2020 SEASON PROGRAM
At Canberra Youth Theatre, our young artists are asking powerful questions, starting provocative conversations, and challenging the world around them. They are thinking big, acting creatively, forging their own paths, and making work that invites us to see the world from a new perspective. In 2020, we are producing a dynamic program that will ensure artistic excellence and enriching opportunities for young artists in the ACT. Our training programs bring young people together with professional artists to collaborate, learn new skills, express their creative selves, and create pathways to artistic careers. Our production program consists of three Australian works that will challenge and inspire both artists and audiences of all ages. Normal is a provocative play about disenfranchisement, acceptance, and the pressure to conform and succeed. In a spectacular theatrical event, I’ve Been Meaning To Ask You sees young people finally get the answers to the big questions they’ve been seeking. Impending Everyone explores the secrets we hold tight, the parts of ourselves that define us, and the impact technology is having on our lives. Our 2020 season asks some very big questions, explores our identities, and interrogates the connections we make with each other. Our young artists will share stories that are relevant, urgent and reflect the challenges of contemporary life. They will provoke intergenerational conversations and stir up debate. They will inspire and challenge us, make us think, make us laugh, and tell it like it is. In 2020, Canberra Youth Theatre will continue to amplify the voices of young artists and create powerful theatre. Come and join us!
LUKE ROGERS Artistic Director & CEO
NORMAL 20-23 MAY I’VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU 17-19 JULY IMPENDING EVERYONE 21-24 OCTOBER
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PRODUCTIONS
THE VOICE OF YOUTH EXPRESSED THROUGH INTELLIGENT AND CHALLENGING THEATRE.
Model: Elektra Spencer Photography: Lightbulb Studio
CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE PRESENTS
NORMAL BY KATIE POLLOCK
I’ve got this thing you can see - that’s happening to my body. It’s pretty weird. It just sort of started - See that? I can’t control it. And I don’t know what it is.
20–23 MAY
DIRECTED BY LUKE ROGERS CAST WE’RE LOOKING FOR ACTORS AGED 18–25 YEARS TO TAKE PART IN THIS PRODUCTION. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST ON THE AUDITIONS PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE. SUITABLE FOR AGES 15+ YEARS 9–12 FOR SCHOOLS 80 MINUTES, NO INTERVAL
TIMES
TICKETS
WEDNESDAY–SATURDAY 7:30PM SATURDAY 2:00PM
FULL $25 CONCESSION $22 $5.95 TRANSACTION FEE APPLIES
VENUE THE COURTYARD STUDIO CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE CIVIC SQUARE, LONDON CIRCUIT
BOOKINGS CANBERRATHEATRECENTRE.COM.AU 02 6275 2700
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Poppy has developed a tic. A twitch. A spasm. It spreads through her body, then her group of school friends and before long, the whole town. Nobody can explain it, but as the ‘disease’ spreads, the community begins to fall apart. Who or what is to blame? And how are they going to fix it? Normal is an urban detective story in which the investigator is a teenage girl and the body is her own. Inspired by the true story of ‘the town that caught Tourette’s’, this provocative and critically acclaimed Australian play raises questions about what it means to fit in, the viral nature of mass hysteria, and the pressures on young women fighting for agency. In the entitled pockets of a sparkling city, what does it take for a teenage girl to fit in? What does it cost to be normal?
Photography: Stephen Henry
CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE AND THE STREET PRESENTS A CRITICAL STAGES TOURING PRODUCTION
I’VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU CREATED BY THE GOOD ROOM Why do you have to go to work? How come adults drink to have fun? Is 50 too old to learn to surf? What was life like before the Internet?
17–19 JULY
CAST WE’RE LOOKING FOR ACTORS AGED 9–13 YEARS TO TAKE PART IN THIS PRODUCTION. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST ON THE AUDITIONS PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE. SUITABLE FOR AGES 9+ YEARS 5–12 FOR SCHOOLS 60 MINUTES, NO INTERVAL
TIMES
TICKETS
FRIDAY–SATURDAY 7:00PM SATURDAY 3:00PM | SUNDAY 4:OOPM
ADULT $35.00 CHILD UNDER 18 $27.00 GROUP 4+ $28.00
VENUE THE STREET THEATRE 15 CHILDERS STREET
BOOKINGS THESTREET.ORG.AU | 02 6247 1223
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They asked. You answered. The next generation is about to drop some truths... and the mic. This is a show full of questions asked by young people and answered by adults. Watch as age collides with experience as audiences young and old come together in a revealing one-hour-tell-all. Adults take a back seat as a powerful panel of 9–13 year olds from Canberra tackle the answers they receive to the questions they’ve always wanted to know.
CREATIVE TEAM DIRECTOR: DANIEL EVANS KEY CREATIVES: AMY INGRAM AND NATHAN SIBTHORPE
Model: Ted Stewart Photography: Lightbulb Studio
CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE PRESENTS
IMPENDING EVERYONE BY MICHAEL ANDREW COLLINS I can see who you really are, and I promise, by the end of lunch tomorrow, you will know who everyone else is, too. This cannot be stopped. The truth is impending. Everyone will know you soon enough.
21–24 OCT
DIRECTED BY LUKE ROGERS CAST WE’RE LOOKING FOR ACTORS AGED 14–17 YEARS TO TAKE PART IN THIS PRODUCTION. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST ON THE AUDITIONS PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE. SUITABLE FOR AGES 13+ YEARS 7–12 FOR SCHOOLS 80 MINUTES, NO INTERVAL
TIMES
TICKETS
WEDNESDAY–SATURDAY 7:30PM SATURDAY 2PM
FULL $25 CONCESSION $22 $5.95 TRANSACTION FEE APPLIES
VENUE THE COURTYARD STUDIO CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE CIVIC SQUARE, LONDON CIRCUIT
BOOKINGS CANBERRATHEATRECENTRE.COM.AU 02 6275 2700
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Someone at school has gained access to everyone’s internet history, messages, and metadata. All the things everyone’s looked up and written. They plan to release them. But the students can’t let this happen. They have secrets that can’t come out, and less than one day to stop their release. Impending Everyone explores what happens when we have to own up to the things we’ve said, when anonymity is stripped away and our desires are laid bare. It is a timely work amid the rise of technology and the erosion of our rights to privacy. The play provokes questions around identity: who we are, how we are perceived by our peers, and the impacts the internet and social media are having on our lives.
TRAINING PROGRAMS Find your voice. Explore your craft. Share your story. We bring young people together with professional artists to think imaginatively, act creatively, and make work that challenges us to see the world from a new perspective. Some young people come to Canberra Youth Theatre because they love performance and want to pursue a professional career in the arts. Others want to have fun, build their confidence and make new friends. Whatever the reason, we create a safe, inclusive space for all young people to be creative, share their voice, and explore their passion.
PRIMARY YEARS 1–6 SECONDARY YEARS 7–12 EMERGING ARTISTS AGES 18–25
Discover the joy of performance in these weekly workshops that place the imagination of young artists front and centre, introducing them to a variety of theatre skills. Through a fun and engaging exploration into creative play, devising and performance, participants build their confidence and discover techniques to express themselves creatively within an ensemble. We also provide weekly after-school theatre programs in primary schools across the region.
CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU/WORKSHOPS
SECONDARY Years 7-9 | Years 10-12 Get ready to take your performance skills to the next level. From devising to scene work, delve further into the dramatic process in a collaborative environment. Young artists are introduced to a range of acting techniques to create authentic characters, improve vocal and physical presence, devise new works and bring scripts to life in compelling, dynamic ways.
CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU/WORKSHOPS
FOR TEACHERS Workshops by Design We can work with you to create a bespoke program that targets your specific needs, from supplementing classroom programs in Drama and English, to building presentation skills in learning environments.
CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU/FOR-TEACHERS
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WORKSHOPS
PRIMARY Years 1-3 | Years 4-6
EMERGING ARTISTS We create tangible pathways for young artists aged 18-25 to participate in artistic training and creative development opportunities, build their professional networks and explore their artistic practice CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU/EMERGING-ARTISTS
ACTORS COMPANY A six-month training program for performers aged 18-25 years who are committed to challenging themselves and exploring their craft within an ensemble. Company members will work with experienced professional artists, exploring independent theatre making practices, and develop the tools required to build a sustainable career. Artists will strengthen skills in acting and collaborative performance making, culminating in a studio production.
RESIDENT ARTISTS
MASTERCLASSES A series of specialised intensives with leading theatre professionals across a range of disciplines. Young artists will experience a range of performance training practices and develop industry skills. In 2020 we will be expanding our masterclasses to encompass creative practices beyond performance, including writing and directing. These courses will be open to emerging artists aged 18-25 from any background or level of experience.
Our 2020 Emerging Artists Program is proudly supported by the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation and Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres.
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A year-long incubator for early career theatre makers who are passionate about creating new works, and dedicated to challenging their artistic practice. These artists will be embedded in the life of the company and participate in a program of creative developments, performances and individual projects. Each Resident Artist receives a fee and a budget allocated for professional development activities. Our Resident Artists will be ambitious young creatives ready to push their practice and careers to the next level.
SHARE YOUR STORY Engaging with our alumni is important to us. We would love to hear from as many of our past members as possible. Check out the alumni page on our website to share your own story discover more about our alumni.
CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU/ALUMNI
“Canberra Youth Theatre first introduced me to the rigour and thrill of developing a stage play. That teenage experience of workshopping my first script and communicating to an audience stays with me today in my professional practice.” Tommy Murphy Playwright and Screenwriter
“I was 14 when I took my first workshop with CYT and 10 years later I still find myself coming back to the skills I learned and the memories I made there. CYT is truly where I learned how to be an actor. I will treasure my experience there forever.” Liv Hewson Actor
“Canberra Youth Theatre is where I first started learning how to write for the theatre and met others who really loved telling stories in the same way. It still amazes me that ten years on from my first CYT workshop, I get to work as a professional playwright, often with people I met there.” Tasnim Hossain Playwright and Screenwriter
“Canberra Youth Theatre is a wonderful, supportive environment that challenges you and takes your artistic practice, ideas and expression seriously. It has totally shaped my outlook, perspective and practice since then.” Noémie Huttner-Koros Theatre Maker
Canberra Youth Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of our sponsors and partners:
02 6280 6925
If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact info@canberrayouththeatre.com.au
“I use the skills and mindset of Canberra Youth Theatre discipline, playfulness, collaboration - every day, whether I’m working as an actor or a writer. Creating work through improvisation and movement, with other people my own age, was the biggest thrill of all.” Jonathan Gavin Actor and Writer
OUR TEAM STAFF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO: LUKE ROGERS GENERAL MANAGER: ANAÏS MARO PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR: HELEN WOJTAS MARKETING AND ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR: MARNI MOUNT
BOARD KAREN VICKERY (CHAIR) CHRIS WAGNER PETER HOOLIHAN TESSA HAMMOND GABRIELLE AFFLECK
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“Canberra Youth Theatre was a crucial building block for my career in the theatre. It was here I first became aware of the discipline and heart involved in creating good theatre. It was a time when my decision to pursue a career in the arts was nurtured and flourished.” Mary Rachel Brown Playwright
THE VOICE OF YOUTH EXPRESSED THROUGH INTELLIGENT AND CHALLENGING THEATRE
GORMAN ARTS CENTRE H BLOCK - BATMAN STREET BRADDON ACT 2612
02 6248 5057 INFO@CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU CANBERRAYOUTHTHEATRE.COM.AU
Canberra Youth Theatre acknowledges the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the Canberra region and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to their Elders, both past and present.