June E-News

Reflect and dream

In the last few weeks, Melbourne has well and truly embraced the seasonal change. Autumnal leaves glow, and the air is brisk. It’s the time of year when we finalise our Annual Report; collating the adventures, discoveries and highlights from the previous 12 months. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the months past, and dream into the next.

Achieving our mission to provide transformational, playful arts experiences for children everywhere is a joy and privilege for all of us at Polyglot. The staff team works incredibly hard behind-the-scenes to deliver our busy program, ensuring we create meaningful employment for our artists and production teams, and reach a diverse audience of children and families. The first half of 2024 has seen us reach an audience of 14,050 across 20 venues in four countries already!

To support the wellbeing of our people and acknowledge the significant additional performance activity that has been scheduled for this year, Polyglot will be taking a collective week of rest, 10-14 June. The office will be closed, and our email autoreply will be on. We look forward to returning on Monday 17 June, recharged, and ready to deliver Polyglot’s mission, vision and values.

Feature image: Paper Planet. Photo: Katje Ford, Sydney Opera House

All children, everywhere

Last weekend, our Ants and their crumbs travelled to Sydney, transforming the Welcome Plaza at Art Gallery of New South Wales. Simultaneously, Polyglot is working in partnership with Rom for Dans and DKS (The Cultural Schoolbag) to deliver Ants / Maur in Norwegian schools.

At home, we’ve shared Cubbyhood with three kindergartens in Maribyrnong City Council, and are looking forward to residencies at two more. This is a playful, creative project with children that investigates their experience of home, family and community from their perspective. When the World Turns: disability inclusive theatre in schools has also finished its third, week-long tour at a specialist school. And this weekend, Sound of Drawing & Voice Lab are being presented by Abbotsford Convent for Melbourne Design Week. Join us for free drop-in sessions, 10am-12pm and 1.30pm-3.30pm.

National Reconciliation Week

In 2024, with the theme, ‘Now More Than Ever’, Reconciliation Week is a clarion call for connection, action and change. Polyglot Theatre remains deeply committed to the learning and unlearning that we must all do to understand the truth of our country’s history, and create a safer, stronger future for everyone. In considering how we acknowledge Reconciliation Week, we were invited by one of our First Nations artists to reflect, and speak up in allyship. On Tuesday, we shared personal reflections from our co-CEOs.

Give the gift of PLAY

We are driven by the right of all children to experience growth and resilience through creative play. Since 2018, more than 115,000 children and families have been able to access Polyglot’s work for free; 80% of our total audience.

For children, play is the basis of exploration – physically, imaginatively and creatively. Play is vital for children’s development and wellbeing. And play is the foundation of all Polyglot work. We build immersive, participatory worlds that give children the agency to explore, create and express their own ideas and culture within them.

Our work exists for all children to have an effect in their world and experience freedom of expression. Your generosity makes it possible.

Playmakers give $2-$249; Polyglot’s Circle give $250+. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. Support Polyglot Theatre and give the gift of PLAY.

Thank you 

In 2024, Cubbyhood is supported by a Maribyrnong City Council Community Grant.

When the World Turns: disability inclusive theatre in schools is a collaboration between Polyglot Theatre (AUS) and Oily Cart (UK), commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne and generously supported by the Cassandra Gantner Foundation. The 2024 schools tour is further supported by Arts Centre Melbourne and the Victorian Department of Education Strategic Partnerships Program, a Bank of Melbourne Foundation Community Grant, Dr John Leaper OAM, Mrs Jenny Leaper OAM, Mr Mark Robertson OAM and Mrs Anne Robertson. Polyglot thanks our ongoing plant sponsor ecoDynamics, and SÜK Workwear.