GOULBURN is the place to be this weekend for all serious theatre lovers.
In an exciting community initiative, Lieder Theatre Company director Chrisjohn Hancock has invited Polish performance company Teatr Brama to join them in presenting “Periphery”, a weekend of workshops, discussions and networking, culminating in performances.
Hancock recently travelled to Goleniow in north-western Poland, the home town of Teatr Brama, to take part in a large-scale community festival called “The Human Mosaic” involving around 50 groups who have created performances and workshops over the last four years as part of a huge project called “Caravan Next” funded by the EU to the tune of € 12 million. Aimed at re-labelling cities’ arts, the project has seen groups demystifying theatre to make impact on the communities.
Exponents of “social community theatre”, Hancock says, the visitors see Goulburn as parallel to their own circumstances, since Goleniow is of comparable size and, like them, in danger of being dismissed by metropolitan theatre groups as on the “periphery”.
Hancock tells “CityNews” that Teatr Brama has revolutionised the relationship between audience and theatre by turning performance into a participatory meeting, not a spectator activity, researching the heights and depths of emotion, recalling heritage and reacting to the reality of life.
They are likely to find a kindred soul in Robin Davidson from Canberra’s Rebus Theatre, who will be on a panel about theatre for social change
For its part, Lieder Theatre, said to be Australia’s oldest continuously running theatre company, does not shy away from big issues and edgy theatre experiences and is at one with Brama in wanting to expand the traditional concept of both “theatre” and “audience”.
During the weekend, to be opened by Canberra region arts identity Evol McLeod on Saturday, Brama’s director Daniel Jacewicz will Lieder to present a new performance work — “scary and exciting”, Hancock says.
“Periphery”, Lieder Theatre, 52 Goldsmith Street, Goulburn, October 19-21. Bookings to trybooking.com/book/event?eid=413872
The full program is as follows:
Friday, October 19:
“Acrobatic Fire Show”, by Lieder Youth Theatre, Mary McKillop Rose Garden Park, Goulburn, 9pm, Friday, October 19.
At Lieder Theatre, Saturday, October 20:
9.30am: Registration
10am: Festival opening by Evol McLeod
10.30am: Keynote address and Q&A with Chrisjohn Hancock and Teatr Brama’s Daniel Jacewicz
1pm: Panel discussion, Social Community Theatre
2pm: Masterclass with Teatr Brama
6pm: Performance of “Monochrome”
7pm: Performance of “Ghost Dance Impressions”
At Lieder Theatre, Sunday, October 21:
9.30am: Registration
10am: “10 Slides in 10 Minutes”, presentations from arts organisations in the region
11.30am: Open mic where the public can present a three-minute pitch about current or future projects 2pm Masterclass with Teatr Brama
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