Belloo Creative is an all-female, award-winning Australian theatre company that produces original contemporary works for stage and film.
FOYER ACTIVATIONS
Back to Bilo Art Installation, 2025
Cockatoo Lotus is a sculptural altar of suspended assemblages, created for Back to Bilo. It pays tribute to the powerful story of Priya, Nades, and their daughters, and to the strength, care, and solidarity at the heart of their journey.
The work draws on two potent symbols: the cockatoo—emblem of the Home to Biloela campaign and the meaning of Biloela in the Gangulu language—and the lotus, a flower of renewal. Together, they reflect themes of community, place, resilience, and the fragility of life.
Crafted from shimmering, ephemeral materials—brass, timber, hemp canvas, hibiscus flower, coconut, banana, mango and curry leaves, moringa seedpods, and more—Cockatoo Lotus gathers motifs of daily life, ritual, and offering that sustain family and belonging.
This work has been shaped through conversations with Belloo’s core team and Back to Bilo’s Cultural Consultants, Vashini Jayakumar and Sudhesh Somu, and created in collaboration with my partner, Edward Horne.
Cockatoo Lotus offers a space of reflection — for all.
Charlotte Haywood is an interdisciplinary artist working across visual art, theatre, textiles, music, community, and ecology. Based on Bundjalung Country, Northern NSW, she has created work internationally, nationally, regionally, and remotely.
www.charlottehaywood.com.au
instagram.com/charlottehaywood
SUPPORTERS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Cockatoo Lotus was supported by the Dr Don Batchelor Award, granted by the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice.
Boy, Lost Foyer Installation, 2022
As part of Belloo Creative’s 2022 production of Boy, Lost, adapted from Kristina Olsson’s award-winning memoir, the foyer installation extended the experience beyond the stage at Queensland Theatre.
The installation featured powerful family photos, timelines, and educational materials on key historical events, such as the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australia’s formal apologies to the Stolen Generations, and the Forgotten Australians. It also addressed topics like the experiences of children with polio in Australian institutions, while providing links to mental health and wellbeing resources. The installation offered visitors a pathway to connect with organizations that support individuals and communities impacted by the themes explored in the production.
By inviting audiences to reflect on loss, resilience, and justice, the foyer became a place of contemplation and connection, ensuring that the themes of the work continued to resonate long after the final curtain.
Credits
Copywriter Katherine Lyall-Watson
Creative Director Caroline Dunphy
Dramaturg Kathryn Kelly
Designer Penny Challen
Associate Producer Kristen Maloney
SUPPORTERS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Foyer installation was supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative.
Event images by Cinnamon Smith.
Hanako: Art Inspired by the Performance, 2016
As part of the premiere production at the iconic Brisbane Powerhouse, the Hanako traveling art exhibition accompanied the show, offering audiences a deeper visual experience. Curated by Tiffany Atkin, the exhibition featured works from 12 Brisbane artists, exploring Hanako’s journey through traditional Japanese art, pop culture, and themes of dominance and desire.
The production also featured a beautifully designed foyer display by Tiffany Atkin, showcasing the true history of the characters, tracing their origins back to the story's roots in Noh Theatre from the 19th century.
SUPPORTERS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Ministry for the Arts’ Catalyst – Australian Arts and Culture Fund. It is also supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Hanako is further supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through MATCH and made possible thanks to our cultural partners and corporate supporters.
Motherland Memory Booth, 2016
The Motherland Memory Booth was a unique, interactive installation that collected, recorded, and presented individual stories under a Creative Commons model. Aligned with Belloo Creative's ethos of capturing and presenting stories that encourage reflection and conversation, this booth served as an extension of the storytelling found in our productions.
As part of the 2016 production of the award-winning Motherland, this booth provided audiences with an opportunity to leave their own messages and thoughts, creating a living and breathing piece of art. Motherland itself spanned 60 years and explored the intertwining stories of three strong female protagonists, taking audiences on a journey from 1940s Parisian cafes to Moscow on the brink of a coup, and to the Fitzgerald Inquiry of 1970s Brisbane.
The Motherland Memory Booth echoed the powerful storytelling of the play, allowing audience members to engage in a personal way by contributing to a collection of messages that reflected the people, places, and venues that became part of the production’s tour.
SUPPORTERS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Motherland was made possible thanks to the support of Queensland Theatre Company, the Queensland Government, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Metro Arts, and Brisbane City Council. Motherland’s first production took place in October 2013 at Metro Arts, Brisbane, where it was co-produced by Metro Arts and Ellen Belloo.