Future D. Fidel

Future D. Fidel, 28, was born in Uvira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After the death of the president Mobutu, the country descended into lawlessness that claimed the lives of Future's parents. He was separated from his siblings and, when civil war struck in 1996, forced to flee as an orphan stowaway to Tanzania. He tried desperately to trace his surviving family; he was finally reunited with his sister six years later. Future spent eight years in a camp before being accepted as a refugee in Australia, where he now lives with his brother, sister and nephews. Future is active in arts in Queensland, forming the Fimbo Boys in 2007 that performed African modern dance and music at various events, supporting young people from Refugee backgrounds. He also started projects working on making cultural films.

He started working at La Boite Theatre Company as a playwright in residence from 2013 to 2015. Future's debut play Prize Fighter was featured in the Brisbane Festival as a Co-Production with La Boite Theatre Company in 2015, after the production of I am here, an MDA production that was co-produced by Queensland Theatre Company in the Billie Brown Studio in 2012 and Brisbane's Powerhouse prior to that. As his big achievement, his debut work Prize Fighter was one of the main events in the Roundhouse Theatre at La Boite Theatre Company. Not only a playwright, Future is also an Electrical Engineer after securing his Bachelor degree from Griffith University, as well as a Gospel artist.