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 in Victoria. Polyglot is excited about Melbourne re-opening, and kids and families being able to once again enjoy arts experiences in our remarkable city.

We are pleased to be on track to present Paper Planet, together with Abbotsford Convent for Convent Kids, later this month. Paper Planet is a universally accessible experience that families will find inspiring and utterly captivating. This season is designed to specifically meet the needs of families who have a child or children with disability and encourages the participation of all members. Children and their families are invited to create a beautiful world inside a forest of tall cardboard trees—using only paper, tape and their imaginations. Everyone plays together in this magical place to create creatures, plants, costumes, characters, stories and adventures. Paper Planet is child-led, deeply involving and highly sensory, and sure to delight the whole family. The 2pm sessions from Monday 28 – Wednesday 30 June are now open to all families. This season is supported by the City of Yarra.

Sessions will be held on 26, 28-30 June, and tickets are $10 per family. For booking and access information (including a visual story), please visit Polyglot’s calendar. Please be assured that we will continue to monitor Government health advice with regards to COVID-19 restrictions. Should the situation change, and this affects your booking, someone will be in touch.

This season of Paper Planet is also part of Polyglot’s move towards a more accessible future. Our works have always offered an inclusive experience, with their inherent flexibility and strong sensory focus. This has organically led to a growing specialisation in working with children with disability. Theatre for this audience is new territory globally, especially when we work with the child as part of the process of creation. Training Polyglot’s artists in the skills to authentically engage children with disability is one of the next steps for our company as a leader in the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) sector, and essential to our mandate of empowering all children. Please help us with this important work by making a tax-deductible donation to our 2021 fundraising appeal. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a big difference.

Our incredible artists are the reason that we can share our unique working ethos with so many children, and we are delighted that our Generator program is an Artist-Led Actions Green Room Awards finalist! Polyglot’s Artistic Director Sue Giles AM writes: “This list of Artist-Led Actions finalists is a reflection of a singular time in our industry when what didn’t happen and how we responded, was as important as the works that were possible. Our Generator program, made up of 23 independent artists, was the heart and soul of our company throughout 2020. Their spirit, passion and creativity led us into new artistic territory and deep connection.” For more information about the Green Room Awards, visit their Facebook page.

In May Polyglot was thrilled to tour interstate for the first time in over a year. Boats sailed up to far north Queensland for the Cairns Children’s Festival, and we had a wonderful time playing with local kids and families in our new COVID-safe vessels. We also took our participatory workshops to four schools in Wagga Wagga, NSW. The populations at each school ranged from 15-40 students, and they all enjoyed full day Thoughtaculture workshops based on the creative prompt, ‘How can we make the world a better place?’ This school workshop tour was supported by Wagga Wagga City Council.

Please continue to look after yourself, your family and community as we navigate the road ahead. Together we can look towards a bright tomorrow, and we hope to see you at a Polyglot event soon!