From creating her own Darwin Fringe show to supporting a large community production at Darwin Festival, Jules Gabor is finding her feet as a producer.

A participant in Artback NT’s 2025 Emerging Producers Program, Jules recently took on the role of Associate Producer for Everybody NOW!’s Roller Coaster, with Artback NT’s support.

The music theatre production brought live music and local roller skaters to Marrara Indoor Stadium in August. For Jules, who had previously attended Darwin Festival as an audience member, it was a chance to work on a different scale and learn alongside an experienced producing team.

Pathways to producing

Jules first discovered her interest in producing during a Next Gen Arts placement at Brown’s Mart. Trying everything from technical work to front of house helped her recognise what she enjoyed, but her next step was less clear.

When the callout for Artback NT’s Emerging Producers Program appeared, it offered a way to build on that experience. Producing also brought together two things she cared about: the arts and advocacy.

“My passion is creating safe spaces for young people to feel seen and have a platform.”

Through mentoring with creative producer Lia Pa’apa’a and sessions with guest mentors, Jules developed her knowledge of budgeting, marketing and production.

Putting those skills into practice, Jules wrote, directed and produced UNSENT for the 2025 Darwin Fringe Festival. Working with around ten young people on and off stage, the show captured the messy, beautiful truth of youth.

“I create work that I wish I had seen when I was younger,” she says. “Producing really gave me that outlet, which I never thought I would have had before.”

Bringing Roller Coaster to Darwin

When Artback NT shared the Roller Coaster opportunity with its emerging producers, Jules was keen to move from independent projects on to a larger production.

As the Darwin-based Associate Producer, Jules supported the visiting Everybody NOW! team and local participants before, during and after the performances. Her work ranged from backstage jobs and last-minute preparations to selling merchandise and sharing audience feedback with the cast.

Helping people feel comfortable was a particularly rewarding part of the role, especially for participants unfamiliar with a theatre production.

“I think about times when I’ve walked into spaces where I don’t really know anyone, and it can be really daunting. So one of my big jobs was making people feel comfortable and welcomed, which I really enjoyed.”

She remembers the skaters’ excitement when they entered the stadium and saw how lighting and rigging had transformed a familiar sporting venue into a performance space. Across the three shows, she watched audiences grow and heard people leaving delighted by something they felt was truly unique.

“Theatre brings us joy as well. Not just for someone watching, but for those involved.”

Connections that last

The experience also strengthened Jules’s relationships across Darwin’s arts community, from Artback NT and Darwin Festival staff to fellow creatives.

“Locally, this role deepened my relationships with Darwin’s arts ecosystem: Artback NT, Darwin Festival staff, and a network of creatives who are now collaborators rather than just contacts.”

She also connected with producers, venues, festivals and mentors interstate, giving her a closer look at how a touring work can connect with each community it visits.

“I saw how touring can amplify impact: the same show lands differently in different communities, and that variation is a strength, not a problem,” she says. “It reinforced the value of designing work that can travel without losing its specificity.”

Making things happen

Jules is taking practical skills into her next projects, including stakeholder management and post-show evaluation. Just as valuable are the skills that help her support the people involved.

“Equally important are the softer skills: reading a room, negotiating with care and how to hold multiple priorities while centring the person.”

Jules continues to teach at Corrugated Iron Youth Arts and is coordinating its Surviving and Thriving project, alongside developing her own solo work about igniting hope and starting conversations in communities. This included organising the recent Critical Conversations about the impact of AI on artists.

The Emerging Producers Program helped her see the possibilities of a career behind the scenes, and how a producer can connect people who might otherwise never have worked together.

“I love this idea of just making things exist and making it happen.”

Nominated for this year’s Young Achiever award at the NT Performing Art Awards, we’re looking forward to seeing what Jules works on next.