“Having the complete freedom to create the show with no creative limitations from the Foundation was a very rare and special opportunity.”

“I cannot emphasise enough how privileged I am to have been the recipient of the Katie Lees Fellowship for 2025.”

From the outset, Eloise carried the weight and honour of the Fellowship with intention. “The nature and importance of this fellowship was never lost on me, and I hope that I created a show that Katie would have loved.”

That show was Crotchless — a full production brought to life over six intense and transformative months. “I set out with the goal to put on a full production of Crotchless, which I’m very proud to say that, with an incredible team, I achieved this.”

But the Fellowship was about more than staging a play. It was about building new creative relationships and stepping into a broader industry network. Eloise connected with director Madeleine Withington and dramaturg Violette Ayad — artists she had long admired — alongside trusted collaborators like producer Alexander Holiday. With support from NIDA, Elias Jamieson Brown and Fellowship alum Grace Malouf, she refined her script through multiple drafts to reach a standard she was deeply proud of.

“This year has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding years I’ve ever had and I have learnt so much about theatre and about myself as a writer and person.”

The learning was not abstract. It was lived. “I learnt that sometimes everything goes wrong and you have to find a way to get the show back on the road.” Resilience, she discovered, is a collective act. “Because when you have such a great team around you, things will figure themselves out.”

Creatively, the growth required courage and humility. “I also learnt to kill my darlings.” Listening to feedback and setting ego aside became part of the process of crafting the strongest possible work.

“On reflection, looking back at what I could have changed, I’ve really learnt to back myself as an artist.”

Over the course of the Fellowship, confidence replaced doubt. Instinct replaced hesitation. “The fellowship has been one of the most impactful experiences on both my career and my sense of self as an artist.”

The opportunity to present Crotchless across a five-night season at Flight Path Theatre opened doors that would otherwise have remained closed. Industry professionals attended. Conversations continued beyond the curtain call. New relationships were formed with agents, producers and artistic directors.

“Having the complete freedom to create the show with no creative limitations from the Foundation was a very rare and special opportunity.”

Creative trust — often scarce in early-career pathways — became the foundation of the experience. The Katie Lees Foundation provided support without restriction, backing Eloise’s vision fully and unapologetically.

Looking ahead, Eloise is completing her Masters of Writing at NIDA, developing new theatrical work and a television pilot, and continuing to pursue opportunities in TV writers’ rooms. The Fellowship was not an endpoint. It was a catalyst.