Acknowledgment of country

Polyglot acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and create, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. For more than 65,000 years, children and families have created and played here, and we are grateful to make our art on this country too.

Show

Ants

Ants is an interactive performance which brings children together to explore the landscape around them.

An outdoors Ants production photo. A Polyglot artist in an intricate Ant costume crouches in front of a child, offering them a giant breadcrumb. They are surrounded by lines of crumbs, and blue sky and tall buildings are in the background.

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.

“It made you think deeply at little things.” Audience member aged 10

  • 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.
  • A general visual story is available here.
  • Conceived and directed: Sue Giles
  • Sound design: Steph O’Hara
  • Costume design: Katrina Gaskell
  • Original cast: Christian Bagin, Nick Barlow, Dan Goronszy, Emily Tomlins

Ants was originally commissioned by Fed Square and premiered in 2012.

2023

  • DKS Innlandet (The Cultural Schoolbag), Norway
  • PATCHWORK Festival, 10th Theatre Olympics, Győri Nemzeti Színház Hivatalos Oldala, Hungary
  • EarthFest, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA

2022

  • Without Walls Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, California, USA
  • Cairns Children’s Festival, QLD, Australia

2021

  • Des Moines Performing Arts, Iowa, USA
  • Music Play Family Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre, VIC, Australia

2019

  • Healesville Sanctuary, VIC, Australia
  • Madison Square Park, New York, USA
  • Xintiandi Festival, Shanghai, China
  • Junior International Children’s Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Canada

2018

  • Long Island Children’s Museum, New York, USA
  • Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Michigan, USA
  • Glenroy Festival, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • Warrandyte Festival, VIC, Australia

2017

  • Warrnambool Art Gallery, VIC, Australia
  • Melbourne Museum, VIC, Australia
  • Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
  • Breckenridge International Festival of Arts, Colorado, USA

2016

  • Ballarat Begonia Festival, VIC, Australia
  • Australia Now Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
  • Darwin Festival, NT, Australia
  • Seymour Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • Octoburst, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore

2015

  • International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) Showcase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  • BLEACH* Festival, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
  • Musikfest, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

2014

  • ASSITEJ Congress, Warsaw, Poland
  • Womadelaide Festival, SA, Australia

2013

  • Centenary of Canberra, Australia

2012

  • Premiere: Fed Square, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Watch the trailer

Duration

30 minutes, up to 4 times per day

Crew

3-4 x performers
1 x production

Setup

Bump in and perform on same day (2 shows max on first day) or half-day bump in the day before

Venue

Ants does not have spatial boundaries and works well in large public spaces (both indoors and outdoors)

Capacity

Unlimited – conducted in open public space

Booking enquiry
See scheduled events
+61 3 9826 3301
  • Ants was a great success, a huge spectacle and a charming way of inspiring audience involvement. I am sure you also felt the warm reception of the children and their parents. Ants is going to be a long-lasting memory for all of us.

    Cziráki Judit, PATCHWORK Festival, Hungary

  • I had the most delightful experience with the Polyglot team. Everyone rallied together to produce a wonderfully enchanting production for our patrons. Your team brought great enthusiasm and professionalism to each performance… I hope to work with you again in the future.

    Madison Square Park Conservancy, USA

  • The Ants team was a joy, and the children who participated loved it (I know because my own daughters had the pleasure of scampering around with them).

    Ann Arbor Summer Festival, USA

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