What Happens When Politics And Art Collide On Stage? "That's Where Revolutions Start, Baby."

There's a reason why governments censor the arts. And there's a reason why artists fight back. Politically charged works have the power to shift the way we perceive the world; to empathise with those on the fringes of our society; to incite activism.

Perhaps unexpectedly, one of the most radical works in this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival, dealing with the current political state of our nation, does not come from an Australian company. Trustees is a work by Belarus Free Theatre; an internationally respected group who have been creating highly subversive theatre against all odds since 2005. Founded by Natalia Kaliada, her husband Nikolai Khalezin and their colleague Vladimir Shcherban in 2005, Belarus Free Theatre began by creating work in resistance to the brutal dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. In 2011, the trio were forced into exile, and found asylum in London with the Young Vic Theatre. Since that time, the company has continued to exist under the regime's radar in Minsk, hosting risk-heavy performances in apartments, forests and underground cafes. Kaliada and Khalezin — both 'enemies of the state' in Belarus — often organise these performances and run rehearsals through Skype and social media.

For years now, Belarus Free Theatre has extended their reach to other corners of the globe. Their first work, Generation Jeans (which was reprised at Malthouse Theatre several months ago) centres on Khalezin's experiences and imprisonment in the Soviet Union. Burning Doors was a collaboration with Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina, and included an unflinching portrayal of the torture of political prisoners in Russia. They've told the stories of fishermen in Brazil and genocide survivors in Rwanda. Often, humour, and even song and dance, features in their work.

This time, they've set their sights on Australia. Trustees is the product of nearly three years' worth of research by co-creators Kaliada and Khalezin, into what Kaliada describes as the "taboo subjects that exist in Australia".

"We started with a series of meetings here in Melbourne with a range of people; business people working with refugees, the Australian commissioner on human rights," says Kaliada. "We went on a trip to the Northern Territory to spend time with the community… which was very painful but at the same time, very powerful. We tried to understand why people are not interested in the history of the people to whom the land belongs."

"From our personal observation, it feels like the refugee situation in Australia is one of the worst in the world."

"We'd been trying to get permission to fly to Manus," she continues. " We didn't manage to… so we met with refugee communities in Melbourne. From our personal observation, it feels like the refugee situation in Australia is one of the worst in the world."

Once the research phrase of the process was complete, the co-creators moved on to the next phase of the work: delving further into Australia's collective consciousness. "We are interested in the complexity of humans," says Kaliada. "Understanding the complexity of life, of different people in this particular country. With every single show that we create, it's always about reminding people when they stop thinking on a human level."

In bringing this investigation to life on stage, Kaliada and Khalezin gathered a diverse ensemble of Melbourne-based performers, who will each talk about their own experiences of life in Australia. "We rely on their thoughts and their understanding of their own country," explains Kaliada. "Because we are strangers — and we are those who came from outside. We can only create an artistic language. But they are the people who are putting content in it; they're sharing their lives. With their help, we're able to try to make our audience think together with us."

One such ensemble member is Hazem Shammas. The Palestinian-born actor — who immigrated to Australia from Israel in the mid-seventies — isn't planning on holding back in Trustees. "As performers, we're not pretending," he says. "We're putting things on the line, and a lot of them are personal things. [The show is about] Australia now, with all of its political and social issues and taboos, but we're invested in them as people. The piece is about deconstructing a facade."

What facade, exactly? "There's so much we don't talk about," he says. "We pretend it's all okay, she'll be right. We've gone backwards, definitely. Things have gotten a lot worse. I've been here most of my life and I never felt like I needed to defend my Australianness more than I have recently. We are a severely deluded bunch of idiots — wonderful idiots."

As a seasoned actor (he was recently awarded a Logie for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ismail Al-Bayati in asylum seeker drama Safe Harbour), adapting to BFT's "very particular process" has been a welcome challenge. "More than just theatre artists, they're documentarians and anthropologists," he says. "They really come with questions that challenge you as a person. It's fucking hard work, but that's what makes it worth it. It'll be an amazing piece because of that. It'll be real."

If Shammas is sure of one thing, it's that governments have every reason to be scared of political art. "Storytellers and the audience are far smarter than the few people at the top making stupid decisions. And they're afraid of that. They know that the people telling stories are smarter. That's where revolutions start, baby."

Melbourne International Arts Festival presents Trustees, at Malthouse Theatre until 21 Oct.