David Finnigan
Artists, Writers
David Finnigan is an Australian writer at the forefront of climate change research and writing.
David has worked with leading government, business and research institutions including the World Bank, Chatham House, Nesta UK, the Australian National University and the CSIRO leading teams to synthesise stories and science into research and problem solving.
In 2023 David’s play SCENES FROM THE CLIMATE CHANGE ERA had its world premiere at Belvoir in Sydney.The Guardian called it “the world’s biggest story told in 50 scenes over 80 minutes”.
Last year his play 44 SEX ACTS IN ONE WEEK which was procuced by Belvoir Theatre and STC as part of the Sydney Festival. He also wrote and performed climate piece YOU’RE SAFE TIL 2024: DEEP HISTORY at the Edinburgh Festival, the Barbican in London, the Sydney Opera House and at the Canberra Theatre.
In 2018 his break-out work KILL CLIMATE DENIERS was staged at the Griffin Theatre. Following this, David’s plays have appeared in major festivals and venues including FutureFest London (CrimeForce, 2018), AsiaTOPA (Are You Ready, 2022) and the Sydney Festival (44 Sex Acts In One Week, 2022).
He began his practice as a playwright in Canberra in the 2000s, first attracting national attention with the 2011 production of his 22 Short Plays. Since then, he has received a Green Room Award for Best New Writing, the Griffin Playwrights Award, and his scripts have been nominated for every major playwriting award in the country.
Though first meeting acclaim as a playwright, David has worked in myriad mediums over his career, continually testing new forms and challenging himself to stay out of his comfort zone.
In 2009, David co-founded the Crack Theatre Festival in Newcastle, and in 2011 he co-founded the You Are Here Festival in Canberra. Both have grown into significant national events for experimental artists; both are still thriving today.
In the late 2000s, David was writer-in-residence for Tanghalang Pilipino, the key government-funded theatre company in the Philippines. This led to an ongoing and fruitful creative relationship with the region, including an Asialink Fellowship in 2015 to develop a Philippines-Australian artist exchange program.
In 2008 David co-founded science theatre company Boho to create work in collaboration with scientists. Boho have toured to venues including the Battersea Arts Centre, the London Science Museum, ArtScience Singapore and CAMP Shanghai.
In recognition of these achievements, David was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2012 to research the interplay between science and the performing arts internationally. In 2014 this was followed by an Australia Council Early Career Fellowship for his cross-disciplinary performance work.