JUST months after receiving a Canberra Critics Circle Award for its bold originality, the mixed-ability company, Rebus Theatre, has been awarded a magnificent $870,000 bushfire recovery grant.

The grant will see a community-led arts recovery program established across five local government areas including QPRC, Eurobodalla, Bega, East Gippsland and the ACT.

One of 524 projects receiving Department of Industry, Science and Resources Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants totalling $390,893,782, the Rebus program will span over two years and will include training for artists from impacted areas and mentorship programs for arts-led recovery programs across the region and five community-led arts projects.

When “CityNews” spoke to creative programs manager Ali Clinch this morning (February 17), the excitement was still sinking in for the company, headed up by  Robin Davidson, Clinch and Ben Drysdale.

“We are all still just floating, we are still so excited,” Clinch said, adding that the application had taken six to eight weeks of solid work by all members of the company, who believed from the outset that they had a really strong case for assisting community recovery from the bushfires.

Their proposal, “Project Alchemy”, will involve Playback Theatre, a form of improvised theatre where audience members tell their stories and actors and musicians improvise their stories back on the spot. In each shire the Rebus team will give an evening performance, followed by a daytime workshop where those interested can meet the team, play games, further share stories and learn about the project.

As well there will be a series of residencies for teams of three practising artists from each of the five shires, during which participants will develop their skills in using arts for recovery, including the chance to learn about trauma-informed practice, games and exercises for drawing out and sharing stories safely.

Rebus will also mentor artists in each shire to develop their own community recovery and resilience projects, through video conferencing.

“Project Alchemy,” will culminate in a creative project in each shire.

Having lived through the 2003 Canberra bushfires and faced them again over the Black Summer, the Rebus team says , the “Alchemy” project “sits at the heart of our own experience”.

More at rebustheatre.com