CaLD creative leaders, and the ENCOUNTER Youth Ensemble for diverse young performers.
Is Encounter a public or private company?
Encounter is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Encounter founded?
Encounter was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Encounter based?
Encounter is headquartered in Perth, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Encounter make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Tax-Deductible Contributions are the primary driver. The others are workshop and Program Fees and government Funding and Grants.
Who are Encounter's main competitors?
Next Wave is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, Centre for Stories, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Moogahlin Performing Arts, Why Not Theatre, The Blue Room Theatre and Performing Lines. Sydney Theatre Company is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Encounter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Encounter.
What industry is Encounter in?
Encounter's product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAD, Community & Amateur Theatre, with a secondary code of MPAGABAN, Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories. Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 8200.