DVA Theatre Company has been an established community theatre company for over 20 years. It is a company of adult performers with intellectual disability, working alongside volunteer facilitators and a professional Artistic Director. DVA meets weekly for a two-hour workshop throughout the year, with extended workshop and rehearsal hours in preparation for a performance.  We are based in the City of Banyule, but members are welcome from anywhere, with participants, volunteers and artists coming from across Melbourne,  including the Darebin, Nillumbik, Manningham, Moreland, Yarra and Whittlesea areas.  

Over its life span DVA has created many public performances. Most recently, in August 2010 DVA created 'TALL WORDS' a site specific performance in collaboration with the Yarra Plenty regional Library (Banyule Winter Festival), with sound, lighting, live music and improvised performance coming together to transform the Watsonia library. 
 In 2007/08 DVA developed and performed  ‘River of Dreams’ (Banyule Winter Festival 2007, Welcome Platypus Festival 2008) and ‘City of Dreams’ at the High Vibes Festival (August 2007).
The Artistic Director is Nicla Byrnes. Previous artistic directors include Sandra Fiona Long, Kate Sulan, David Everist, Leesa Nash, Kereen Ely-Harper and Katrine Gabb. 

DVA’s 25 participants range in age from 18 to 60. DVA is always open to new members and has no selection process based on audition, making it a truly accessible theatre company for all interested adults with intellectual disability.

DVA aims to dissolve prejudices towards those with intellectual disability through its public performances, which encourage audience participation and visibility of people with intellectual disability in public spaces.

 
DVA is currently developing new work involving film, sound and improvised stories and movement.
Stay tuned as we work towards creating another fabulous performance.