Drama Queensland's
MUSE sheet
Term 2, 2015
SUNSHINE:
shining a light on
young people's
stories of ANZAC
Harvest Rain:
What's up next?
Song: the story of a girl
a bird and a teapot
Play Review:
SLAMMED
Yanked from YouTube:
Velbella
Special FX Makeup
Out & About
with DQ
inside this issue
DQ news 4
NJ subscription 5
Revitalise Platform Paper 6
DQ Member Profile 8-10
Out & About with DQ 12
Song: the story of a girl, a bird and a teapot 13-14
Harvest Rain 16-18
Homunculus Theatre Company 20-21
Yanked from YouTube 23
Sunshine: young people's stories of ANZAC 24-26
Review: Slammed 28
Committee Contacts 30
from the DQ publications team
As the curtain falls on Term Two we are excited to be bringing you another issue of Musesheet. The
pages are packed full of articles, reviews and games that will keep you inspired and enthusiastic for
the second half of twenty fifteen.
This issue also includes a look at the upcoming conferences; Game Changer in Sydney and
Regional Round up in Cairns and features interviews with leading artists and industry experts
such as Harvest Rain and Homunculus Theatre Company. We were also able to catch up with
some very inspiring teachers about their work in and out of the classroom. Then to round out
the publication, we have as a few snapshots of our members out enjoying Queensland’s Arts
scene.
Feedback is always appreciated as well as input into what you think should be featured in
Musesheet, so feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Also, if you are out and about at any Arts event, we would love you to tell us and take a
picture or two so that we can feature you on our ‘Out and About’ page. Enjoy.
Stephanie Coleman
Editor of Musesheet
from the DQ president...
Not that anyone will be complaining, but it must be asked; “is it the end of term again already?!”
2015 is flying by. Perhaps it is the general busy-ness that is Term Two for many teachers –
Musicals, Exam Blocks and reporting, or maybe it is the sprint to the finish line so that we can all
pack our bags and head to Sydney for the epic event that will be Game Changer? Either way, I am
sure we have all had an eventful, non-stop term.
This term we have seen the role of the arts in the media spotlight again as budget cuts and funding
withdrawals create question marks for the future of many arts organisations. We have seen the
QCAA considering joining our southern counterparts with the external examination model. We
have welcomed a number of new works to the stage by Queensland artists, including the
remarkable production Sunshine, featuring students from the Redlands and driven by two of our
very own, former DQ President and current DA Board Member Sean Lubbers and DQ Life Member
Debb Wall. And, as always, we have all continued to educate, mould, influence, inspire and excite
thousands of young people and expose them to the potential and power of the arts.
This term, I have been reflecting on the leadership role that we all play as teachers, along with the
demands of the current education context when teamed with the creative output required in our
day to day existence. More and more teachers seem to face burnout, stress levels are higher than
ever and the notion of ‘free time’ seems like a distant memory. Yet we saw record numbers at our
March State Conference, there are almost equal numbers of Queenslanders migrating south for
Game Changer as there are from NSW and I find myself constantly in awe of my colleagues in a
broad range of contexts who are either championing a new project at their school, pursuing further
study, participating in voluntary PD and workshops or making sincerely innovative connections
with the arts industry. How DO Drama teachers do it?
Just read the interview with Kirsten Burgess, Drama teacher at Monto State High School to see the
incredible achievements of members of our community in every part of our state, and you will be
reminded of what a rare and valuable breed we are. Digest the words of John Sheedy as you revisit
his keynote address from 2014’s Revitalise event to be reminded of why we do this. Be excited
about the new opportunities that Harvest Rain are committed to creating for large groups of young
people or hear Waiata Telfer passionately describe the personal journey that lead to the creation
of her latest work, SONG the story of a girl, a bird and a teapot. For me, these insights, journeys and
words are what keep me going as the pressure mounts and the responsibilities rise. I hope that as
you explore the pages of our latest edition of Musesheet, you too will find some inspiration or
additional motivation to remind you of HOW and WHY you teach Drama, in a publication edited
and compiled by passionate volunteers.
Want more? Then super-size your serve at Game Changer. This International Drama Conference
hosted by Drama Australia, Drama NZ and Drama NSW has you covered, with a program spanning
four days of workshops, forums, keynotes, pecha kuchas, seminars, papers, performances and more
from July 9 to 11 at NIDA, featuring heroes of our profession, legends of the stage, literary idols
and international scholars, many of whom we are lucky to call our colleagues and friends. Game
Changer will be just that, so don’t miss out on playing a crucial part in steering the course of our
future. What a great way to close the chapter on Semester One and open up the possibilities for
transformation that the latter half of 2015 and beyond holds for us all. I look forward to seeing
many of you there and wish all of you a happy, safe and indulgent holiday.
Annette Box
President | Drama Queensland
NEWS FROM DQ
DRAMA AUSTRALIA NJ 2015 & BEYOND
In 2015 Drama Australia will commence a publishing partnership with Taylor and Francis and will now be
producing two exciting and informative editions of NJ per year in both print and on-line versions. NJ will
continue to publish high quality articles from teachers, researchers and academics in the field of drama
education throughout the world. It is extremely gratifying that we are now partnered with one of the most
prestigious, international journal publishers in the world. The support they have given Drama Australia so far
has been extraordinary, and we look forward to a most productive partnership.
NJ is your journal, and it is the best way you can keep up to date with the latest in research and practice from
colleagues who understand the Australian context. The articles published in NJ ensure that you are up-todate with cutting edge practice in our field, and have evidence for your own advocacy, teaching and research
into the possibilities of drama education. Please make sure that you, as an individual, and/or your
school/organisation, subscribe to the journal and that NJ continues to be a viable resource for your National
professional association.
You can subscribe to NJ at the Drama Queensland shop www.dramaqueensland.org.au or by contacting
Drama Australia via [email protected]
www.dramaaustralia.org.au
INTRODUCTION
When I was asked to make a key note speech at the Revitalise conference 2014 and write a
paper about theatre for children and young people, the first thing I did was ask my friend and
colleague Jonathan Holloway (Artistic Director of the Perth International Arts Festival) to join
me on the journey. I make work for young people, and lead a great company, but I find writing
about it more difficult than talking about it doing it. Between us, Jonathan and I have directed
work for and with young people in two hemispheres, and whilst I am now dedicated to directing
it and he is dedicated to programming it, we have many similarities and enough differences to
make this an interesting process. What follows is a fluid back and forth of our ideas and words. I
think Jonathan and I would agree that anything totally controversial was said by the other
person, but we shared the writing and thinking around the bits you agree with.
John Sheedy | Barking Gecko Theatre Company
FOREWORD
In early 2014, our Industry Partners at Playlab approached Drama Queensland about the
possibility of using funding which they had successfully acquired from Arts Queensland, to
enable us to bring to Queensland an interstate keynote speaker, whose voice we would want to
share, with the vision to digitally publish the transcript to enable increased access across
regions and over time. After many conversations, Playlab’s CEO and Artistic Director Ian Lawson
and I settled on a speaker who was not only active in both the Arts and Education sectors, but
who was also very quickly building an excellent reputation for creating high quality,
provocative and refreshingly new and now work for young people. That individual, was John
Sheedy, the CEO and Artistic Director of Barking Gecko Theatre Company in Western Australia.
Sheedy’s training and professional history covers many of the big institutions and companies
such as NIDA, Belvoir, Black Swan Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Theatre
Company and Griffin and he has won Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Awards. His work at
Barking Gecko has seen him undertake some exciting collaborations with John Marsden, Shaun
Tan, Kate Miller- Heidke and Opera Australia. However, some of his most imaginative and
innovative work is in the verbatim style, in which he fulfills a number of roles including
playwright, creator, adaptor and director. For these productions, such as Driving Into Walls and
onefivezeroseven, Sheedy draws directly on interviews taken from teens across Australia, thus
honouring their very own voice on stage.
In October 2014 Drama Queensland hosted a special event ‘Revitalise’ at which Sheedy
delivered his keynote address. He effectively aroused the interest of youthful artists, highly
experienced teachers, community arts workers and more as he explored the concept ‘What’s
Our New Contract?’ as theatre makers and shapers of young people, delved into the realms of
WHY we create theatre, WHO we create it for and with, HOW to make it less saccharine, as well
as the need for educators and performing arts companies to partner to create work that young
people need and deserve. Whether a budding or celebrated theatre practitioner or educator,
there will be something to provoke or emote you in this thoughtful and highly relevant
keynote, now available to you for free download thanks to Playlab and Arts Queensland, in
association with Drama Queensland.
Annette Box | President Drama Queensland
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE PLATFORM PAPER
6
6
MEMBER PROFILE:
KIRSTEN BURGESS | MONTO STATE HIGH SCHOOL
We chatted to long time DQ member Kirsten Burgess
about her life as a teacher in Monto.
How long have you been teaching Drama?
I have been teaching Drama in high schools
throughout Queensland for eighteen years.
Where are you currently teaching?
I have been teaching at Monto State High School
for the past nine years.
Who or what started your love of Drama?
My love of Drama began at high school,
although the subject was called “Theatre” back
then.
If you could give one piece of advice for
someone starting out, what would it be?
Network!!! Drama is a collective knowledge.
Dialogue is the essence. If you are in a
staffroom of experienced practitioners; then
talk. If you are on your own in a school in the
middle of somewhere; then cyber-talk. The DQ
e-Group is a wealth of knowledge. Conferences
are a source of renewal. A phone call to your
QCAA Drama Panel Chair can be your saving
grace. Drama teachers love to talk, we love
dialogue - engage and empower – there is no
silence in the drama domain.
Who has helped you to become a drama
teacher?
My students help me every day to understand
that Drama is something bigger, something
more, and something special. My inspiration in
the classroom feeds directly from my students.
Creativity is driven from the collective in this
subject.
What is the best part of your job?
Walking up the steps of my very own “Drama
Barn” – a Queenslander house converted into a
small theatre overlooking a rural landscape –
and the verandah spilling over with students
whose faces light up with excitement and
anticipation at what the lesson ahead of them
holds in store.
8
Kirsten's 'Drama Barn'
What is a unit that you are loving to teach
at the moment?
It is the centenary of Gallipoli and my
Senior Drama class is studying Realism
and rehearsing Alan Seymour’s The One
Day of the Year, for a community
performance. There is nothing more
special than directing a group of actors
with an Australian classic, especially when
the play connects with the students on a
deeper level and provides them with rich,
complex characters to explore.
What is your go to Drama Game?
Vocal warm ups! I know that must sound
nerdy, but for the students, my Flea, Fly,
Flo vocal warm up has become a rite of
passage. Another favourite is Zen Zen Zo’s
1 to 7 energy warm up which once again,
falls into the category of a ‘given’ before
every performance. For focus, my
students love Kia Mushi Mushi, Bang Bang
and Zoom Screech. Finally, Raft is an
absolute essential for developing line
security.
Name three people you would like to have
around for drinks?
Nelson Mandela; Germaine Greer; William
Shakespeare.
You talk about Drama as a form of healing. Can
you expand on this?
What was the latest play you saw?
The One Day of the Year at QUT Garden’s
Theatre as part of our Brisbane ANZAC Tour
prior to my Senior Drama class performing
this same play for our community.
What play or piece of theatre do you think
everyone should see / read?
Seriously, you want me to list one?!
Everyone should read Brecht’s plays.
Everyone should experience Indigenous
theatre. Everyone should play games inside
Boal’s world or measure the magic of
Meyerhold. Everyone should embrace the
theatre of life, and Shakespeare is as good a
place as any, but if you really put me on the
spot and said pick a play, then give me
Michael Gow’s Away … or Debra Oswald’s
Skate … or Ray Lawler’s Summer of the
Seventeenth Doll … or Wesley Enoch’s Black
Medea … I told you I couldn’t list one!
You are presenting at Game Changer in
Sydney this year. What is exciting to you
about Game Changer? What are you looking
forward to?
I am so excited about attending Game
Changer this year. It is an absolute honour
and privilege to be presenting and sharing
my creative practice, but I am also looking
forward to attending presentations and
participating in workshops that will help me
to find new ways to engage my students in
the aesthetic experience. Three and a half
days of stimulation, critical thinking and the
networking opportunities - I can't wait!
9
In my Game Changer presentation, I use Anne
Bogart’s ‘Viewpoints’ language as a metaphor
to describe the impact of the 2013 floods on
the psychological and emotional state of my
students. I believe that every curriculum area
has its own unique set of ‘architecture’ that
enables learning to take place. A science lab
has benches and gas taps, beakers and test
tubes; similarly, home economics rooms have
kitchens with stoves and sinks. The drama
classroom, however, is just space. It is the
students themselves who are the architecture;
their bodies and their minds. Desks and chairs
and sinks and stoves continue to function after
disaster. But I found myself in a classroom
where my architecture was not functioning.
There was so much damage and financial ruin
after the floods and the focus was very much
on the adults – the farmers – but I could see
that the young people were hurting too. In
other curriculum areas there was a sense of
urgency to get back to ‘normal’ which was fine;
their architecture was sitting there ready to go
again. Drama is a subject that necessitates
emotional engagement. On our first day back
at school after the flood waters subsided, we
sat in the drama classroom in a circle on the
floor and shared our own stories of the
disaster, and the tears flowed. However, the
shared storytelling had the immediate
consensual effect of solidarity which led to
feelings of resiliency. Over days and weeks we
continued to use drama to explore the painful
stories, and begun sharing these with the
community via multimedia sources. Students
who were once traumatised found a purpose,
their confidence grew and my architecture
began to heal.
In 2012 you facilitated a school run campaign
to combat bullying and in 2013 you again drew
on students experiences with the floods. What
advice would you give to teachers who want to
use students’ own stories or shared
experiences to create work? How do you
begin? And how do you facilitate this process?
I begin every process with passion. If you
believe in what you are doing then the
students will follow. If you begin every lesson
with ‘breath’ then students learn to breathe. I
live by the doctrine that ‘learning is simply
finding out what you already know’ and my job
is to inspire students to realise this. Start at
the centre. Empower students that their
knowledge is power. The anti-bullying
campaign began as piece of Boal’s Invisible
Theatre and the flood performance started
with Facebook, then Verbatim Theatre
followed. Don’t look outside to find what is
already there.
What do you find challenging and what do you
find exciting about teaching Drama in a rural
area?
I don’t find anything challenging. My school is
supportive of the Arts. Parents are supportive
of the Arts. How do you create this climate?
Showcase your work. Every chance you get –
showcase your work. Allow parents and the
community to see the benefits of the Arts.
Rural communities are open minded and
support every opportunity to showcase what
their children do.
What advice would you give to regional
teachers who may be struggling with
promoting the Arts at their school or in
their community?
Showcase more. Invite, appeal, implore –
if your audiences are not coming to your
performances; then take your
performances to the people. There is
nothing wrong with Street Theatre. Make
drama a part of the public domain.
Expose, allow and incite – it might sound
like war, but drama is the ultimate
stepping stone to understanding humanity
– and that is the ultimate goal.
Having taught for as long as you have, how
do you keep it fresh and exciting for you,
as well as for your students?
I am forever learning – online short
courses like the University of Leeds,
Physical Theatre – Meyerhold and
Biomechanics; attending numerous
conferences; and doing really crazy,
physically punishing stuff, like spending
two weeks of my school holidays at Zen
Zen Zo’s Intensive Actor Training
Bootcamp “Stomping Ground”. All the
torture and fun aside, I constantly change
the plays we study in class and I am always
updating the units of work. It is a given in
my budget that I will buy a new class set of
plays every year and in my school the
Drama text storeroom rivals the English
text storeroom. I am so lucky to teach in a
small rural and remote high school where
the Arts are valued, my subject of Drama is
valued and most importantly, I feel valued.
Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your
story with us Kirsten.
10
OUT & ABOUT WITH DQ
Thanks to the DQ members who sent in pics this term. Why not send us your Out & About pics? Email
them through to [email protected] along with your name and a brief description of
where you are - it could be a theatre trip, excursion or social pic, we'd love to see them!
Jo Wise & Sandra Gattenhof at the ISQ PD; Somerville House drama students enjoy '7 Stage of Grieving'
Members from the industry gather together at La Boite to discuss the recent change to arts funding
'Have You Ever Heard a Wombat sing?' test audience; VP Naomi Russell presented at WOW Brisbane
12
SONG: the story of a girl, a bird and a teapot
SONG the story of a girl, a bird and a teapot is a one woman show by writer / performer
Waiata Telfer. Drawing on her own life experiences as a Narrunga-Kaurna woman of mixed
heritage from South Australia, the show explores family and those moments in life that
really test one’s self. Having disconnected from her past, Song retraces her journey through
the memories connected to a treasured family relic as well as the calling of a bird that she
cannot see but whose song she can instinctively hear.
Can you tell us about SONG. Where did the
title come from?
The title was drawn out of a very long process
of script writing and dramaturgy. Once the
foundation of the story became clearer the
title began to emerge from separate
conversations along with a question from a
guy serving at the café bar while working on a
session at Judith Wright Centre when he
asked me what the story was about. That
question was the catalyst which sparked an
inquiring exploration into the principal
elements and characters of the story.
How did you create the production? Did it
come out of a desire to tell a specific story or
did it evolve over time? Do all of your projects
develop like this?
The impetus to tell this story ignited during a
trip to London in 2004 when I attended the
London International Festival of Theatre as a
guest presenter. However, I’ve carried the
seeds with me for life waiting for the evolved
wisdom, right environment, people and timing
to converge in order to sow them. I feel a
calling to produce work that matters to me
and I’m driven by my passion and
commitment to its message. I am always
seeking to push the envelope and investigate
how to expand on conventions. I’ve never
really been satisfied with merely planting my
bum on a seat when seeking out the
experience of artistry. I’ve seen some amazing
performances in my lifetime and the ones that
moved me the most and left an emotive
memory are the shows that somehow
reinvented a space and challenged your
expectations. This is my first effort in
producing a solo work in theatre however I’ve
also collaborated closely with the Director
Sue Rider on this project who has been an
incredible mentor and solid advocate.
13
Where did the motif of the bird and the
teapot come from? Can you explain these
further? Was the teapot always part of the
storytelling?
The bird and teapot weren’t always so
prominent in the beginning and only became
imbued with symbolism and meaning as the
development of the narrative progressed.
There are many layers of storytelling within
the piece and the teapot has become a central
focus of the main character along with the
bird also calling to her at different intervals
along her journey. The teapot is a
metaphorical device that becomes apparent
as the story unfolds.
You have live music and incorporate cultural
and contemporary dance throughout your
show. What other elements or techniques do
you use to bring the story to life?
There is a little bit of poetic rhythmical
language along with my Mother’s traditional
Kaurna language. There is also spoken word,
rhyming and singing.
Did you find it difficult to create the show?
Can you talk us through your process and how
you went from an idea to what is onstage at
the moment?
It’s taken five years to get this work mounted
as a full production and I’d be lying if I said it
hasn’t had any bumps along the way.
I’ve had to learn great patience, commitment
and discipline over a long period all without
losing the excitement for the work. This process
began with a research and writing grant which
also led to local council grants and sponsorship
to present the work in development at
Strathpine Community Centre and Judith Wright
Centre. I was then lucky enough to gain some
further sponsorship and applied for more grants
to continue developing the narrative and
creative technical elements. A Powerlab
residency was secured at the Brisbane
Powerhouse which led to a presentation in the
World Theatre Festival as a scratch development
performance. This performance led to another
successful round of grant applications and now
the premiere is just around the corner in the
Visy Theatre at BPH.
It’s an exercise in creating opportunity for
a thought process where participation can
occur prior to entering the performance
space in an attempt to expand the
experience of storytelling. The stone
travels with the audience member and
then becomes an integral symbolic tool in
the telling of the story. The stone has also
taken a journey with its owner and there is
a tactile acknowledgement of its
connection to the space, to the land and
the person who brought it. It’s an engaging
method of ritual given to the person, the
space and the story where connection is
subtle yet can be quite powerful.
QUICK QUESTIONS
Name three people you would like to have
around for drinks?
What is challenging or freeing about a one
I would like to share a ‘cuppa tea’ with
person show?
Aung San Suu Kyi, Lucy Neal and Inawintji
The freedom in a one person show is that you
Williamson.
only have yourself to rely on however this can
What was the last play you saw?
be a double edged sword as I am able to fully
The Wind in the Willows at La Boite.
concentrate on the work with little distraction.
Where would we find you in your spare
However, the responsibility to carry the entire
time?
show is also all mine which can be a bit isolating Spare time is a wonderful concept. If I get
and overwhelming at times.
the opportunity to indulge I would most
likely be sipping on a soy chai latte
What advice would you give to teachers who
somewhere hopefully with a fresh breeze
explore the one person show with their
and a beautiful view as I’m inspired by
students?
nature and its beauty. It’s very peaceful to
1. Remember to tell your actor what works along sit still and do as little as possible. I like to
with what doesn’t work, when refining
dream and let my imagination to roam
2. Try different approaches to keep the actor
freely.
motivated and engaged
What play or piece of theatre do you think
3. The working relationship in this instance
everyone should see / read?
almost becomes a collaboration as there are
I don’t have one in particular however I do
only two people to mould the piece so there is
encourage people to see as much
an ability to foster inclusive artistic contribution Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander theatre
from the performer
as possible as I’ve seen some fantastic
4. Explore and question each character’s
work and the exposure to Indigenous
personalities, intentions and physicalities
storytelling is so enriching.
before performing them, in particular for
transitions from one character to the other.
SONG is showing at the Powerhouse from
Wednesday 5 – Sunday 9 of August 2015.
You have requested a small stone from each
Check out the video on the next page for
audience member, can you explain this further? more info.
The function of the small stone is to connect the
audience to story before they enter the space.
14
SONG: The story of a girl, a bird and a teapot.
15
HARVEST RAIN
We had the chance to sit down with Tim O'Connor, Artistic Director of Harvest Rain, to find out
a bit more about Harvest Rain’s new space and their new HAIRSPRAY Arena Show.
Hairspray is a show that Harvest Rain has
produced before. What is it about this musical
that keeps you coming back?
It’s one of the most high energy, joyous musicals
every written. It’s also got a lot of teen roles in
it, which suits this arena production. And the
music is just totally infectious. It makes you
want to get up and dance!
and then a group singing audition. Once
we’ve seen everyone we select who will be
in the final show and they get to go into
bootcamp and an intensive training program
through the holidays it’s a really unique and invaluable
experience.
So why an arena show? What made you want to
launch something like this?
I think it’s just such a unique way for young
performers to ‘cut their teeth’ and to experience
what it’s like to be in a major production,
working alongside some big stars. There’s really
nothing else like it – we’re doing something that
What benefits do you see for students in this
is literally record-breaking in its size, so it’s
process?
something very special to be a part of.
They learn so much, and make friends with
This isn’t the first time you have done a large scale people who love the same stuff that they do.
They also get to learn from and work with
show like this, you had great success with Cats
some of the best people in the business, and
last year. What was the process like for the
it’s something they can proudly put on the
Performing Arts students involved?
CV and say they were involved in. It’s the
We auditioned over 2000 young performers to
find the final 800 who participated in the show. first step towards a career in the arts!
It was a thrilling process, seeing so many
Can you give us some hints about who may be
wonderfully talented young stars so eager to
participate in such a huge event. And at the end in the cast?
I can tell you that there’s a few big names in
of the process they were worked into the
HAIRSPRAY. One of them is an Aria Award
production and got to perform onstage
winner, one is a former Playschool host and
alongside a full professional cast and Marina
one has had a long career on television … but
Prior. It was a life changing experience for
that’s all I’m saying for now! All shall be
everyone involved.
revealed soon!
So let's say our students want to audition, what
happens at the audition?
The audition is good fun – everyone auditions in
a group, so there’s a big group dance audition
Images courtesy of harvestrain.com.au
Left | Cats: The Arena Spectacular
Top Right | Hairspray
Bottom Right | Spamalot
16
an interview with Artistic Director Tim O'Connor
As teachers we always want to have as many
students as possible involved in a school musical.
How do you go about adapting a show to include as
many students as you have? What tips or tricks can
you offer us?
We really look for any major numbers or big
ensemble moments and try to find unique ways to
grow the number of people you can use in those
moments. It doesn’t work for every show – some
shows seem easier to adapt than others. It’s
always about trying to do it in a way that supports
the story, and isn’t just adding people on stage for
the sake of it. HAIRSPRAY has so many big
production numbers, it really lends itself to this
sort of arena interpretation.
What are the costs involved with this?
It depends what you’re looking for! We try
to always make our hires as affordable as
possible, so get in touch with us and we
can try to work in with your budget!
You have also just moved into a new space,
can you tell us a little bit about the
facilities you now have on offer?
We’ve just opened the Hayward Street
Studios at Stafford – it’s a state-of-the-art
performing arts facility, complete with 3
dance studios, a 120 seat theatre, 3 small
vocal studios, a set construction
workshop, a costume construction
workshop and more. It’s a really
In addition to this Arena show you also run an
magnificent facility and it’s available for
Australian Musical Theatre Workshop every year
hire so if you need a place for your next
and a Kids and Youth Theatre program. Why do you rehearsal or performance, visit
feel that it is important to provide these
www.haywardstreet.com.au
opportunities for students and to have them
involved in musical theatre?
QUICK QUESTIONS
I think that part of being a professional musical
theatre company, is how important it is that we
What is your go to Drama Game or Warm
are also supporting and nurturing the stars of
Up? Confession time ….. I hate drama
tomorrow. We want to raise up the next
games!!
generation of performers, and then give them a
Name three people you would like to have
platform to launch their careers.
around for drinks? Jim Henson, Steven
Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey.
As many Drama teachers can attest to, Musical
What was the latest play you saw? I just
season can be a stressful time of year. However, you saw Anything Goes in Melbourne last
have some ideas to help ease the load. Can you tell week. It was fantastic!
us about them?
Where would we find you in your spare
Well, musicals is what we do. We could almost do time? In my hammock having a nap or
them in our sleep! We have a huge array of props, reading a book! (But I rarely have spare
sets and costumes available for hire that may be time!)
of use to schools for their productions, but we
What play or piece of theatre do you think
also can put schools in touch with local directors everyone should see / read? Definitely
and choreographers who could come in to help
INTO THE WOODS at QPAC in October (and
make the school musical happen. We’re so keen to I don’t just say that because I’m directing
be a resource to schools, so if you’re stuck for
it – it’s actually one of the most incredible
ideas or resources for your next school musical,
musicals ever written! Come see it!)
give us a call!
To find out more about how your students can get involved in the HAIRSPRAY Arena Show head
to www.harvestrain.com.au where they can submit an online application to audition.
Or better yet, come to Harvest Rain’s WINE AND CHEESE night on Tuesday July 21 at the
Hayward Street Studios, 57 Hayward Street, Stafford.
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HOMUNCULUS THEATRE COMPANY
Homunculus Theatre Company have 10 years of experience delighting and inspiring audiences
across Australia and overseas. We specialize in Commedia Dell’Arte, Traditional & Contemporary
Clowning, Mask, Physical Comedy, Non Verbal Communication & Mime, Slapstick & Stage
Combat, Absurdism and Physical Theatre & Circus.
VISION STATEMENT
We believe in the power of arts education to shift attitudes, open horizons and to introduce the
skills of Performance to young people.
WHY WE DO THIS
We believe comedy is a complex art form, but one that can disarm and change ways of knowing
and thinking.
Comedy can be:
•An arrow to point out our weaknesses
•A tool for exploring important issues
•A means to understanding our vulnerabilities.
Homunculus Theatre Company endeavours to create Workshops, Artist In Residence Programs
and In-School Performances that explore the big questions in life whilst employing some
traditional theatre forms.
Homunculus believes the Arts should be central to a child’s education. Drama particularly, has a
vital place in the lives of young people in the 21st Century. In an age when people are
increasingly interacting and indeed living via and inside of technology, it is the subject and
practice of comedy that offers what otherwise can so easily be lost from our lives. The
opportunity to play, express, be physical, relate and discover in real time and space. Our
approach is underpinned by the assumption that everyone has something to offer and that
comedy is a unique and powerful engager that has the capacity to inspire and empower
students who might otherwise hang back.
Comedy conceals, gives permission to play, allows expression, liberates and reveals. Our
students and audiences alike are continually amazed by their own, their peers, and our
performers transformations. These particular styles we specialize in have the capacity to instil a
sense of joy, vulnerability, physical discipline and freedom of expression in the performer and
our audiences alike.
Comedy teaches that nothing and none of us can truly be taken too seriously. Being able to
laugh, to see the funny side, is in it-self, a vital life skill.
WHAT WE DO
We offer a wide range of In-Schools Workshops, Artist-In-Residence
Programs, In-School Performances, Roving Acts, Regional Community
Projects and Professional Development for Teachers. We are
consultative, and love working with teachers to create site- specific
projects.
HOMUNCULUSTHEATRE.COM.AU
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YANKED FROM YOUTUBE
Check out Calvary Christian College's student Taylor along with Lauren Jade Veling from Velbella Special
Effects Makeup Workshops featured on ABC news. We love seeing our students profiled like this!
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SUNSHINE: shining a light on
young people's stories of ANZAC
With three shows in April at the Redlands Performing Arts Centre Sunshine provided an opportunity for five
schools to come together to collaborate with professional artists to create a story they wanted to tell.
Celebrating the centenary of ANZAC Day, Sunshine explored the idea of what ANZAC means, both
historically and in a contemporary society. Sean Lubbers and Debb Wall, who developed the concept for
Sunshine, reflected on the success of this project.
Where did all the stories come from? Did you
start out with an initial through line and try to
find stories that matched this or did they emerge
as the production was created?
This was a collaborative production
between five schools and Debase
productions. How did this all come about?
Where did the idea come from?
We developed the concept for Sunshine
after discussing the success of Drama
Queensland’s previous models of X-LD,
which were multi-schools performance
showcases in various models and wanted to
bring that sort of multi-schools drama
project to the Redlands where both of our
schools are.
All high schools in the Redland City Council
regional area were invited to participate in
the Sunshine Project, inclusive of state,
catholic and independent schools. Teaching
Artists included Kirsty King & Debb Wall,
Capalaba State College, Skye Strand,
Cleveland District SHS; Jaye McElhinney &
Susan Monaghan, Wellington Point SHS;
Sean Lubbers, Victoria Point SHS; Grant
Couchman, Redlands College committed to
the Sunshine Project with the support of
their school communities. Everyone agreed
that the project focus should be the
Centenary of World War One.
It was also agreed that debase productions
would manage the project including
provision of a playwright and director to
model professional theatre processes.
Approximately 100 students were involved
in the project. They in turn will leave a
legacy through the professional publication
of the Sunshine playscript, which will be
used in classrooms and theatre groups
nationally and even internationally.
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Each school decided on their school’s
approach to involvement, with two schools
building the project into their teaching,
learning and assessment programs, while the
other three chose to include the project in cocurricular extension Drama programs.
Students worked to research, devise, script,
rehearse and produce scenes with their
Drama teacher-artists in their schools, using
four workshops by the visiting professional
artists.
The pineapple through-line emerged out of
research Sean’s students were doing at
Victoria Point SHS about the surrounding
islands of Victoria Point on Moreton Bay
where students discovered pineapples had
been grown then canned at a factory on
Russell Island (now closed) and some of the
pineapples had ended up in the nap sacks of
Australian soldiers on the frontline on the
Western Front.
How long did the whole process take from
the initial idea to the final performance?
Initial project discussion took place in Term
4, 2013 with Robert Kronk (debase). Project
planning continued in 2014. Drama student
an reflection with Debb Wall & Sean Lubbers
involvement commenced in Term 4, 2014,wi
th students participating in a minimum of four
workshops with professional playwright Robert
Kronk and/or director, Howard Cassidy. Students
were encouraged to approach Production Week,
24 April 2015, as young professionals. After this
student- and teacher-artists returned to their
schools to reflect and evaluate on their learning.
Capalaba State College Senior Drama & Drama
Studies students and Victoria Point SHS Year 10
Drama students completed complementary
classroom assessment tasks pre- and postproduction which extended on their learning.
You have included a wide variety of style and
forms throughout. Was this your intention or
was it a more organic process to include these?
The Pineapple Dance is important. The tinned
pineapples from Russell Island became a
dramatic symbol throughout the production.
Some dramatic styles were parameters for
the two schools (Victoria Point and
Capalaba) as both of those schools were
working within styles linked to their work
programs, but these styles still hybridised
with others as the devising and performance
evolved. Whilst the other schools who
worked on their pieces outside school time
as a co-curricular opportunity for students,
the styles emerged from their workshops
with Robert (debase) in Term 4 2014. Robert
was great with the writing of the show in the
end. He kept the student voice authentic
throughout the whole show. It was
professionally written and theatrical in the
end but all of the teachers were so
impressed and grateful the voices of all of
our students were honoured, even if some of
our students had to learn how to deal with
script rewrites at the last minute. There was
learning for our young people in the process
itself not just in the content and context of
the work which was fantastic.
Where to next? Is there any intention to publish
the script or repeat this process with another
idea?
Yes. debase are looking at publishing this script
(watch this space) and the teachers from
participating schools and have just put together a
submission for the DETE Showcase Awards in the
Community Engagement Section of the awards. If
we can make the state finals a significant amount
of money will seed the next one. Our schools and
teachers and super keen to get another one of
these off the ground. What it has done for our
students back at school and the profile for Drama
in our schools has been nothing short of
awesome. Fingers crossed we make the state
finals!
Why do you think this process / production was
so valuable for the students?
Student learning was supported within a
professional model of theatre production from
concept to production and performance. All
students’ Drama skills, knowledge and
understandings were enhanced by increased
expectations underpinned by the support of the
professional & volunteer artists, teacher artists
and community organisations; improved student
academic achievement – post-production.
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The co-artistry between all of the teachers
and the support of each other and each
other’s students in the end in a noncompetitive way was also very important.
There is money out there. There are grant
and funding pools drama teachers can
access. There are community grants and
organisations drama teachers can partner
with. There are ways. It is
tough/impossible to do this sort of project
by yourself. The best work I have ever
done in my career has been collaborative.
Five or six schools I believe is the perfect
number for a project like this. We could
not have done it in the end without each
other and all of our students benefited as
a result.
If you are a regional centre like we are tap
into RADF funding/grants and talk with
your local arts
venues/spaces/organisations. debase was
wonderful to work with because they
already have established processes,
practises and models of working with
young people and creating theatre for
young people.
All schools have reported improvement in
students’ Drama results and levels of
classroom engagement; -application of
improved understanding of focus and
commitment to academic outcomes;
-transferral of students’ learning to other
curriculum areas, eg in reading, writing and
oral presentations; -increased confidence
to apply/audition for tertiary theatre
courses and/or community productions;
-increased engagement in their own
Redland community including
understanding the history of their
community and the valuing of the RCC and
RSL of young people, their voices and
abilities.
What advice would you give to teachers
who want to do something similar to what
you have done?
Talk to each other first. The first meetings
with the other teachers from more than just
the 5 schools who ended up in the project
were crucial to this project’s success.
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REVIEWS:
resources for your classroom
Play review: Slammed by Stefanie Brooke Harper, Crosstown Publications
Reviiewed by Annette Box
Claiming to be the next Blackrock, I was unsure of what to expect in this new work, which was
fuelled by the one-punch phenomenon rocking Australian cities and teens. The play covers a
number of core issues which are very much at the centre of the lives of young people and tries
to do so in a very relevant and current fashion. Featuring slam poetry, complex intertextual
references and predominantly written in the style of Realism, this is a play with much
potential to be enjoyed and performed by young audiences, however it is too heavily laden
with issues and lessons. As such, the character development suffers. There are also a number
of adult characters facing ‘adult’ dilemmas (cue divorce, infertility and infidelity) which
unfortunately detracts from the journey of the teenage characters. The script has a smattering
of explicit language and addresses themes relating to sexuality, prejudice, drug use,
depression, anxiety, violence, parent and adolescent relationships, but the breadth of issues
covered is at the sacrifice of the depth to which they are explored. There are certainly still
some scenes which would lend themselves to class work on acting techniques for both
genders, specifically Years 11 and 12, or even Year 10 with a more mature cohort and the
slam poetry is well written and would make for interesting viewing when realised onstage.
The poems could easily be re-purposed for a Documentary Drama unit, but in the context of
the play, they tend to labour the progression of tension and make for some wordy reading. I
was intrigued to see how this text was received by young people, so I trialled the script on
some Year 11 students and this is what they had to say:
‘The language was definitely close to home and current, but I thought the teacher and student
relationships were a bit too relaxed.’
‘There was a good range of characters and we could all find something in them to resonate with.’
‘The gradual addition of characters made the multiple narratives tricky to follow, but it was
really nice that there was the lightness of a romantic storyline.’
‘I’d be really interested to see how it works on stage and how the issues come to life.’
This is a play that is definitely worth
a read if you are seeking to ‘speak’ to
your senior students in a way that is
meaningful and relevant, even if it is
just a few scenes that you choose to
explore.
The play opens at the Brisbane
Powerhouse on Thursday July 23,
playing until August 1.
Head to http://brisbanepowerhouse.org/events to book.
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Aurelian Creative Artist Genevieve Trace has mastered the art of extracting stories from the
locals of her sugarcane farming home town in the Burdekin district to create a contemporary
performance piece that is bittersweet and evocative. As a contemporary theatre work with an
innovative approach to staging and set design and a unique form of storytelling, Aurelian
provides an engaging and exciting access point to contemporary theatre for school students.
Order online at the Drama Queensland shop
www.dramaqueensland.org.au
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stay up to date with us via social media:
@dramaqueensland
@dramaqld
/dramaqueensland
2015 drama queensland committee
President | Annette Box
Business Manager | Alaana Sheppard
Vice President Communications | Naomi Russell
Vice President National Liaison | Julianne Macpherson
Vice President Planning | Bec Evans
Vice President Professional Development | Dana Holden
Conference Manager | Katrina Torenbeek
DQ News Editor | Daniela Martiri
Journal Editor | Kim Mourilyan
Membership | Emilia Keene (Secondary, Tertiary & Industry), Emma Hill (Regional)
Musesheet Editor | Stephanie Coleman
Professional Development | Jo Brasch-McPhee & Brad Jennings
Special Projects | Craig Wood
Website Editor | Ian Sweeney
Co-opted Members | Monique McMullen, Stacey Muller & Tammy Johnstone
The executive and committee are elected each year by members. The committee meets regularly
and all members are invited to attend. To find out when the next committee meeting will be held,
email [email protected]
www.dramaqueensland.org.au