Patch Theatre to Present THE MOON'S A BALLOON Project

Patch Theatre has taken one of its most successful works, The Moon's a Balloon, and has been working on an ambitious multi-layered investigation into community engagement that is built into the DNA of a performance. The investigation comes to fruition when The Moon's a Balloon Community Engagement Project is trialled in Bathurst from 20 - 24 July and later a season at the Odeon Theatre from 3 - 22 August.

The project's aim has been to connect more deeply with communities through collaborative art-making, art-sharing and arts participation. It highlights the company's leadership in producing and exporting outstanding high quality theatre for young children.

Patch Theatre's Artistic Director Dave Brown and Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre Venue Manager Stephen Champion have been working together for over three years to investigate two questions: "what is community engagement?" and "what does it take to do it?" The learning gained from their work together is being incorporated into future national touring.

The engagement invites the community to participate in three possible ways: a Choir Intersect, a Performance Intersect and an Audience Intersect. Communities are provided with the resources and training to prepare "intersects" that take place when the show tours to the venue.

The Choir Intersect is designed to include a local community choir in the final scenes of the performance, giving the finale of the show a special touch. Artistic Director of Young Adelaide Voices, Christie Anderson, developed the choral arrangement with The Moon's a Balloon composer, Josh Bennett, to be adaptable for a range of choirs of varying skill levels. Young Adelaide Voices will sing the full arrangement featuring up to six vocal parts during the Adelaide season. Mitchell Young Voices, a young Bathurst choir from the Mitchell Conservatorium, is preparing for performances in Bathurst in July under the leadership of Michelle Griffin. Michelle attended a Young Adelaide Voices camp in Adelaide to prepare for the intersect and is now rehearsing her choir in Bathurst.

The Performer Intersect aims to involve six to eight community performers. Dan Aubin, former Cirkidz Artistic Director and now a lecturer/theatre-maker at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, has assembled 8 talented Theatre-Media tertiary students to form an ensemble for the performance intersect in Bathurst.

Dan attended a full day workshop in Adelaide with the Patch creative team where he familiarised himself with the physical languages of the show and the requirements of the intersect. He is now rehearsing the intersect with his ensemble in Bathurst and developing an additional original performance segment using the physical theatre and acrobatic skills that form part of the CSU training.

In Adelaide, high school dance students from Scotch College and Mitcham Girls High School will perform on stage during selected performances.

The Audience Intersect is represented by the Open Storybox program. The Open Storybox uses The Moon's a Balloon and two other children's productions presented in Bathurst as a focal-point for teaching across the curriculum with a particular emphasis on literacy and imagination. The program will involve 10 selected teachers from Bathurst primary schools led by Dr Susan Davis from the University of Central Queensland.

Patch Theatre Company in conjunction with Central Queensland University is offering Open Storybox as a special professional development program for South Australian teachers and early childhood educators with a full day workshop on Monday July 13, along with two follow up sessions scheduled in consultation with participants. The program runs in conjunction with Patch Theatre's August - September season of The Moon's a Balloon being presented across South Australia The program will enable participants with the skills to engage their children in classroom based open-storybox learning prior to the performance. https://sturtstreetlab.wordpress.com/storybox-2/

Patch Artistic Director, Dave Brown recently visited Bathurst to track progress and be involved in the preparations. He says "I'm excited to be working with the Bathurst Community. The project has taken the show to being more than just a visual theatre production, it celebrates through engagement with balloons, the possibilities of play, the making of friendships and the wonder of creation.

In July, when Patch touring party arrive in Bathurst, the Bathurst performers and choir will have final rehearsals with The Moon's a Balloon cast and crew prior to performing 3 shows for the community.

Both Mitchell Young Voices and the Charles Sturt University Theatre-Media students have embraced the project and I can't wait to see their vision realised on stage in August."

The project has garnered interest from Kalamazoo in the mid-west of the United States of America. The interest from America is so great that Nick Mahmat, Coordinator of the Kalimazoo Aesthetic Education Program and Portage public schools Choral Director Robert will travel to Bathurst in July to observe the outcome of The Moon's a Balloon's intersection with local young people."