rajansvidya@gmail.com | 0430 475 377
management: helen.townshend@creativerep.com.au
link to short bio
VCA: Masters of Writing for Performance (1st Class Hons) (2016)
University of Western Australia: LLB/BA (1st Class Hons) (2015)
Other training: Director’s Lab: Melbourne Festival, The Rabble, Optic Nerve, Teatro De Los Sentidos, Second City, iO Chicago, Naked Comedy Lab, Film Vic Games Writing Program.
Love & Virtue (2023) - writer (SVOD) | 8 x 60 Galaxy Girl (2022) – writer (ABC Me) | 10 x 30
Morning Brown - Aunty Donna (2022) – writer, developer, actor (ABC) | 6 x 30
The Future of Everything (2022) – voice actor, animation (Late Nite Films) | 5x5
Monologue (2022) – writer (web-series) | 6 x 10
The Feed - Time To Buy: The Musical (2021) – writer, developer (SBS) | 1 x 30
The Weekly (2021) – writer, actor | various
Deadloch (2021) – staff writer (Amazon Prime) | 8 x 60
The Feed - Insight Audition Tapes (2020) – writer, actor (SBS) | various
Resource Daddies (2020) – writer, director, actor (The Other Film Festival) | short
How to Stay Married (2020) – writer (Ch 10) | 6 x 30
At Home Alone Together (2020) – writer, actor (ABC) | 6x30
Golden Boy (2019) – writer (Audible)| various
Larry the Wonderpup (2019) – writer (Ch 7) | 20x30
The Zoo (2019) – writer (webseries)
Why Are You Like This? (2018) – writer (ABC) | 6x30
ACMI Installation (2023) - [forthcoming interactive exhibition] narrative designer (ACMI Melbourne Games Week]
In Search of Lost Scroll (2022) – interactive, immersive web scrolling experience| writer, performer, creative coder, director (Melbourne Fringe)
Superyacht (2022) – game/interactive narrative | writer, director (Creative Vic development)
Proximities (2020-21) – online interactive exhibition| curator, dramaturg (Darebin Council)
Line Break (2021) - a series of comedic DIY videos on poetry culture commissioned by Redroom (Redroom Poetry)
Cancellation Adventure (2020) – interactive narrative| writer, director, creative coder (Liminal Magazine)
We Are Nemeses Sitcom Livestream (2020) – Co-writer, performer, director (The Wheeler Centre)
Speed Run the NGV Livestream (2020) – Co- performer, devisor (Running Dog)
The Censor (2023/4) - devisor, creator [in development, a work with & by children] (Artplay, Auspicious Arts)
A list of games the Buddha would not play (2023/4) - devisor, performer, co-creator [in development] (Auspicious Arts)
The Gymnasts (2022/3) - writer, devisor [in development] (The Last Great Hunt)
Crocodiles (2023) - writer (Elbow Room, Darebin Speakeasy)
Empire Animals (2023) – writer [in development] (Malthouse Theatre)
Respawn (2022) – writer, performer (Darwin Festival, MICF)
Small & Cute oh no (2021) – writer (Blue Room Theatre)
Final Form (2021) – lead artist, devisor (Renegade Productions)
Looking for Alibrandi (2021) – writer (Malthouse Theatre)
Mermaids (2019) – dramaturg (La Mama Theatre)
The Lizard is Present: A Gala (2019) – director, devisor (Melbourne Fringe, Happenstance Festival)
Batmania Bus Tour (2019) – writer, actor (Melbourne Fringe)
Hurricane (2019) – devisor, actor (Artshouse)
Madam Nightshade’s Poison Garden (2019) - dramaturg (Midsumma, Darwin Fringe)
Poorly Drawn Shark (2018) – devisor, dramaturg, writer (Blue Room Theatre, Midsumma)
Sleepover Gurlz (2018) – writer, performer, devisor (Melbourne Fringe, Griffin Theatre)
Asian Ghost-ery Store (2015-2018) - performer, writer, director (Blue Room Theatre, TiNA, Melbourne Fringe, Griffin Theatre)
The Story of Eve (2018) – dramaturg (Artshouse)
The Lament (2018) - writer, performer (EWF Live Art Program, QPF)
Last Night (West Australian Youth Theatre Company) – Writer.
Genesis (Red Stitch Theatre Playlist) – Writer.
Congress (All the Queen’s Men) – Writer, Performer.
A completely unified theory of you + me (This is Not Art) – Performer, Director.
Aunty(ASIATOPA) – Writer, Performer.
The Shubaratnams (Victorian College of the Arts) – Writer (2016).
Friendquest (Fringe World, Paper Mountain) – Writer, Director (2015).
6 art minutes with Thor: Love and Thunder A Costume Exhibition (2023) - [forthcoming] article, un Magazine
Brown Bimbette (2023) - [forthcoming] essay commission, Kill Your Darlings
Untitled Wild Geese Game (2022) - poetry commission, Cordite Magazine
knock, knock. who’s there? your mum. (2021) - poetry commission, Cordite Magazine
Star Signs of Accelerating Climate Disaster (2020) - Scum Magazine
Dad Jokes Ruined by The Global Pandemic (2020) - McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
Fitzroy North Post Office (2018) - Reading Victoria
Tony Ayres Productions – Development Assistant (Jan 2019 – Dec 2019): Note taking, research, coverage, writer’s room story conferences, minute-taking at slate meetings, script editing and development feedback on a number of high-concept and YA projects slated for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
Crack Theatre Festival – Board Member (ordinary; treasurer) (2018 – 2020): Minute-taking at board meetings, strategic planning, leading governance and constitutional reforms for the festival, overseeing budgetary decisions.
Course Consultation Committee Member - WAAPA. (2020 - present): Advise on the structure, content, and accessibility of the Contemporary Performance Syllabus at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Freelance Workshop Facilitator/Teacher (2017 – Present): Working with Footscray Community Arts, St. Martins’, Kid’s Own publishing, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Melbourne Writers Festival, Back to Back Theatre and others to run writing and performance workshops for children and adults.
Freelance Performer/Writer/Comedian: This includes regularly performing at gigs, and literary/performance events (Synthetic Heat, National Young Writers Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival, City of Melbourne). My writing hasappeared in a number of publications (McSweeney’s, Liminal, Cordite, The Chaser’s Annual, Djed,Scum Magazine,Australian Poetry Journal). My self-produced sketches have been viewed more than half a million times on social media (Twitter and Facebook).
Curating/Editing: (2018 - present): Curator and dramaturg of Darebin Exhibiting Culture Online Exhibition Proximities – an exhibition of interactive art by First Nation and PoC artists. Curator of The Moment - a series of poems and interviews with established and emerging First Nations and POC writers for Djed Press. Continuing curator and mentor for Da-da-desi - a South Asian experimental arts event for emerging creatives.
Australia Council Digital Fellowship Recipient (2023)
International New Media Writing Prize Shortlist (In Search of Lost Scroll) (2023)
Best Experimental Artwork - Melbourne Fringe (2022)
Honourable Mention Best Writing Award – Freeplay Independent Games (2021)
Screencraft Fiction Podcast Writing Winner (2021)
Malthouse Theatre Writer in Residence (2018 & 2019)
Metroarts Residency (2019)
The Blaz Award for New Writing – Perth Fringe World (2019)
Best Theatre Nomination – Melbourne Fringe (2019)
Screen Australia Developing the Developer Recipient (2018)
Theatreworks Associate Artist (2018)
City of Melbourne Creative Spaces fellowship (2018)
Westerly Writers Program Mentorship (2017)
Melbourne Festival Director’s Lab (2017)
A Room of One’s Own Residency (2017)
Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship (2016)
Innovation in Practice Award – Melbourne Fringe (2015)
Best Theatre Nomination – Perth Fringe World (2015)