Polyglot’s February e-news

A new look for Polyglot Theatre

We are very excited to share our shiny new Polyglot website! After months of dreaming, talking, writing and tweaking, we are so proud of our accessible online home. It was designed and built by Freerange Future and was made possible by the generous support of our 2021 donors. Freerange Future also refreshed our logo – after 20 years, it was time for a new look. Like all of our work, our website is a living, breathing, evolving creation, and we invite you to check in regularly to see any updates.

January saw us delve into performance testing, with several Bees sessions in the Heritage Garden at Abbotsford Convent. It was a wonderful opportunity for our artists to stretch their wings and play with children and families amongst Morwenna Schenck’s hive-inspired design. Bees will premiere in Melbourne in 2022 – stay tuned for more updates.

On Sunday 20 March, World Day of Theatre for Children, Boats will set sail on the Great Lawn at Werribee Park for the Wyndham City Children’s Week Picnic. We are thrilled to once again be part of this special event for children and families, and this season of Boats will be bigger and more buoyant than ever before to mark the occasion. Entry to the Picnic will be free, but bookings are essential. Tickets will be available from 9am, 1 March.

Artistic exploration continues in Australia and Singapore for LINK – our long-distance collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Both teams will engage in creative sessions with children and families during March. Together, we are working towards developing an immersive, sensory performance to be presented at the Esplanade’s March On Festival in 2023. Polyglot’s participation in LINK is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

In April, our Ants are taking their crumbs to Without Walls Festival in San Diego. Presented by La Jolla Playhouse, Without Walls (WOW) features interactive, site-inspired performance that takes place outside the confines of a traditional theatre. It is an invitation to reimagine what theatre can be through intriguing and playful experiences. This will be Polyglot’s third season at WOW – We Built This City was presented in 2013, and Boats in 2019 – and we are working in partnership with Inlet Dance Theatre to deliver Ants in the United States.  

Term 1 kicked off this week for most schools, and with the joy of re-connection comes the intricacies of keeping everyone safe. We are thinking of all the families and educators who are navigating this process.

Polyglot’s staff were back in the office yesterday mapping out the busy year ahead, and our Generator artists had a similar session on Monday. Due to the COVID-19 situation in Melbourne, this is the first time we’ve gathered in our beautiful Convent home since the end of 2021. We were delighted to be together in person to celebrate a few things: securing four-year funding from Creative Victoria, our new website, and our many exciting plans for 2022.

Please take care, and we look forward to creating and playing together soon!