All Feeling. No Filter.

When Queensland Theatre Company unveiled its 2026 Season, audiences were met with something altogether new – not just in the stories on stage, but in how those stories were shared.

The Company’s new brand platform, All Feeling. No Filter., captured the emotional heart of Artistic Director Daniel Evans’ inaugural program – a season built on instinct, intensity and connection. But behind the bold statement sat an equally bold collaboration: QTC’s first full year in partnership with independent Queensland creative communications agency, Aruga.

It was a meeting of creative minds from day one,” says Chief Executive, Criena Gehrke. “We wanted to push beyond the traditional season brochure and find a way to communicate the heart and humanity of QTC in a way that was contemporary, honest and uniquely us. Aruga helped us do exactly that.

Aruga’s partnership with QTC began in 2024, initially supporting the 2025 Season launch through PR and marketing. Since then, it has evolved into a creative partnership spanning strategic counsel, art direction, design, public relations and paid Meta campaigns. Together, the two organisations are rewriting the rulebook on how the arts can communicate, blending strategy, storytelling and emotion to inspire deeper audience engagement and lasting connection.

That shared ambition came to life in the 2026 Season launch, which introduced All Feeling. No Filter. as both an invitation and a declaration. The creative process began with Evans’ Heartcore ethos – his belief that theatre should make audiences feel before they think – and translated it into a campaign audiences could see, hear and hold.

From the All Feeling. No Filter. brand platform to an expanded PR, paid and design strategy, the partnership has redefined QTC’s presence. Aruga helped shape a refreshed brand style guide, reintroducing the Company’s full name – Queensland Theatre Company – and guiding a visual and tonal evolution that feels as contemporary as it is rooted in legacy.

At the centre of the campaign was a 64-page season magazine, designed not as a brochure but as a cultural object. Through editorial features, artist interviews and striking, image-driven layouts, the magazine captured the pulse of the season and the people who make QTC what it is.

“It was about creating something that our audiences would want to spend time with,” says Sarah Adam, Director of Business Growth & Development. “The magazine format allowed us to go deeper – to share the stories behind the work and the people behind the curtain. It’s theatre storytelling in a different form.”

For Aruga, the collaboration represented the culmination of years spent championing Queensland’s creative sector.

“For Aruga, the arts is a reason, not a season,” says Aruga Co-Founder, Donna Kramer. “We’ve invested in elevating Queensland artists and cultural organisations since day one because we believe in the power of storytelling to shape a state’s identity. Working with QTC has been incredibly rewarding because their partnerships are so genuine; built on collaboration, trust and a deep mutual respect for creativity.”

This first full year of partnership marks the beginning of a bold new chapter, with QTC and Aruga proving that when art and strategy move as one, the impact reaches far beyond the stage.