September 14 2024
Ants at Gasworks Arts Park
Ants is an interactive performance which brings children together to explore the landscape around them.
![An Ants production photo. Polyglot artists in intricate black Ant costumes make their way across a green lawn. Children and families are visible in the background. Photo: William Hall, 2013](https://polyglot.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2013-IMAGE_Ants_Canberra100_Ants419-ZF-4013-51824-1-012_William-Hall-1500x1000-1-1065x610.jpg)
Presented for Create & Connect
Ants as big as humans work together intently, collecting and placing hundreds of giant bread crumbs, and children are irresistibly drawn closer to find out how they can join in. Gradually a world of meaning unfolds, with children’s movement making lines and patterns, transforming public space and disrupting the everyday. Children choose how they interact with the big insects, becoming ant-like creatures themselves and taking part in their world. This is an enchanting and unusual experience that everyone can enjoy at their own pace.
Venue, Session Times & Ticketing
Venue
- Gasworks Parklands, Gasworks Arts Park
21 Graham Street, Albert Park
VIC 3206
Session Times
- 10.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm
Ticketing
- Full Price: $12.16 each ($12.00 + $0.16 fees)
- Group 4+: $9.12 each ($9.00 + $0.12 fees)
- Book now: eventfinda.com.au/2024/ants/melbourne/inner-city
General Access
- All Gasworks venues are wheelchair accessible.
- There is an accessible bathroom close to the Gasworks Main Theatre on the western side of the venue near Pickles Street.
- Guide Dogs are welcome.
- While there isn’t a specific low-stimulation space for children and families to decompress, the foyer will be quiet.
- Further venue access information is available here. If you have any questions, please contact Gasworks on frontdesk@gasworks.org.au or (03) 8606 4200.
Ants
- Ants will take place outdoors, on grass. Please check the weather, and bring sunscreen, hats and water bottles.
- Ants is a universally accessible experience. The performers do not use spoken language – there is no English language barrier.
- Children and families choose how they engage with the performers and the space, moving around as they like.
- Ants contains amplified sound that is played through portable speakers.
- You can come and go from your booked session at any time.
- A visual story to help your family prepare for the experience is available to view/download here.
- Polyglot Theatre staff and artists are trained in disability and cultural awareness. If you have any questions about Ants, please contact us on 03 9826 3301 or info@polyglot.org.au
How to prepare
- When you come to a Polyglot show we recommend you wear comfortable clothing that allows you to enjoy moving. Remember that you have come for an adventure and there are many ways to begin finding your play. You are curious and this space is yours. Just as you might at the beach, do you take your time and dip your toe in to warm up, or do you run and jump right in? The worlds we set up welcome you to take your time and find your own way to your imaginative play; and our performers are there to join you, or play alongside you, and look after these worlds and their inhabitants.
Family Access
- Gasworks offers baby change facilities.
- Water, infants’ bottles and breastfeeding/chestfeeding are welcome, however we do ask that there is no eating in the Ants performance space.
- Gasworks Café is located at the Graham Street Entrance. It is open daily from 7am-3pm Mon-Sat, and 8am-3pm Sun.
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks for picnicking at Gasworks Art Park before or after Ants.
Getting There
Bus
- Bus 234 – Departs from William St / A’ Beckett Street in Melbourne and drops off at Graham St/Bay St in Port Melbourne, approx. 600m from Gasworks.
- Bus 236 – Departs from William St / A’ Beckett Street in Melbourne and drops off at Graham St/Pickles St in Albert Park, approx. 65m from Gasworks.
Tram
- Route #1 departs from Swanston Street, Melbourne, to South Melbourne Beach. Disembark at Stop #31 (Graham St/Victoria Ave), approx. 500m from Gasworks.
- Route #109 departs from Collins St, Melbourne, to Port Melbourne. Disembark at Stop #128 (Graham St/Light Rail), approx. 1km from Gasworks. This is an accessible stop.
For more information on public transport in Melbourne, and to plan your trip, visit Public Transport Victoria.
Parking
- There is free, unrestricted parking on the streets surrounding the park.
- There are four accessible parking bays close to Gasworks: two on Graham St outside the venue; two on Barrett St, approx. 70-100m from the venue.
For more information about accessible parking in the area, and a Disability Access Map, visit the City of Port Philip website here.
Gasworks Arts Park: Create & Connect
- Gasworks Arts Park is a vibrant arts precinct producing a range of high-quality arts programs, workshops, and activities for all ages. Situated in Albert Park, Melbourne, on the site of the former South Melbourne Gas Plant, Gasworks is just three kilometers from the CBD, and the precinct houses four hectares of park, two theatres, three gallery spaces, a café, as well as function and workshop spaces.
- Create & Connect (C&C), is a new creative proposal to develop an artistic skill with a big group of individuals, in an outdoor environment. A fun and engaging way to bring people together, create memorable experiences, and generate a sense of community at the beautiful Gasworks Arts Park. Through C&C Gasworks will promote community building, creativity and expression, social connections, stress relief and joining, artistic expressions in public spaces, inclusivity, and diversity, and building team and spirit.