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

Paper Planet

Paper Planet is a universally accessible experience that families find utterly captivating.

A Paper Planet production photo. A forest of tall, brown cardboard trees, adorned with colourful tissue paper plants and creatures, fills an enormous, light-filled space. Children and families create and play amongst the trees, adding to the forest with paper and tape. Photographer: Sarah Walker

Children and families are invited into a forest of tall cardboard trees and after exploring the space, they add to this strange and delicate planet using only paper, tape and their imaginations. Theatre and play merge in this magical place, as creatures, plants, costumes, characters, stories and adventures spring to life.

Paper Planet grows as more families visit, and every session is truly unique as imaginations go wild. Children choose how they interact with the performers and with other children; some children find themselves absorbed in quiet making, and others prefer to play and explore.

Paper Planet is child-led, deeply involving and highly sensory, and sure to delight the whole family.

“It was amazing. We felt inspired and safe.” Parent

  • Paper Planet is a universally accessible experience, there is no English language barrier, and it can be entirely non-verbal.
  • Children and families choose how they engage with the performers and the space, moving around as they like.
  • Conceived and directed: Sue Giles
  • Sound design: Madeleine Flynn, Tim Humphrey
  • Set design: Mischa Long
  • Production manager: Bianca Eden
  • Original cast: Mischa Long, Keira Lyons, Stefanie Robinson, Tim Wells

Paper Planet was originally commissioned by Fed Square, Melbourne, and premiered in 2011.

2024

  • Tempe Center for the Arts, Arizona, USA
  • Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, California, USA

2023

  • Sydney Opera House 50th Birthday, NSW, Australia
  • Fed Square, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Caulfield, VIC, Australia

2022

  • Moomba Festival, ArtPlay, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

2021

  • Footscray Community Arts, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

2019

  • Ottawa Children’s Festival, Canada
  • International Children’s Festival of the Arts, Alberta, Canada

2018

  • Bayside Arena, Minami Sanriku, Japan
  • Cranbourne Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

2017

  • Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
  • DreamBIG Festival, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  • Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Huzhou Grand Theatre, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

2016

  • Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

2015

  • New Victory Theater, New York, USA
  • Fratz Festival, Berlin, Germany
  • Sands Festival & ASSITEJ Congress, Kristiansand, Norway

2014

  • Sommerset Festival, Perth, WA, Australia
  • International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) Official Showcase, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Daejeon Arts & Culture Centre, South Korea

2013

  • Darebin Arts Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • Regional Arts Victoria – Regional Living Expo, Melbourne, Australia

2012

  • Arts Centre Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, NSW, Australia

2011

  • Premiere: Fed Square, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Watch the trailer

Duration

60-120 mins

Crew

5 x performers
1 x production

Setup

Day 1 bump in, day 2 perform. For international touring, a two-day set up may be required.

Venue

This is a flexible and site-specific work that can be easily adapted. It requires an indoor space, ideally with a high roof.

Capacity

Dependent on venue size and installation design; as a guide, approximately 100 people at any one time. Admission can be free or ticketed.

Booking enquiry
+61 3 9826 3301
  • "This was truly one of the most unique things we've been able to offer families in our community. It was executed brilliantly by the Polyglot team. They were all so incredibly kind, talented, and true experts in this child-led, play space work... We also received comments from many staff members, from ushers to administrators to security, who had never seen the space used in that way... An unforgettable experience."

    Bethany Umbach, Senior Manager, Education Programs, Segerstrom Center for the Arts (USA), 2024

  • For these unforgettable experiences you bring to our audiences and for all that you do to promote the art, the entire Children’s Festival owes you its thanks; thanks especially for your professionalism, your passion and enthusiasm.

    Ottawa Children’s Festival

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