Danielle Micich steps aside as Artistic Director of Force Majeure

Force Majeure today announces that Danielle Micich will step aside from her role as Artistic Director and CEO at the end of 2025, marking the close of a remarkable ten-year tenure that has shaped the company’s legacy and expanded the boundaries of movement-based theatre in Australia and beyond.

Since her appointment in 2015, Danielle has led Force Majeure with bold artistic vision, deep integrity, and a collaborative spirit that has inspired hundreds of artists nationally and internationally. Her decade at the helm has seen the company evolve into a powerhouse of interdisciplinary performance, known for its visceral storytelling and courageous themes.

Danielle:

I’ve been deeply inspired by the artists I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with Their
generosity, curiosity, and brilliance have shaped me as a leader and maker. There are other artistic possibilities I’ve long wanted to explore, and now I’m making space to follow those paths.

Force Majeure’s Chair Julieanne Campbell :

Danielle has been an extraordinary leader and visionary for the company – taking the reins from founding Artistic Director Kate Champion and forging a distinctive style, depth of practice and unshakeable commitment to inclusion and honouring First Nations artists and artists of all disciplines. Danielle leaves a powerful legacy, not just for Force Majeure but for the sector more broadly and in particular the space carved out for movement-led theatre in Australia.

Throughout her tenure, Danielle premiered signature works that uphold the company’s longstanding
commitment to confront challenging contemporary questions. You Animal, You interrogated taboos and
humanity’s most animal behaviour; The Last Season brought together thirteen child performers with Paul Capsis, Pamela Rabe and Olwen Fouéré for an intergenerational dialogue on environmental destruction and survival. idk was a tender and playful examination of navigating boundaries and consent.

 

 

Danielle deepened Force Majeure’s steadfast commitment to artist pathways through the Associate Artist
program. With Danielle’s mentorship, Margaret Harvey, Liesel Zink and Ghenoa Gela have worked within the company and created self-determined new work. Liesel deepened her community-engaged movement practice through The Future Is empowering women to reclaim their voices through creative and collaborative imagining. In the culmination of many years collaboration, Force Majeure produced Ghenoa’s GURR ERA OP, which was commissioned by four festivals through Creative Australia’s Major Festivals Initiative.

Margaret Harvey, Associate Artist 2024-2025, who developed her solo work The Dark Matter of Usulal through the Associate Artist program:

Danielle Micich’s leadership has redefined what movement-based theatre can do in this country, fusing rigour with generosity and carving out a space where artists are emboldened to take risks. Her legacy is a body of daring, co-devised work that empowered artists and audiences alike.

Under Danielle’s leadership, Force Majeure has expanded the impact of its distinct methodology of embodied storytelling, sharing it extensively through the renowned INCITE artist development program. Over 620 artists have participated in INCITE and over 66% of them have seeded new works from their experience with Force Majeure. A recent survey of participating artists highlighted the wide-reaching and profound impact of Danielle’s approach and the value of her unwavering belief in each artist’s unique experience and perspective.

Danielle’s final INCITE Intensive runs this October/November, with applications closing on 12 October.
Passionate about improving safe and consensual practices for artists working in physical performance,
Danielle introduced Consent & Boundaries Workshops with the goal to share approaches for safe creative practice and support the wellbeing of the wider arts sector.

Danielle will continue to lead the company through to the end of 2025, including the premiere of her final work as Artistic Director, Gardener’s Apprentice, which reflects her signature style of provocative, poetic, and profoundly human storytelling. In 2026, she will embark on new creative projects across theatre, opera, and film.

Force Majeure’s Board will begin a leadership search in the coming weeks with a commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and honouring the company’s legacy of excellence, experimentation, and inclusion. Gardener’s Apprentice premieres in early October.

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Season Details

Venue: Carriageworks
Date: 1 – 4 Oct 2025

Venue: Wollondilly Performing Arts Centre
Date:: 10 – 11 Oct 2025

For more information click HERE