Company ‘We Are Here’ is working in residence at Critical Path in 2025
We Are Here Company makes hi fi work in lo fi ways. Borne out of ENCOUNTER, led by Emma Saunders and the drive to continue making work. We began in 2020, in partnership with FORM Dance Projects in 2020, later becoming independent from 2021. We have completed 8 films with Feras Shaheen, presented RADICAL TRANSPARENCY as part of Dance Bites, FORM Dance Projects, presented ENCOUNTER Sydney, SOH, ENCOUNTER BERRY, Open Field Arts Fest, Encounter GOLD for BLEACH festival, and presented INFINITY BIAS for IDEA 24, Form Dance Projects.
We Are Here is working on Tuesday evenings in the Drill Hall throughout 2025. Each artist will be allotted a specific amount of time to work with the company to explore their own ideas inspired by a common thread of any of the work we have done so far together. This will result in a series of new short pieces/ideas and a common research question or three that may emerge.
ABOUT WE ARE HERE COMPANY MEMBERS
EMMA SAUNDERS – FOUNDING ARTIST
Emma Saunders is a well-respected award winning choreographer, performer and director. She has co created, performed or directed in more than 25 full length original works, ranging from large scale choreographies (ENCOUNTER, SYDNEY FESTIVAL, 2020) to the signature theatricality award winning work of The Fondue Set (NO SUCCESS LIKE FAILURE, Sydney Opera House, 2008). Emma is the Artistic Director of the WE ARE HERE Company, which was formed in partnership with FORM Dance Projects in 2020, later becoming independent from 2021.
GABRIELLA GREEN OLEA
Gabriela Green Olea (she/her) is a Western Sydney based dance artist who works across many mediums. As a daughter and granddaughter of a refugee family, her work responds to the ideas of cross-cultural identity and the transitional space of belonging to community and place. Gabi was an original member of Encounter, has been in the WE ARE HERE Company since its inception in 2020, and has performed in Radical Transparency, Encounter Sydney, Encounter Gold and Infinity Bias.
NAOMI REICHARDT
Naomi (she/her) is a Western Sydney based dance artist who graduated from AMPA College. She is an integral part and original member of the award winning work, ENCOUNTER as its Dance Captain for Four Winds Festival (2019), Sydney Festival (2020), Open Field Arts Festival (2023), Bleach Festival (2023). Naomi has been with the WE ARE HERE Company since 2021.
SARAH KALULE
Sarah (she/her) is a Western Sydney based artist whose work explores the intersection between hyper emotional states, theatrical jazz and history. She recently presented her solo work, DOUBLE ACT through Brand X. Sarah was an original member of Encounter, has been in the WE ARE HERE Company since 2021, and has performed in Radical Transparency, Encounter Sydney, Encounter Gold and Infinity Bias.
RYUICHI FUJIMURA
Ryuichi (he/him) is an independent performance maker based in Sydney. His solo work HERE NOW has been presented at Dancehouse (2023), InDANCE (2023) and Seoul International Dance Festival, South Korea. He recently performed “Pink Regenesis of the Curse” with WeiZen Ho for the Biennale of Sydney 2024. Ryuichi has been a member of the WE ARE HERE Company since June 2023 and has performed in Infinity Bias.
NICK VAGNE
Nick Vagne (they/them) is a playwright, theatre maker and dramaturg based in Sydney, graduating from University of Wollongong. They are a founding member of the performance collective Vaguely Adjacent, and are currently in development for presentation of new work through Merrigong X. Nick has been with the WE ARE HERE Company since the inception of WE ARE GONG in March 2023.
Photo: Gabriella Green Olea in Radical Transparency, We Are Here, photo by Dom O’Donnell, 2022. Photo ID: an image of a person on a mauve-lit stage, speaking expressively to the audience, wearing a coconut shell as a necklace and brightly coloured swimmers underneath a sheer top.
