Australian Education Ministry

Date: 1997

Region: Australia

Subject: Religion

Medium: Theater


Artist: Gillian Mear and Caryl Churchill

Confronting Bodies: Australian Education Minister

Dates of Action: April, 1997

Location: New South Wales, Australia

Description of Artwork: Gillian Mear's play Fineflour and Churchill's play Top Girls.

The Incident: A New South Wales review panel banned the plays from the New South Wales Higher School Certificate reading list. The officials suggested that Churchill's play is "dated," shows "contempt for religion," and" contains gratuitous violence."

Results of Incident: The Education Ministry upheld the review panel's ban on the two plays.

Source: Index on Censorship, 3/97