Ebony Rattle is a performance artist, arts worker and disability advocate of Irish and Ukranian Jewish ancestry based on Wurundjeri Country, Australia. Their work investigates performance art through an experimental and accessible methodology, predominantly examining metaphysics; alternative universes steeped in questioning identity, existence, possibility, actuality, corporeality, informed by their own lived experience as a physically disabled queer person. They are artist-in-residence at Studio 88 in November 2025.
Ebony’s theatre work as a writer and director includes Destroyed (2024, Theatre Works/Midsumma Festival), Winona (2022–2024 National and International Tour), which was nominated for Best Two Person Show and Best International Show at the Hollywood Fringe Awards 2023, Ring, Ring! (2021, Theatre Works), and BLITZ (2019, Melbourne Fringe Festival). Their projects have been supported by Creative Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria, The City of Port Phillip, Melbourne Fringe, and Midsumma Festival.
With over a decade of experience in the performing arts and live music sector, Ebony has built a multifaceted career spanning production, programming, and access and inclusion work. They are currently the Access and Inclusion Officer at Darebin City Council, advising on best practices and implementing the Council’s Disability Action Plan. Previously, they served as Production Manager for Festivals & Events (Darebin City Council, 2025), ensuring safe and inclusive event delivery, and as Creative Producer at Women’s Circus (2024), leading one of the world’s only circus ensembles led by disabled artists. Ebony also coordinated the Midsumma Pathways Program (2022–2024), a nine-month mentorship for LGBTQIA+ d/Deaf and disabled emerging artists across disciplines.
In addition to their producing and programming roles, Ebony continues to contribute to Melbourne’s live arts scene as a Venue Sound & Vision Technician and Supervisor at Meat Market and an In-House Venue Technician at Corner Group, managing sound, lighting, and live music performances at some of the city’s most iconic venues.
Ebony holds a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from Swinburne University of Technology and a Certificate III in Live Production and Services (Sound & Vision) from Arts Centre Melbourne. Their expertise spans production management, live audio engineering, access and equity advocacy, and community-led arts practice. Ebony is a proud member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, and equitable creative environments across the arts sector.
During the residency, Ebony Rattle intends to deepen their experimental performance practice through the development of afterglow.exe, a new performance work exploring themes of desire, intimacy, privacy, religion, and the impact of the internet on human emotion and connection. The project draws from Ebony’s personal experiences as an LGBTQIA+ person, blending lived memories and digital metaphors into a layered performance that questions how technology reshapes identity and relationships.
The residency at Studio 88 offers Ebony an opportunity to build upon recent showings of afterglow.exe at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and to expand the work through cross-cultural exchange and collaboration. Immersing themselves in the creative environment of Thailand, Ebony hopes to engage with new artists, perspectives, and audiences, enriching the conceptual and performative dimensions of their evolving practice.
Ebony is a proud member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).
For more about Ebony Rattle, visit https://ebonyrattle.com/
Studio 88 is accepting applications on an on-going basis. Check out our residency program and apply now.
Studio 88 Artist Residency 