October E-News

Happy Children’s Week!

The child’s voice is fundamental to Polyglot Theatre. Our long-term partnership with Abbotsford Convent Foundation, and our shared child-centered artistic ethos, sees us constantly connecting with local children, families and community.

L. Tangle, 2018. Photo: Theresa Harrison. R. Pram People, 2023. Photo: Kenny Waite.

Through our Convent Kids seasons together, and Polyglot’s creative developments on-site, we are grateful to create and play in the Convent’s heritage surrounds, on Wurundjeri Country, listening to children and amplifying their voices. From our home base here, Polyglot is able to make our transformational, participatory arts experiences, and share them the world over. We’re celebrating Childrens Week 2024 with a video of children speaking to Voice Lab at the Convent, about the importance of creativity, play, and this beautiful place.

The celebrations continue, with our Us. Here. Now. short film being screened at Fed Square. Documenting our two-year Kids Collaboration with The Venny, the film screening is an exciting opportunity for the experiences of local children to take centre stage in the heart of Melbourne during Children’s Week 2024.

Illuminating the connections between us

Polyglot is excited to work with Flow Festival Australia in making a new arts experience for children and families who are Deaf/hard of hearing. As part of the creative process, we are holding two public workshops at ArtPlay. Catch the Light invites us to ask, who are we? And how do we weave our stories? With lead artists Emily Tomlins and Jessica Moody, take part in shared drawing, experiment and play with simple and sensory materials to build new worlds and come together to explore through movement.

Catch the Light is for children aged 3-12 years who are Deaf/hard of hearing, and/or have Deaf/hard of hearing parents/carers. Siblings are also welcome. These workshops are bilingual and delivered in Auslan and spoken English. Auslan interpreters will be available to support communication needs of participants. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Bees returns to Melbourne/Naarm

In 2024, our Bees have buzzed and hummed from Cranbourne to Shepparton, New York City to Breckenridge. Next stop: Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. We are thrilled to be part of the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden 20^th birthday celebration! In a jam-packed weekend of free drop-in festivities, join our bees in the creation of a community amongst the spring blossoms.

Photos: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.

Polyglot on tour

In August, we embarked on the UK premiere of Pram People, with free seasons presented by Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, Creative Barking and Dagenham, and Freedom Festival Hull. The tour was a joyous, colourful triumph, and we were thrilled to be able to share this production with so many families.

A special moment between a parent and baby captured during a performance was shared by The Guardian photographer David Levene as a Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) festival highlight.

Photos: David Levene, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

Closer to home, our school holiday season of Paper Planet at Parramatta Town Hall was mammoth! More than 2000 children and families explored our strange and delicate cardboard forest, creating characters, costumes and creatures using paper, tape, and the boundless force of imagination. We welcomed return adventurers, some from our 2023 season at Sydney Opera House, heard the forest filled with different languages, and enjoyed multi-generational play between children, parents and grandparents. Paper Planet was presented by PHIVE as part of the Spot On Children’s Festival, and it was a privilege to share it with families on Dharug Country.

Thank You

Us. Here. Now. is supported by the City of Melbourne through the Arts and Creative Investment Partnership Fund. We thank the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, and Said & Done Media.

Catch the Light has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

Polyglot Theatre’s 2024 UK tour of Pram People is supported by the Victorian Government through the Creative Victoria International Engagement program. The original development of Pram People was supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative, and the City of Melbourne through the Arts and Creative Investment Partnerships fund and ArtPlay.