Acknowledgment of country

Polyglot acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and create, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. For more than 65,000 years, children and families have created and played here, and we are grateful to make our art on this country too.


A behind-the-scenes We Built This City photo. 7 Polyglot artists wearing blue overalls, red t-shirts and red hard hats pose for the camera with Polyglot’s Artistic Director Sue Giles, who wears all black. They are in front of a white picket fence that surrounds the We Built This City site, filled with thousands of cardboard boxes. Tall buildings and blue sky are visible in the background.

Polyglot’s December e-news

A bright end to 2021 The 20th anniversary season of We Built This City was a glorious way to end another unusual year. Presented......

A We Built This City production photo. A child with dark curly hair, wearing a red shirt, leaps into the air, smiling. They are surrounded by hundreds of cardboard boxes piled high.

Polyglot’s November e-news

“It was a joint effort and brought people together like a community should be.” We Built This City is returning home for its 20th......

Polyglot’s October e-news

“They bring a lot of light and joy!” We hope that you are safe and well. The situation in Melbourne has certainly changed since......

An indoor Paper Planet production photo. A child with a roll of masking tape on their hand is reaching up towards an orange tissue paper creation.

Polyglot’s July e-news

“Connected, welcome, in wonder” Polyglot is delighted that some COVID-19 restrictions have eased in Victoria this week, and we look forward to connecting in......

A Paper Planet production photo. A Polyglot artist in a black t-shirt looks at the camera, his hands over his face. A child in a grey jumper looks at him smiling. They are surrounded by tall brown cardboard trees.

Reflections on Paper Planet and access

By Mischa Long I have had the privilege of working for Polyglot for 25 years, and in that time I have also had a......

A Paper Planet production photo. A child with dark hair, wearing a baseball jacket, joyfully hangs long strips of white paper on a suspended piece of tape. They are in a sunlit room lined with brown cardboard and other children creating with paper are visible in the background.

Polyglot’s June e-news

Paper Planet – a universally accessible experience We hope that you and your family stayed safe and well during this recent period of restrictions......

A workshop photo. A child peers out of a cardboard box, smiling at the camera.

How does creative play complement and challenge classroom education?

By Cat Sewell There was an area of the classroom that seemed little used. Containers gathering dust on forgotten wooden shelves. I had been......

An outdoor Boats production photo. A child and their adult hold a blue patterned vessel around themselves and are running excitedly. A child in a different blue vessel is also visible. They are in a sandstone courtyard with trees and buildings in the background.

Polyglot’s March e-news

School holiday smorgasbord These school holidays, Polyglot is taking over Melbourne! Boats sails into the Arts Centre Melbourne Main Lawn from 9-17 April. At......

A Paper Planet production photo. A child wears a paper branch wrapped around their shoulders and arms, smiling with their arms outstretched. Another child stands to their right, smiling. Behind them are paper decorations and trees made from cardboard. Photo: Mark Gambino.

World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People 2021

World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People has been celebrated by ASSITEJ International on 20 March since 2001. It is an important......

A 5678 Film Club photo. A filmmaker with short red hair crouches, holding a camera, and talking to someone out of frame. A student in a hat, glasses and blue jumper 'pops' into frame behind the filmmaker, looking directly at the camera.

5678 Film Club – finding inspiration

By Dr Meg Upton Here’s an idea! A frustrated artist accidentally travels through time in a rather bizarre way involving a toilet and a......

Polyglot’s January e-news

A bright 2021 We’re leaping into 2021 with exciting news: Polyglot was successful in its application to the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand......

A Tangle production photo. A child with short dark hair is suspended upside down amongst hundreds of strands of colourful elastic. They are smiling at the camera.

Empowering children as cultural citizens

An introductory note from Sue Giles AM On World Children’s Day (20 November), I listened to a panel speak on the invisibility of children’s......

Polyglot Theatre announces new Executive Director

Polyglot Theatre is delighted to announce the appointment of Katherine Fyffe as its new Executive Director and co-CEO. Kath is a highly regarded manager......

A bright green rectangle, with pink shapes in the centre.

Polyglot Theatre to farewell Executive Director Viv Rosman

After five years of leadership, Polyglot Theatre’s Executive Director and co-CEO Viv Rosman is stepping down at the end of 2020. Viv is returning......

A Cerita Anak production shot. A performer holds a light display comprising of paper octopuses on a marionette in front of a crowd of children. One child has their arms outstretched towards the light display.

The Theatrical Frame

By Jennifer Andersen I’ve always enjoyed performing in education settings. I like the proximity of the audience, and the intersection of everyday and imaginative......

A 5678 Film Club photo. A student in a black hat, blue jumper and glasses stands in front of a red-brick wall. Their arms are crossed and they are smiling at the camera.

Polyglot’s September e-news

Building diversity At Polyglot, we know first-hand that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds produce a more creative work environment that delivers better results. We......

A Parked creative development photo. An adult and child stand together amidst green foliage, illuminated by dramatic theatre lighting.

Biophilia and nature deficit: co-designing natural spaces with and for children

By Dr Tanja Beer Have you ever wondered why walking in nature makes you feel so good? Perhaps it’s the abundance of green, the......

A Cerita Anak (Child's Story) production photo. A Polyglot artist sits with an adult and child on the floor, creating colourful sea creatures with construction paper.

Polyglot’s April e-news

The new normal It’s been six weeks since Australia’s lockdown restrictions came into place, and it’s slowly starting to feel like the new normal.......

A school residency photo. Five students wearing boiler suits pose for the camera on rocks next to a body of water. There are trees and grey sky in the background.

The ethics of children’s participation

By Sarah Austin As a theatre-maker who works with children and young people in a range of contexts (including within schools and community, for......

An update from Polyglot Theatre’s Chair and co-CEOs

The results of the Australia Council’s Four Year Funding for Organisations program for 2021-2024 were announced today. We are deeply disappointed to share that......

A Cerita Anak production photo. A child stands in the boat, smiling and clapping. They are surrounded by other smiling children and adults. They are illuminated by bright theatre lighting.

World Day of Theatre for Children 2020

Today is World Day of Theatre for Children, celebrated and promoted by ASSITEJ International through the message ‘Take a Child to the Theatre Today’.......

A Light Pickers creative development photo. A small child stands in a darkened space, next to a pile of colourful, abstract glowing objects. They hold a glowing object close to their face, looking at it intently.

Polyglot’s Jan/Feb e-news

“We are all making work for and with children and young people, and our work needs to reflect the age that we are living......

A Voice Lab production photo. A child sits in a soft, white, enclosed space that is illuminated with blue light. They wear a soft fabric crown with a long cord, which they hold with both hands. Photo: Theresa Harrison

The impact of Voice Lab in educational contexts

By Lachlan MacLeod Voice Lab was originally created as an evaluative tool, but through its use in educational contexts it has revealed its ability......

First On The Ladder a three-year victory

“The greatest growth (for the kids) is that of trust and bravery. While it might seem natural that kids will develop new skills as......