Jade Naidu is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and director based between Woolgoolga and Sydney, working across theatre, music and movement. Her practice is grounded in community, ecology and storytelling, with a strong focus on creating inclusive, place-based work. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and lived experience, Jade’s projects explore connection, belonging and the power of collective creativity.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
A: My name is Jade Naidu, and I’m a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and director based between Woolgoolga on the Mid North Coast and Sydney, Australia. I’ve been a performer my entire life and have been creating professionally for over a decade across theatre, music composition, and dance. Growing up between cultures as an Australian-Indian-Fijian woman, I found a profound sense of belonging in the inclusivity of the arts from a young age; an experience that continues to shape my practice and fuels my commitment to creating inclusive, diverse spaces for other artists.
Over time, my work has evolved from producing and directing theatre and dance to writing, composing, and staging my own original works. I’m deeply committed to developing work on the Mid North Coast, where community, Country, and ecology are inseparable, and where many of my projects, including Threads, have been grown. I am also the Founder and Artistic Director of Naidu Theatre Company, where I champion bold, community-led storytelling that blends place, culture, and environmental consciousness.
The inspiration for my work often comes from moments of personal wonder. At six, watching Pocahontas, I saw the first brown woman on screen singing to the land and advocating for her community, a memory that shaped my belief in art as a tool for education, advocacy, and connection. Years later, whilst studying a Double Degree in Creative Writing and Law at Southern Cross University, I encountered Dr Karl Kruszelnicki’s ABC/Triple J segment, The Wood Wide Web, exploring how trees communicate through underground fungal networks. That spark became the seed for Threads, evolving from a short story to a fully composed musical.
Q: Can you tell us about the work you presented and the story or concept behind it?
A: My current project, Threads, is an original Australian eco-musical that blends theatre, music, movement, and spoken word. Set within the ancient rainforests of the Coffs Harbour and Bellingen regions, the story is told through a cast of anthropomorphised native plants and animals connected by underground mycorrhizal networks – the “threads” that allow forests to communicate, survive, and regenerate.
The work was inspired by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki’s five-minute episode The Wood Wide Web. What began as a poetry assignment evolved into an original concept and has since grown into a full-scale musical. Threads has been supported through a Regional Arts Project Grant and a CASP Grant from Arts Mid North Coast, enabling its continued development and expansion.
Set along Waterfall Way on Gumbaynggirr Country, the story follows Pip, a young seedling who discovers the hidden “Wood Wide Web”, an ancient mycelium network connecting all life. With the support of a hilarious and heartfelt ensemble of native plants and animals, Pip learns about community, culture, climate, and courage, as the forest unites in resistance against growing threats, both botanical and human.
Q: What materials, tools, or processes do you typically work with, and what draws you to them?
A: My practice is inherently multidisciplinary, and as a neurodiverse artist, no two creative processes are the same. Over time, I’ve developed and documented personal systems that support my productivity, focus, and follow-through, allowing me to work with, rather than against, the way my brain operates.
When developing text, I usually begin by mapping out the story and the style of language, using poetic writing, spoken word, and character-driven text as the foundation of the work. From there, I layer in music and movement, letting rhythm, breath, and physicality shape how the story is experienced onstage. I keep a growing library of sung melodies, piano motifs, and riffs, often captured in voice memos when inspiration strikes, which later form the basis for fully realised songs and musical sequences.
As a dancer and choreographer, movement is central to my creation process. I’m deeply interested in how much the body can communicate on its own, often using physical storytelling to reduce the need for excessive text while still bringing emotional depth and clarity to the narrative.
In terms of tools and process, I thrive in collaborative, devising-focused environments, working through workshops and community consultation to test and refine ideas. I’m fortunate to collaborate with the incredible talent at Woolgoolga Performing Arts Studio, which allows projects to grow organically and collectively. Bringing on Co-Director Bali Padda has been invaluable. His his guidance, practices, and experience have provided support, perspective, and mentorship throughout the development process.
Q: How did it feel to participate in this exhibition/event/program?
A: As an independent regional artist, having the space, time, and professional support to share my original work on a fully resourced stage was incredibly meaningful. This opportunity allowed me to test material in real time, take creative risks with form and scale, and trust the process of letting the work evolve in front of an audience rather than behind closed doors.
On a personal level, the experience marked a genuine moment of recognition and momentum. It affirmed that the work I’m making, and the stories I’m telling, belong within the broader artistic landscape, and it strengthened my commitment to developing Threads as a long-term project with both regional roots and national reach. There is something profoundly moving about seeing your work held, supported, and cared for by your own community. I feel deeply proud to be contributing to a cultural shift that recognises nationally significant work can be created, led, and grown from regional Australia. Not only from the big cities, but from the places and people who are often closest to the stories being told.
Q: What does participating in this exhibition/event/program mean to you professionally?
A: Professionally, Threads marks a clear milestone in my evolution as a writer, composer, and director. This opportunity allowed me to present the work publicly and professionally while still in development, testing its scale, tone, and storytelling with real audiences and gaining insight that directly informed the next drafts of the script and score.
Crucially, it marked my transition from working on licensed productions to taking full ownership as writer and composer of a funded, large-scale original work. Leading Threads in this context strengthened my confidence in creative decision-making, guiding complex multidisciplinary teams, and sustaining a long-term vision for a project that is deeply rooted in place, culture, and community, while also crafted to resonate beyond its regional origins and onto a national stage.
Q: How do you hope audiences will respond to your work or performance?
A: I hope audiences will leave Threads feeling both entertained and connected to the story, the characters, and the world the work reflects. I want viewers to experience the rainforest and its ecology not just as a backdrop, but as a living, breathing participant in the narrative, and to feel a sense of wonder at the interconnectedness of life.
I also hope the work sparks curiosity, conversation, and reflection around themes of community, belonging, and environmental stewardship, showing how humans, plants, and animals are woven together through shared histories and futures. For regional audiences, I hope it affirms the power and possibility of locally grown, nationally significant storytelling, and for broader audiences, I want it to challenge assumptions about where meaningful Australian work can be created and who it represents.
Q: What’s next for you in your creative journey?
A: I’m excited to continue developing the story of Threads and bringing it beyond the Mid North Coast to national and potentially international stages. Over the past two years, I’ve gathered a wealth of inspiration for other material while focusing on Threads, and I’m eager to bring more original projects to the stage!
Q: Where can people find out more about you and your work?