A laboratory for mapping fresh perspectives in dramatic writing.

Partnering with Black Swan State Theatre Company, this program empowers bold WA playwrights to imagine and shape new worlds.

New Horizons brings together four mid-career playwrights with strong connections to Western Australia. Led by Andrew Bovell, the cohort will work collaboratively to develop a new work.

The playwrights are encouraged to reflect on what matters today and explore stories beyond their individual perspectives.This immersive experience invites playwrights into Encounter’s philosophical approach—fostering multiple perspectives and thoughtful exploration of the diverse places, cultures, and communities that shape their identities.

Meet the Playwrights

Barbara Hostalek is a playwright born and raised on Larrakia Country, now living on Noongar Boodjar. With Yawuru and Gija heritage and multicultural family roots, Barb brings a rich cultural perspective to her storytelling.
Since 2015, she has been a key member of Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company’s Writers Group, creating numerous short works including Cracked (2015), Banned (2016), Go Fish (2017), Turtle Pool (2018), Thirst (2019), Perpetuity (2020), Prickly (2021), and Business (2024). Her plays have been widely produced: Cracked (Yirra Yaakin & Playwriting Australia, 2019), Banned (The Blue Room & Yirra Yaakin, 2018), Thirst (Yirra Yaakin, 2025), and ASK (Independent, The Blue Room, 2024). In 2020, Own Way was staged by Black Swan State Theatre Company as part of the Unsung Heroes monologue series.

Mararo Wangai is a Kenyan-born writer, performer, and media graduate passionate about bold, socially conscious storytelling. His work challenges convention, explores the human condition, and pushes both artist and audience beyond comfort zones.
Mararo has earned critical acclaim, including nominations for Best Supporting Male Actor at the Performing Arts WA Awards (2017, 2018) and Outstanding Performer in a Lead Role and Best Mainstage Production for Black Brass (2022). In 2023, he received the prestigious Arts Award at the Western Australian Multicultural Awards for championing diversity in the arts. Mararo toured nationally with Bell Shakespeare’s Henry V and is currently developing new work with Belvoir St Theatre and Arts House Melbourne. He is also working on a TV series with Screenwest and Screen Australia and producing a short film with director Joseph London.

Chenturan Aran is a Sri Lankan Tamil Australian playwright, journalist, and screenwriter. His critically acclaimed play Cut Chilli premiered at the Old Fitz in 2024 and was nominated for three NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Known for his sharp, irreverent voice, Chenturan’s work explores how memory and storytelling shape our attempts to heal. Blending humour and emotional precision, he writes about people navigating the tensions between modern psychology, digital noise, and spiritual yearning.

Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa OAM is a Boorloo-based writer, performer, producer, and cultural leader whose multi-form artistry has earned her accolades including the Performing Arts WA Awards (2020), Mona Brand Writing Awards (2022), WA Multicultural Awards (2022), and Australian Sikh Awards (2023).
Her storytelling journey began with standout appearances in the Australian Poetry Slam (2014), Australia’s Got Talent (2016), and The Moth GrandSLAM (2019). She premiered her hit theatre show Fully Sikh (2019) and has since developed projects like the comedy series What Would Suki Do? (ABC TV) and the documentary A Hairy Tale. With partner Perun Bonser, she created the rom-com One of the Good Ones at Impact Australia (2020) and toured their installation Between Breaths (2022–23).
A former Centre for Stories trainer, Sukhjit is also a hip-hop artist and author of Fully Sikh: hot chips and turmeric stains (Upswell Publishing). She is currently Executive Director of The Blue Room Theatre and part of Creative Australia’s 2024–25 Creative Leadership cohort.