Production DesignEmile Is Missing
Art and Performance
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which I live, work, and create. I pay respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. Always was, Always will be.
From the river to the sea. Free Palestine, end the occupation.
About Me
Charlie Lee is a performance designer, artist, and writer from Aotearoa working across dance, textiles, costume making and research. Led by queer/trans* ecological methodologies and aesthetics of collapse, they make work which sits in precarious balances, and feelings of anticipation. They are interested in how design, text, and materials can act as choreographic agents, and problematise totalising understandings of the body and world.
Charlie was part of the Emerging Writers Program at Seventh Gallery in 2024 and continues to co-facilitate a Trans Ecology reading and project group. Their writing has formed as a means of articulating and expanding the atmospheric effects of performance as a medium for desire, futurity, and alterity. You can find their words in Going Down Swinging, and ‘Texting Images,’ a joint programme between Blindside Gallery and the Emerging Writers Festival.
In 2025 Charlie created ‘Camopanises,’ their first choreographic project supported by Dancehouse. They are part of Glass Bricks, a new film collective for the weird and cybernetic. Recent design projects include ‘Reqiuem’ (Lucy Eidelson, 2025), ‘Mis O’ the Mountain’ (Jessie Monk, 2025), Diagrammatica (Jason Maling, 2025), and Sam Carson’s film ‘Emile is Missing’ (2024). Charlie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) where selected design credits include ‘Time Under Tension’ with Luke George (2024) and devised work ‘Angelfood’ (2023).
Design/making
2025
2024
2023
2022Camopansies, by Charlie Lee, Dancehouse / Design, Concept, Choreography
Requiem, by Lucy Eidelson, Meat Market / Costume
Diagrammatica, by Jason Maling, RISING Festival / Host & Costume Production
Mis O’ The Mountain, by Jessie Monk, Dancehouse / Costume
Pulau (Island), Chor. Melanie Lane, AsiaTOPA / Costume Production for Eugyeene Teh
(Un)Tethered, Chor. Luke George, VCA / Spatial & Costume Design
Vacations in America by Will Palazzo / Production Design (Music Vid)
Emile Is Missing by Sam Carson / Production Design (Film)
Tesselate-topia Roaming Axolotls / Costume
Everybody by Brendan Jacobs-Jenkins, Dir. Isabella Vadiveloo, VCA / Costume Design
As Things Go by Jacqui Maida / Costume, Writing & Development
I'll Explain It All To You Later, Victorian College of the Arts / Costume & Devising
Air Hunger, Abbotsford Convent / Costume
//command_shift ^break, MUDFEST / Costume
The Wilde Kind, Midsumma Festival & Fringe / Set and Costume
The Schgooks of Flughm, MUSE Festival / Set and Costume
Seven Seconds, MUSE Festival / Set and Costume
HAML3T, UniMelb Shakespeare Society / Co-Set Design
Art/Performance
2025
2024
2023
2022
2020
Camopansies, Dancehouse / Choreography, Performance
Camopansies, QUALITY Gallery / Performance
A most glorious tree made of glitter pendants and phthalate jewels, Super New Year / Performance
Thread of by Body, Thread of my Bed, Unassigned Gallery, cur. Phoebe Greaves / Group
The Lygon Street Art Show, cur. Margot de Gier / Group
The Small-ish Art Prize, Nabe Studios / Group
Quakes in Mind, George Paton Gallery / Solo Exhibition
Cabinet of Curiosities, National Library of Aotearoa / Group
Organising and Backstage
2024-25
2023
2022
2021
Trans* Ecology Club, held at Terrain Bookstore / Co-Faciliator
Possum Magic, Australian Ballet School / Costume Assistant (Internship)
MUSE Festival, Victorian College of the Arts / Production Manager
Little Women, Victorian College of the Arts / Costume Assistant & Dresser
The Wilde Kind, Midsumma Festival / Stage Manager
EMILIA, Arts Centre Melbourne / Costume Assistant
Theatrum Botanicum, VCA Dance / Set Construction
HAML3T, UniMelb Shakespeare Society / Assistant Stage Manager
Outerspaces Te Kete o Te Kāhui (Takatāpui Queer Youth Org.) / Events Organiseri
ROXY, WITCH Aotearoa / Costume Assistant
Sweeny Todd, WITCH Aotearoa / Costume Assistant + Dresser
Education
2025
2024
2021Yellow Wheel Dance Company
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) / The Victorian College of the Arts
Internships with Andrew Treloar, Eugyeene Teh, APHIDS, Jason Maling and M’ck McKeague
SEVENTH Gallery Emerging Writers Programme
Special FX Makeup / Toi Whakaari Summer Workshop