Newcastle’s School of Drama Part 1 Project 2011 Nicholas Flatman University of Newcastle | Australia The art of drama as we know it has no credible build up, trailer or preview to theunveiling of its act. Newcastle’s school of Drama aims at diminishing the boundariesbetween the audience and act, the public and students. It’s located on a historicallyrenowned green field site that intersects a long public pathway connecting theNewcastle Headland with the Lower Hunter region along the momentous coastline.This miniscule window of opportunity has been redefined by the building and its giantfragmented apostles. Small portholes puncture the fractal façade to allow a glimpse of both backstage and forestage performances. The public can see the development of an upcoming performance while at the same time reconnecting themselves with the students and the art of drama.The buildings form is ever changing, its fractal angles and planes redefine the outline giving a new impression and shape at different intervals along the path. The ramptranscends the audience up into the apex of the site, allowing windows of opportunity tosee over the South headland and eventually the Eastern horizon lined with Newcastle’sshipping lane. The outdoor amphitheatre takes a more informal approach, giving nodefined boundary between audience and the performer. The landscape gently descendstowards the stage and coastline, allowing the public to spill out onto grassy knolls.Originally based on a proscenium theatre, the school however, has no right stage. Theaudience has been dissected by the external wall. The portholes, being the eye of thepublic, form this missing piece. Stage like steps are carved in the ground to form a small indentation in the landscape, leaving a symbolic gesture to the public that in fact they complete the proscenium theatre.Newcastle’s school of drama redefines the relationship between audience and performer.Its very architecture performs for the wider audience, being the city, while the port holes allow interaction at a smaller more intimate human scale. Tutor(s) Derren Lowe