Promoting Cultural Inclusivity and Tolerance
Through the Performing Arts
“The Brink/Urban Myth workshops continue to develop as an exceptional model for fostering cultural inclusivity amongst culturally diverse young people recently arrived in Australia ... The workshops were highly valued by students and the tutors exhibited a very high level of skill in engaging students and collaborating with them.” (Tony Mack, External Evaluator)
Brink Productions and Urban
Myth Theatre Company worked during Terms 3 and 4, 2013 with two classes of ASSE
students. The program was designed to give students confidence in language, communication and interactions
with others. Students incorporated goals from their Personal Learning Plans
into the program, and on 31
October 2013 they presented a special showing for their fellow students,
teacher, family and invited guests of the theatre pieces they had devised
during the term.
“The
quality of engagement between Brink/Urban Myth staff and ASSE students was of
the same standard or higher than international best practice benchmarks – Swedish
workshop tutors in Lusaka, and Jordanian workshop tutors in Amman – and in
keeping with the best Australian youth theatre practice.” (Tony Mack, External Evaluator)
“This
is an amazing program. Thank you for everything that you taught me and my
friends; It was great for my confidence; I am going to miss you.” (Student responses)
“I
feel this has been the best thing that has been offered to my students.” (Teacher response)
Brink Productions and Urban
Myth Theatre Company 2013 Artists in Residence program with Adelaide Secondary
School of English (ASSE) is proudly supported by the
Scanlon Foundation
Photographs: Joseph Blackwell
STTARS
Promoting Social Integration through the Performing Arts
A pilot project funded by the Department of Immigration & Citizenship (DIAC) [http://www.immi.gov.au/] through Survivors of Torture & Trauma Assistance & Rehabilitation (STTARS) [http://www.sttars.org.au/]
Two experienced arts workers from Urban Myth worked with young people aged 14-23 from Adelaide’s Bhutanese community, utilizing theatre to explore themes of home and aspects of social integration. Emphasis was on fun, group work, problem solving, an introduction to improvisation, and empowerment through storytelling. The project culminated in a performance at the Twelve25 Salisbury Youth Enterprise Centre (www.twelve25.com.au), and was attended by family, friends and members of the Bhutanese community. It was powerful, moving work, full of energy and pathos and reminded all of us of the need to keep telling these important stories. Plans are for Urban Myth to continue their relationship with STTARS and Adelaide’s Bhutanese community.
“I would like to thank Urban Myth Theatre for their commitment and excellence working with the Bhutanese Youth Group, especially Simone and Sean for their enthusiasm and belief in the group, which enabled such firm bonding and trust within the group. STTARS looks forward to developing a strong relationship with Urban Myth Theatre Group, and endeavour to work together in the future.” Lynn, Community Development Coordinator, STTARS
INKPOT DIARIES
A two-part community project undertaken in
partnership with ECH Inc and Urban Myth Theatre Company. Part One sees three
young writers, Melanie Pryor, Peter Beaglehole and Alexandra Petkova researching
and creating stories based on the experiences and memories of older people.
These three young writers have met
regularly to research (and share cups of tea!) with participants in ECH’s
Seasiders Social Programs at Henley Beach. They have been guided by writing
mentor Threasa Meads through the researching, interviewing and writing process.
Melanie, Peter and Alexandra are currently at works on their stories, based on
the experiences of the people they have been chatting to.
The second part of the project will see
Urban Myth’s Senior Ensemble rehearse and present these beautiful stories as
part of our ECH In-House Performances.
“Threasa
meets you on the road; whatever your stage of writing, she takes the time to
challenge you. With her intelligence and empathy Threasa works with you so you
can produce your best work.” (Peter Beaglehole)
A partnership between No Strings Attached & Urban Myth Theatre Company
This collaboration has been developed in response to participants from both theatres asking for opportunities to explore & create theatre in an environment that does not rely on the greater community’s perception of them.
‘We hope to set a precedent with this project, so it becomes ‘normal’ for young people with disabilities to seek out company like Urban Myth, and ‘normal’ for Urban Myth regulars to collaborate with peers with disabilities’ – PJ Rose. ‘Ditto’ – Glenn Hayden
FORCE is a two-stage project. Stage 1 is the creative development in 2012 and stage 2 is the rehearsal and a production in 2013.
The project has assembled a fantastic team of professionals in Simone Avramidis and Edwin Kemp Attrill (Directors), Alan Grace (Writer) and Tamara Lee (Supporting Artist), Pip Cody (Auslan Interpreter) and includes performers from No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability & Urban Myth Theatre Company. The project is fortunate to have Disability Arts Transition Team is the consulting partner throughout.
Community Cultural Development in nature, FORCE will begin without preconceived notions of theme or content. The starting point is simply “two community groups coming together to create relevant and excellent theatre”. But the collaboration will have an inclusive politic to influence its aesthetic from inception.
The recent DATT residencies of UK artists Daryl Beeton and Willie Eliot inspired this collaboration. It was developed in response to requests from participants in both theatres for opportunities to explore & create theatre in an environment that does not rely on the greater community’s perception of them.
The first stage of Force has been financially supported by Arts SA through its Community Arts Development funding
ECH IN-HOUSE PERFORMANCES
Yet another collaboration between ECH and Urban Myth is the 3 year commitment to deliver performance outcomes performed by the Poster Impact Senior Ensemble of Urban Myth Theatre of Youth on-site at ECH facilities and/or its associated service provider partners.
The performances will be created with the target audience of ECH in mind and the focus is on ‘The Word’, ‘Client Communication’ and ‘Performance’.
Each performance outcome will result in a performance tour of ECH services and each outcome will be designed for easy transport to a variety of locations.
A part of Urban Myth’s commitment to the project, the Artistic Director and appropriate creative staff will research and develop the program in conference with ECH. The first of these outcomes is The Poets Circle. Director and performer Nikki Rydon has worked with 5 Ensemble women to create a stunning performance of poetry ‘in motion’. The Poets Circle will tour to 7 locations around Adelaide and Victor Harbour. Designed to be a gentle ‘reminder’ to the ECH audience of images, sense memory and the ‘time-out’ that we can gain through poetry, The Poets Circle is quite stunning (Glenn Hayden).
ECH has committed to supporting Urban Myth to produce three in-house performance out-come for the 2012/13/14.
The Senior Ensemble is proudly supported by our mates at Poster Impact.
