VISION, MISSION & VALUES
ABOUT POLYGLOT
VISION
STAFF
Polyglot’s vision is of a future where children are empowered artistically, socially and culturally.
Simon Abrahams Executive Producer / co-CEO
MISSION
Sue Giles Artistic Director / co-CEO
Polyglot Theatre is an internationally renowned creator of interactive experiences for children and families, inspiring kids to turn the simplest things into extraordinary creations. At Polyglot, theatre is child’s play.
Placing kids at the heart of our art, Polyglot creates interactive experiences which ignite imaginations everywhere from tiny Australian country towns to the world’s leading centres for the arts.
VALUES •
ACCESSIBILITY to our audiences in price, place and process.
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COLLABORATION with children and peers in our creative processes, encouraging partnerships.
Adi Diner Associate Producer Shalini Nair Administration Manager (to July) Imbi Neeme Administrative Assistant (from August) Hilary Hastings Development Manager (to May) Debby Maziarz Funding Development Manager Joseph Swan Marketing Coordinator (to May)
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DIVERSITY of audiences and participants, activity and income.
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EXCELLENCE in process, production, performance and operations.
Julie Wright Operations Coordinator (from August)
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BRAVERY in our work to enable new discoveries.
Fleur Brett Bookkeeper
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PLAYFULNESS in artistic discovery and in operations, having as much fun as possible in the process.
TS Publicity Publicity (contract)
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RESOURCEFULNESS in order to make seemingly impossible things happen.
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RESPECT for our artists, audiences, colleagues, and for the insights of children.
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SUSTAINABILITY of operations, of artistic work and of the planet.
Scott Dunsdon Marketing and Development Coordinator (from August)
Polyglot’s artists are inspired by the artwork, play and ideas of children and our works feature active participation from audience members through touch, play and encounter. Our artistic works respond to the childhood need for experiences that encourage free artistic expression and an imaginative interpretation of the world. We seek to challenge, to foster curiosity and to inspire.
For over 30 years, Polyglot has been recognised one of Australia’s leading children’s arts companies, and in recent years the company has been in demand internationally, performing in five languages in ten countries on four continents. We have played at some of the world’s most prestigious arts centres – from London’s Royal National Theatre to Washington’s Kennedy Center, the National Theatres of Korea and China, and the Sydney Opera House – while maintaining extensive regional Victorian touring and community development projects at the heart of our creative program.
Elsie Management North American representation
BOARD Kirsty Ellem Chair (to May) Julia White Chair (from June) Angela O’Brian General Secretary Johanna Platt Treasurer Tom Gutteridge David Hanrahan Richard Roberts
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CHAIR’S REPORT
In late 2010, the Polyglot Board signed off on an ambitious, risk-laden and exciting plan for the coming year. Freeing up some of the organisation’s cash reserves and allowing for a budget deficit, we agreed to provide scope for increased artistic and business development opportunities. Our calculated risk paid-off and we reached the end of 2011 with a series of new works commissioned and some very successful international markets under development. Further to this, the Polyglot team was expanded to cope with increasing business and production requirements. The company is in a strong position to move into the next few years with a solid basis.
CEO’S REPORT
expanded from a company with an annual turnover of $500,000 to one of nearly $1.4M – growth that has seen a huge reliance on all members of the Polyglot team to push the envelope in terms of productivity, creativity and enthusiasm – something that they do on a daily basis. On behalf of the Polyglot Board, I would like to acknowledge the tireless energy, passion, professionalism and occasional lunacy of Simon, Sue, Adi, Shalini, Julie, Imbi, Scott, Debby and Fleur – what a team!
2011 saw some changes to the faces around the Polyglot Board table. We’ve welcomed Angela O’Brien as a new board member and farewelled Kirsty Ellem. Thank you to my board colleagues – old and new – for their support over the past 12 months. We’ve also enjoyed the continued support of the Patron of our Ambassadors’ Circle, Miss Betty Amsden OAM. Betty’s personal support provided assistance for Sue and Simon to attend an important international children’s congress in Sweden and Denmark, strengthening our connections in Europe. Our Ambassadors continue to provide essential philanthropic support to the company in a time when increasing importance is being placed upon diversity of funding sources. As I write this we are in the process of securing a replacement for Simon Abrahams, who leaves the role of Executive Producer and co-CEO after almost 5 years with the company. In this time, Polyglot has
Julia White Chair
In 2011, Polyglot really stretched things to their limits. Literally. Our new work, Tangle, stretches 150km of coloured elastic into an interwoven, chaotic mess which comes together as a whole to form a beautiful, constantly shifting and changing live artwork. It is the perfect metaphor for Polyglot’s year. We travelled to Korea (twice), Japan (twice), China, America, Taiwan, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden and Singapore, visited almost every regional and metropolitan region of Victoria, and toured to Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia. We performed our works in five different languages. We created a co-production with artists in China, undertook a community development project in tsunamidevastated regions of Japan, developed new works, presented on panels, attended festivals and spoke at conferences. We were the subject of a year-long evaluation project with fascinating results. We won the Governor of Victoria Export Award in recognition of our rapidly growing international reputation. We changed the lives of children all over the world and we couldn’t have done it without the support of a great many people. Our thanks as always to the funders, donors and sponsors whose vision, generosity and belief in all we do allow us to make great work. Polyglot’s dedicated and passionate Board of Directors demonstrated real faith when they signed off on an investment strategy at the start of 2011, deciding to post a budgeted deficit for the first time. This strategic investment in the creation of new artworks, employment of new staff and development of new markets for our work will enable the company’s continued growth in 2012 and beyond. Our thanks to the dedicated staff who work tirelessly and always strive for best practice, to the multiskilled and gifted Polyglot artists who bring our crazy
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ideas to life, to the production people who keep us grounded and make it all happen, to our amazing volunteers, and to the venues, festivals, schools and creative partners who bring us to our audiences. As always, our thanks to the kids for inspiring us with their energy and with their natural genius. This is also our last report as a partnership, with Simon announcing he will depart Polyglot in early 2012 after nearly five extraordinary years with the company. Our working relationship has been characterised by a shared vision, boundless energy, constant collaboration, unnerving fearlessness, never-ending ambition, and – most importantly – ridiculous humour even at seemingly inappropriate moments. It’s enabled us to survive – and thrive – during the enormous challenges and incredible successes of our Polyglot partnership. It’s been a thrilling ride... but now it’s time for the next incredible Polyglot chapter...
Simon Abrahams Executive Producer / co-CEO
Sue Giles Artistic Director / co-CEO
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YEAR IN REVIEW
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EVALUATION PROJECT
In 2011, Polyglot performed 94 performances of nine works, including four new works, participated in two school residencies, undertook two creative developments and led 237 workshops reaching a total of 37 934 people in seven countries.
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Our classic show Muckheap was completely reinvented and performed in three languages: Mandarin-Chinese, English, and Auslan
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We celebrated the tenth anniversary of our hit show We Built This City with a return season in Melbourne alongside tours to Taiwan, Japan, America and Korea
Our works were performed in five different languages. Polyglot won the Governor of Victoria Export Award (arts and entertainment) and was nominated for the Prime Minister’s Export Award (arts and entertainment). We used 250,698 metres of elastic in our brand new work Tangle, 61,776 metres of sticky tape in Sticky Maze and recycled 24,400 cardboard boxes in We Built This City
Polyglot commissioned Dr Ricci Jane Adams, research fellow at the Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, to write an independent evaluation of the social and cultural impact of a selection of the company’s 2011 Victorian program. The following set of questions was used to conduct the 2011 evaluation:
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We helped the healing process in Minami Sanriku, Japan, after the devastating tsunami
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Does Polyglot’s process stimulate conversation between children and adults?
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We grew turnover to over $1 million for the first time (more than doubling our turnover in five years)
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Does Polyglot’s process with children inspire, challenge and foster curiosity?
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Do the theatrical experiences offered by Polyglot encourage children’s agency and self-responsibility within the specific experience (workshop or performance)?
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2011 POLYGLOT INCOME
2011 POLYGLOT EXPENDITURE
EARNED INCOME AUSTRALIA
PROJECT GRANTS
21%
13% 29%
35% PRODUCTION
19% CORE GRANTS
SPONSORSHIP & FUNDRAISING
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24% 8%
10% 4%
CORE & ADMIN STAFF
EARNED INCOME INTERNATIONAL
ONCOSTS & ALLOWANCES
23% PROJECT STAFF
Does Polyglot’s process contribute to a culture of creativity both during and after the experience?
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The survey data indicates consistently that first time attendees were in the majority at these events, suggesting that Polyglot is succeeding in accessing children who have not had previous exposure to this kind of non-commercial performance experience.
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The longer length school-based workshops, run over several days or weeks, have a far greater impact on the students involved than the short, one-off workshops. More Polyglot artists at all school based workshops would help to alleviate the pressures of time constraints, and deepen the satisfaction of the experience for all.
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The quality of the artists engaged in the workshops and performances is central to the success of these events in terms of engagement, satisfaction and creative thinking.
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The interactive, experiential and most importantly playful introduction to the performance experience that Polyglot offers to children from the earliest age contributes to an evolving confidence in participating in theatre more generally over time. In creating a theatre event that suits the developmental stages of the children participating, these children are welcomed into the world of theatre rather than alienated from it. As these children become young adults they carry a sense of confidence in regards to their engagement with theatre.
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The findings of this evaluation indicate that predominantly, Polyglot Theatre has succeeded in fulfilling its own vision, mission and values as a company. The social and cultural impact it has on the children, adults, families, teachers and other key stakeholders is positive and rewarding for all those involved.
KEY FINDINGS •
Polyglot is providing a unique, diverse and accessible range of interactive, immersive performance experiences for children between 0-12 years of age.
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The diversity of environments, form, content, pricing, geography and age range in these performance events ensures that Polyglot is accessing a wide range of children.
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Children at public performances frequently reported never having ‘done anything like this before’. Providing new creative experiences for children under the age of 12 contributes to ongoing engagement with creative and imaginative play. Research in this area strongly indicates that early exposure to the arts maximises young people’s engagement throughout their lifetime.
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TANGLE
STICKY MAZE
My son has been in the maze for over an hour and is not willing to leave. He has had so much fun. Adult audience member, Geelong
Tangle is a huge, messy, fun, interactive elastic weaving event created live by children and their families. It’s part mass visual arts installation, part performance, part play ground, part dance party and all chaos. Like a giant peg board, children and families create a landscape together, tangling and weaving coloured elastic through giant poles. Imagine a shared squiggly line drawing in three dimensions, creating a stretchy bouncy playground, fuelled by live music and culminating in a big dance party. Tangle is a giant experiment where children take control and create a giant abstract tangled artwork which everyone owns.
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE (QLD) Performance dates: 28 June - 2 July 2011 Number of performances: 12 Total Audience: 692 Key artists: Nick Barlow, Sabrina D’Angelo, Felicity Horsley, Justin Marshall, Lachlan MacLeod, Emily O’Brien
ARTPLAY (MOOMBA FESTIVAL) Performance dates: 12 – 14 March 2011 Number of performances: 3 Total Audience: 5700 Key artists: Christian Bagin, Amy Bagshaw, Nick Barlow, Michael Baxter, Sabrina D’Angelo, Sue Giles, Felicity Horsley, Justin Marshall, Ania Reynolds, Tamara Rewse, Glen Walton, Dan Witton
We can get creative while having a blast!
Sticky Maze is an interactive play space for kids of all ages where simple, everyday materials are used to transform public space into a labyrinth of fun. Kids and grown-ups enter a see-through maze made out of straight upright poles and walls of clear sticky tape which mark out the twists and turns of a maze structure. From this see-through, shimmery beginning, the participants are invited to ‘colour in’ the walls by sticking newspaper onto the tape. Gradually the walls become filled-in, creating the ultimate bewildering maze. There are drawing stations outside the maze, providing materials to draw pictures, write messages and directions that are also stuck to the maze walls. The task is huge and gradually the children explore further and further the potential of the maze, creating games and tasks for themselves and their friends: hiding, chasing and tricking others.
Erin, aged 12
GEELONG Performance dates: April 19 2011
CASULA POWERHOUSE (NSW) Performance dates: 6 & 7 July 2011 Number of performances: 8 Total Audience: 428
Number of performances: 1
AWESOME FESTIVAL, PERTH (WA) Performance dates: 18 – 27 November 2011 Number of performances: 10 Total Audience: 6030 Key artists: Sam Bennellick-Jones, Gita Bezard, Michael Burke, St John Cowcher, Sue Giles, Arielle Gray, Mischa Long, Justin Marshall, Bradley Stevens, Kat Shaw
FREMANTLE FESTIVAL (WA) Performance dates: 19 & 20 November 2011 Number of performances: 2 Total Audience: 2191 Key artists: Gita Bezard, Michael Burke, St John Cowcher, Sue Giles, Mischa Long, Justin Marshall Thank you to City of Geelong for their initial presentation of this work.
Total Audience: 442 Key artists: Sue Giles, Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Heath McIvor, Justin Marshall, Lachlan MacLeod, Julie Wright
Key artists: Nick Barlow, Sabrina D’Angelo Felicity Horsley, Justin Marshall, Lachlan MacLeod, Emily O’Brien
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PAPER PLANET
HOW HIGH THE SKY(CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT)
Paper Planet is a world filled with tall, strange cardboard trees, paper leaves, boulders, ponds and other mysterious shapes that inhabit any venue it spreads to. Fantastic and unusual animals and birds hang from the branches and sit around the trunks.
How High The Sky is an immersive theatrical experience currently in development for babies under 12 months and their adults.
Visitors populate the space with their own creations and rustling paper selves, eventually spreading the planet into their homes, via transport and public spaces. Paper Planet is a constantly evolving artistic work created live by award-winning Polyglot Theatre artists, children and their families using the simplest of materials: paper and cardboard. Moving beyond audience participation, Paper Planet is experiential, tangible and wholly immersive.
Polyglot does this stuff well. This is children’s play invisibly directed and unfolding. Elly Varrenti, The Age
The performance will be a dual experience for adult and child that take them into a sense-surround experience of lightness and dream-like images, gradually peeling away the logic of narrative to allow adults to absorb image with as open a mind as a baby. How High The Sky will premiere in late 2012 at Arts Centre Melbourne.
CROMWELL ROAD THEATRE Creative Development: 17 – 21 January
THE JUNCTION FESTIVAL, LAUNCESTON (TAS) Creative Development: 25 – 28 August 2011 Number of showings: 5 Total Audience: 128 Key artists: Nick Barlow, Penny Baron, Trish Dunn, J. David Franzke, Sue Giles, Emily O’Brien Thank you to Miss Betty Amsden OAM and Daniel and Danielle Besen for their support of this project.
Showing date: 15 April 2011 Number of showings: 1 Total Audience: 26
FEDERATION SQUARE Performance dates: 6 – 10 July 2011
Key artists: Nick Barlow, Penny Baron, Sue Giles, Russell Goldsmith, Sarah Kriegler, Emily O’Brien, Anna Tregloan, Jessica Wilson
Number of performances: 8 Total Audience: 2073 Key artists: Bianca Eden, Sue Giles, Mischa Long, Keira Lyons, Stefanie Robinson, Tim Wells Thank you to Federation Square for their initial presentation of this work.
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LA JI DA BIAN SHEN
MUCKHEAP
Polyglot lived up to its name when we premiered a brand new, Chinese-language version of our hit Muckheap at the prestigious National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in May.
Funny, physical and fantastically messy, Muckheap is a tale of two people trying to clean out their house for their big move. In the process of packing and sorting they find all their hoarded junk too interesting, useful or too full of memories to throw away.
Through a four month collaboration with the Shanghai Theatre Academy and Reckless Moments, an independent Shanghai based production company specialising in international collaborations, Director Merophie Carr spent four weeks developing the new production in collaboration with local Translator, Dramaturg and Assistant Director Hu He. Kathryn Sproul created new set and costume designs, working with set-builders at the Shanghai Theatre Academy to realise her vision. New Zealandbased artist Jim Fulton created the sound design.
MALAN FLOWER THEATRE, SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S THEATRE FESTIVAL, SHANGHAI, CHINA
NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, BEIJING, CHINA
Translated by Hu He
Residency period: 24, 27 & 28 May 2011 Performance dates: 3 April – 1 May 2011 Number of performances: 5 Total Audience: 1060
Performance dates: 13 – 17 August 2011 Number of performances: 9 Total Audience: 2700
CREATIVE TEAM Written by Sue Giles with Megan Cameron and Sarah Kriegler Re-working and script changes: Hu He and Merophie Carr Executive Producer: Simon Abrahams Producers: Barry Plews and Professor Gu Yi’An Associate Producer: Lu Yang
Following on from the tour in China, we toured this all-new production (featuring the set, music, puppets – as well as additional dramaturgy) in America, using an English-speaking cast.
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS, COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, USA Performance dates: 6 – 9 October 2011 Number of performances: 5
We also created a third version of Muckheap, this time in Auslan (Australian sign language). The piece was a bilingual version, accessible to both hearing and Deaf audiences, which will tour into schools in 2012. Sue Giles worked with native Auslan speaker theatre director and performer Jodee Mundy, as well as fluent Auslan speaker David Pidd to create this all-new version of the show in collaboration with children from the Furlong Park School for Deaf Children in Sunshine.
Total Audience: 1110 Key artists: Dan Goronzsy, Keira Lyons, Lachlan MacLeod, Bronwyn Pringle
Director: Merophie Carr
FURLONG PARK SCHOOL FOR DEAF CHILDREN, SUNSHINE Development dates: 5 – 9 December 2011
Original Direction: Sue Giles
Number of developments: 3 workshops, 1 performance
Dramaturge & Assistant Director: Hu He Set & Costume Designer: Kathryn Sproul
Total Audience: 66 workshop participants, 66 audience attendees
Puppet Design and Creation: Graeme Davis Original Set and Puppet Design: Paul Newcombe Set Construction: Shanghai Theatre Academy workshop
Deaf consultants: Stephanie Linder, Asphyxia, Ross Onley-Zerkel
Composer: Jim Fulton Lighting Designer: Xin Shuting
Key artists: Sue Giles, Jodee Mundy, David Pidd, Jessica Smithett
Performers: Sun Xinhong, Zhou Yanyan, Zhang Tian and Zi Xiao Intern (Producer): Nie Jing
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The Ivor Ronald Evans Foundation – as administered by Equity Trustees.
The Paul Edward Dehnert, Charles Robert Eastgate Ogg and Teresa Mary Wardell Funds – managed by Perpetual
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CITY OF RIDDLES
City of Riddles is a 360-degree interactive theatre experience requiring hands-on participation from its audience, who are surrounded by puzzles they must solve and instructions they must follow. Unlike anything you’ve seen before, City of Riddles is above, below and all around you. Upon entry, the audience explores a mysterious and atmospheric landscape of little buildings, peering inside each one like giants in a miniature world. From there, the landscape changes and changes again, until you are drawn into the story of a girl whose voice is stolen from her and buried deep under the City of Riddles. Deeply involving and heaps of fun, City of Riddles explores the preoccupation with our own space, the concepts of freedom and control and the joyous power of children.
SYDNEY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL, CARRIAGEWORKS, SYDNEY (NSW) Performance dates: 4 – 6 October 2011 Number of performances: 6 Total Audience: 700 Key artists: Christian Bagin, Amy Bagshaw, Tamara Rewse, Jacob Williams
Polyglot ran a deeply engaging workshop process associated with City of Riddles in which children created their own small house, from the simple basis of a cardboard box and working in detail on the design, the exterior and the furnishings inside their miniature home. Each small home became the expression of the individual child and together they formed a unique and delightful community of houses and shops and roads. The installation was a beautiful and entertaining compliment to the City of Riddles performance Venues: Portland Civic Hall, Casterton Town Hall, Carrum Downs Primary School, Mahogany Rise Primary School, Karingal Primary School, West Gippsland Arts Centre, Upper Yarra Arts Centre. Number of workshops: 11
REGIONAL VICTORIAN TOUR Venues: Portland Civic Hall, Casterton Town Hall, Bendigo Easter Festival, MTC Theatre Lawler Studio, West Gippsland Arts Centre, Upper Yarra Arts Centre, Frankston Arts Centre, Chapel off Chapel Theatre Prahran, Kingston Arts Centre, Karralyka Centre Ringwood.
CITY OF RIDDLES CREATIVE WORKSHOP PROGRAM
Total Participants: 486
It’s a fun and cleverly constructed event. (Cameron Woodhead, Behind The Critical Curtain)
Workshop tutors: Christian Bagin, Tamara Rewse, Jacob Williams Exhibition Venue: Frankston Arts Centre Exhibition Dates: 20 – 25 June 2011 Total Audience: 600
Performance dates: 11 – 17 April 2011 20 June – 15 July 2011 Number of performances: 33 Total Audience: 2052 Key artists: Christian Bagin, Amy Bagshaw, Tamara Rewse, Jacob Williams
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WE BUILT THIS CITY
We Built This City is an interactive play space for families which celebrates absolute simplicity and the power of children’s imaginations. A giant public construction site, We Built This City uses thousands and thousands of cardboard boxes and the energy and ingenuity of kids and families to build a magnificent imagined city. We Built This City remains one of the most extraordinary Australian works, renowned nationally and internationally and continues to astound all around the globe after 11 years. The work is still as relevant today as it was at its 2001 premiere. This year it celebrated its tenth anniversary, touring for the first time to non-English speaking countries, with seasons in Taiwan, Japan and Korea.
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON Performance dates: 12 – 16 January 2011 Number of performances: 10 Total Audience: 4344 Key artists: Simon Abrahams, Bron Batten, Sue Giles, Dan Goronszy, Bindi Green, Mischa Long, Keira Lyons, Heath McIvor, Lachlan MacLeod, Justin Marshall, Bronwyn Pringle, Glen Walton
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TAIWAN CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL, TAIPEI, TAIWAN
KUJIMUNA FESTA, OKINAWA, JAPAN
Performance dates: 13 – 16 July 2011
Performance dates: 23 & 24 July 2011
Number of performances: 6
Number of performances: 2
Total Audience: 1227
Total Audience: 200
Key artists: Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod, Jodee Mundy, Bronwyn Pringle
Key artists: Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod, Jodee Mundy, Bronwyn Pringle
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS, COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, USA Performance dates: 1 – 6 October 2011 Number of performances: 4 Total Audience: 943 Key artists: Sue Giles, Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Keira Lyons, Lachlan MacLeod, Bree-Anna Obst, Bronwyn Pringle
PERFORMING ARTS MARKET SEOUL, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA Performance dates: 12 & 13 October 2011 Number of performances: 2 Total Audience: 350 Key artists: Simon Abrahams, Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod, Paul Matthews, Bronwyn Pringle
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ROVING ACTS
Polyglot’s roving performances bring interactive puppetry up close to huge audiences, displaying the engaging nature of the artform and the power of intriguing images in public spaces. An act from 2001, Shopping Baby, was revived in 2011, this time using the very popular Baby puppet from our show Check Out! and a puppeteer concealed in a shopping trolley. The Wild Things: Outback act was part of the launch of the Australia-Korea Year of Friendship by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul. In partnership with the Australia-Japan Foundation, we also undertook a very special tour to Minami Sanriku, the area of Japan devastated by the 2011 tsunami. This tour involved a series of community workshops as well as a performance at a special Australian themed event as part of the community re-building process.
GRAND HYATT SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Writing about this life changing experience, one of our artists, Stef Robinson, wrote: “It was an honour to go [to Minami Sanriku]. To feel like our presence made a difference, from the bringing of joy and laughter to the children, to the symbol of international support, to being able to come back and talk about the experience and so keep the reality of what people are experiencing alive in people’s minds and to feel the potential of making an ongoing difference. I was once again reminded of the simplicity and power of play and creativity.”
Key artists: Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod, Stef Robinson
Performance dates: 26 January 2011 Number of performances: 2 Total Audience: 707
PERFORMING ARTS MARKET SEOUL, NATIONAL THEATRE OF KOREA PLAZA, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA Performance date: 11 October 2011 Number of performances: 1 Total Audience: 150 Key artists: Mischa Long
MINAMI SANRIKU, JAPAN
AUSTRALIAN PERFORMANCES
Performance date: 30 October 2011
Kingswood College, Kew Festival, Melbourne Zoo, Federation Square, Malvern Primary School and Craigiburn Shopping Centre
Number of performances: 3 Total Audience: 2,800 Key artists: Dan Goronszy, Bruce Paterson, Stefanie Robinson
Number of performances: 17 Total Audience: 10,050 Key artists: Nick Barlow, Penelope Bartlau, Megan Cameron, Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod, Bruce Paterson, Stefanie Robinson, Justine Warner
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STEPPING THROUGH THE DOOR
POLYGLOT AROUND THE WORLD
Stepping Through the Door was a project conceived by Sue Giles to explore the views, opinions and perceptions of four to six year olds on the transition from pre-school to primary school. The project was commissioned by Moreland City Council and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development with the aim of assisting parents and teachers on handling this life-change. Three Polyglot artists – Mischa Long, Justine Warner and Lachlan Macleod – worked with preschoolers from Denzil Don Kindergarten and Antonine Sisters Child Care Centre, plus prep children from Moreland Primary School to explore the theme of transition and the myriad of ways in which these children approach and reflect on the radical change from pre-school to school. They elicited and collected some really beautiful responses that were captured on film.
‘Polyglot’ literally means ‘many languages’, and the company more than lived up to its name in 2011, with international market development and touring remaining a key element of the company’s program. The success of Polyglot’s strategy was acknowledged with the Governor of Victoria Export Awards in the arts and entertainment category. We were subsequently nominated as a finalist in the Prime Minister’s Export Awards.
PROJECT DETAILS Workshop Dates: 28 October to 13 November 2011 Workshop Venues: Denzil Don Kindergarten, Antonine Sisters Child Care Centre & Moreland Primary School Number of participants: 139 Screening date: 14 December at Brunswick Town Hall Number of screenings: 1
We undertook the following activities as part of our award-winning international program: •
Total Audience: 120 Key artists: Sue Giles, Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod, Justine Warner •
Sue Giles and Simon Abrahams attended the Imaginate Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland as delegates, and undertook a series of meetings in London.
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Sue and Simon attended the ASSITEJ World Performing Arts Congress and Festival for Young People in Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden.
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Simon visited Live! Singapore, a new performing arts market for this region.
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Simon visited Taiwan and the Performing Arts Market Seoul, Korea, where we also performed We Built This City
WORKSHOPS Polyglot runs puppetry workshops in schools and at community events and festivals, encouraging creativity through hands-on experiences. Number of workshops: 91 Total Participants: 5,808 Workshop tutors: Penelope Bartlau, Megan Cameron, Dan Goronszy, Mischa Long, Lachlan MacLeod Jodee Mundy, Bruce Paterson, Emily Tomlins, Justine Warner, Jacob Williams
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Simon Abrahams attended the International Performing Arts for Youth Showcase in Tampa, Florida USA, and also visited Washington, New York, San Francisco and California.
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Polyglot performed We Built This City in California, Taiwan and Japan; Muckheap in California, La Ji Da Bian Shen in Beijing and Shanghai and Wild Things: Outback in Korea and Japan.
Polyglot’s international program was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Arts Victoria.
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ARTS INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
POLYGLOT’S AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE
Arts industry leadership, development and connection remained a focus for Polyglot’s staff.
Our annual giving program, Polyglot’s Ambassadors’ Circle, continued its success in 2011, with several new members enjoying their behind-the-scenes glimpses into Polyglot’s creative processes. Our thanks as always to our supporters for their enormous generosity.
In Malmo, Sweden, as part of the ASSITEJ world congress on performing arts for young people, Sue Giles spoke on a panel titled Theatre with, for and/or by the young - a new cultural democracy?. The panel was facilitated by Jim Lawson from Young People and the Arts Australia and the other speakers were Fraser Corfield, Helen Hristofski, Bridget van Leuven and Rosemary Myers. The panel explored issues of voice and agency for young people in theatre. Simon Abrahams and Sue Giles contributed to the Australian Theatre Forum in Brisbane, the APACA Conference in Perth, Victorian Theatre Meeting and again organised the AD/GM Network for Victorian small to medium arts companies. They fed into the Australia Council’s review of regional Australian touring and undertook grant assessments for Arts Victoria and the City of Melbourne. Simon also served as Chair of Theatre Network Victoria, and was guest speaker on the topic of regional touring for Arts Victoria and the VAPAC (Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres) Conference, as well as serving on Regional Arts Victoria’s Touring Consultative Committee.
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Polyglot also continued our one-on-one artist support program, offering advice to independent artists on funding, touring, budgeting, and providing artistic feedback on their work, as well as lending them props, puppets and giving them free and discounted use of our venue. In 2011, nine independent companies and individuals hired the Cromwell Rd Theatre for a total of 6.6 weeks, including two performance seasons. Polyglot’s lauded best practice model of artistic feedback and replenishment, Feed The Art remained at the heart of the company’s broader Artistic Vibrancy framework for artistic self-assessment.
2011 was also the 85th Birthday of the Patron of Polyglot’s Ambassadors’ Circle, Miss Betty Amsden OAM, and Polyglot celebrated this day with a special birthday party held with the children of Stonnington Primary School. CITY BENEFACTOR ($10,000+)
BOX AMBASSADORS ($200 - $999) Robina Burton Christine Gibbs Ruth Giles Johanna Platt Richard Roberts
Betty Amsden OAM Daniel and Danielle Besen TOWN AMBASSADORS ($5,000 - $9,999) Greg Shalit and Miriam Faine
Anna Schoo Naomi Tippett Fiona Wahr & Julian Pocock Julia White
Fairlie Nassau David Hanrahan
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STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
BALANCE SHEET
Polyglot Puppet Theatre Ltd. ACN: 005 118 052 31st December 2011
Polyglot Puppet Theatre Ltd. ACN: 005 118 052 31st December 2011
2011
2010 EQUITY FUNDS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011
Income 4,735 202,782 100,411 21,840 13,273 31,934 61,550 1,147 75,500 173,247 65,005 98,068 60,000 40,000 37,550 15,733 4,545
TOTAL INCOME
437,672
0 147,916 192,566 15,282 12,358 2,145 54,937 471
511,820
36,650 163,975 46,820 30,867 0 75,000
57,828
44,495 13,861 10,000
1,007,320
425,675
353,312
The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.
23 ANNUAL REPORT 2011
119,600 371,641
68,356 847,343
491,241
63,938 352,371
45,851 242,591 277,035 4,545
519,626 57,828 1,056,718 ($49,398)
416,309 33,509
169,550 227,246 10,000
Current Assets Cash Cash at bank: Cheque account Cash at bank: Theatre fund Business online saver account Petty cash floats Prepayments and short term loans Receivables Prepayments Total Current Assets Non Current Assets Plant & equipment Plant & equipment: Cost Accumulated depreciation Total Non Current Assets
80,933 16,827 224,458 1,573 200,001 73,776
59,157 (49,170)
TOTAL ASSETS
Less Expenses Administration Administrative overheads Salaries, fees and on costs Marketing & Promotion Marketing costs Production Costs Production costs Salaries, fees and on costs Corporate sponsorship TOTAL EXPENSES OPERATING SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR
2010
$174,489
$223,887
ASSETS
Earned income
Box office Australian contract fees International contract fees Theatre hire income Reimbursements Sundry income Workshop fees Royalties Grants Australia Council Arts Victoria Local Government Grants Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Vic Health Philanthropic Trusts Other Income Donations Interest earned Corporate sponsorship
2011
396,796 68,356 846,614 $729
323,791
273,777 597,568
9,987 9,987
98,356 0 272,037 1,283 58,825 19,736
54,338 (45,647)
607,555
371,676
78,561 450,237
8,691 8,691 458,928
Liabilities Current Liabilities Short Term Creditors and Borrowings Accounts payable Sundry creditors & accruals Security bond Income in advance Grants in advance Goods and service tax payable Pay as you go withholding tax payable Provisions Audit fees Provision for bad debts Superannuation Long service leave Holiday pay TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES NET ASSETS
7,432 0 0 121,259 252,454 13,412 6,038 975 1,900 2,787 11,408 15,401
400,595
32,471 433,066 $174,489
4,376 2,467 500 42,030 138,100 6,601 4,798 975 9,430 2,320 11,158 12,286
198,872
36,169 235,041 $223,887
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 24
STATEMENT OF CHANGES TO EQUITY AND CASH FLOW
NOTES TO AND FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Polyglot Puppet Theatre Ltd. ACN: 005 118 052 31st December 2011
1. STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES SPECIAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL SUPPORT 2011
2010
223,887 (49,398)
223,158 729
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011
STATEMENT OF CHANGES TO EQUITY Operating Surplus Carried Forward Operating deficit for the year EQUITY FUNDS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011
174,489
223,887
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED Cash flows from operating activities Cash receipts from Grants Cash receipts from Philanthropic Trusts Cash receipts from earned income Cash from donations Cash from Corporate Sponsorship Cash payments: Salaries and salary on costs Cash payments: Administration and other overhead costs Net cash provided by operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Interest received Purchase of plant and equipment Net cash used in investing activities Net increase/(decrease) in cash held Cash at beginning of the financial year Cash at the end of the Financial Year – 31 December 2011
25 ANNUAL REPORT 2011
223,887 357,466 40,000 499,619 37,550 4,545 (648,676)
223,158 391,062 75,000 377,144 44,495 10,000 (579,617)
(358,941)
(305,094)
(68,437)
12,990
15,733 4,819 20,552 (47,885) 371,676 323,791
13,861 6,464 20,325 33,315 338,361 371,676
The financial statements being a special purpose financial report have been prepared to meet the information need of the directors and other closely associated interested parties. The company has applied Accounting Standard AASB 1025 “Application of the Reporting Entity Concept and Other Amendments”. Since the directors consider the company is not a reporting entity as defined in AASB 1025, the company is not required to comply with other Accounting Standards. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accrual basis of accounting as defined in AASB 1001, applicable Accounting Standards and Urgent Issues Group Consensus View except for:
The financial statements have been prepared on the basis of historical costs and do not take into account changing money values or, except where stated, current valuations of non-current assets. The accounting policies have been consistently applied, unless stated otherwise. Summarised below are the significant accounting policies and methods adopted which have been consistently applied by the company, unless otherwise stated.
2. PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES The company provides a children’s education theatre. The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.
AASB 1005 “Financial Reporting by Segments” AASB 1010 “Accounting for the revaluation of Non-Current Assets” AASB 1017 “Related Party Disclosures” AASB 1026 “Statement of Cash Flows” AASB 1028 “Accounting for Employee Entitlements” The above Accounting Standards have not been complied with since the directors consider the cost of compliance would outweigh the benefits to members of the resulting in formation and that noncompliance with those standards does not affect the truth and fairness of the financial statements.
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 26
THANK YOU
PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS
ALL THE CHILDREN AND PARENTS WHO WERE PART OF OUR CREATIVE PROCESSES THIS YEAR
Triennial Funding Partners
Dr. Ricci-Jane Adams Gavin D Andrew Joseph Alessi, Katherine Tsai and Juliet Woo at Austrade
Jim Fulton, Cosmo Cosmolino and the 16 Muckheap casts over its 10 years of touring Merophie Carr
Betty Amsden OAM
Michael Carr
Michelle Armstrong, Greg Andrews, Amanda Browne, Fay Chomley, Julie Cotter, Anna Kelly, and all at Arts Victoria
Carriageworks and the Sydney Children’s festival
ArtPlay and all who sail in her Asphyxia and Jesse Robin Batt and Merryn Tinkler at the Frankston Arts Centre Hannes Berger, Emer Harrington, Sally McPhee and Robin Penty at Arts Centre Melbourne Daniel and Danielle Besen Nicole Beyer and Anna Kelsey-Sugg at Theatre Network Victoria Collette Brennan, Rose Hiscock, Tori Louden, Ellen Dwyer and Lyn Wallis at the Australia Council Brisbane Powerhouse Megan Cameron, Sarah Kriegler, Kathryn Sproul, Graeme Davis, Paul Newcombe, Bronwyn Pringle,
Damien Hodgkinson Jason Holland and all at the Segerstrom Performing Arts Centre Michiyo Horita at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo Michael Jankie at Trafficlight
Jim Cathcart
Hye-Min Jeong
Euna Cho
Junction Festival, CU@Home and Uniting Care
Laura Colby, Sabine Dabady, Anna Amadei and all at Elsie Management in New York Colorific Kate Denborough Kirsty Ellem Federation Square especially Matt Jones and Sara Austin Furlong Park School for Deaf Children and the wonderful Robyn Lawrence
Jim Lawson and the YPAA team Bo-Young Lim and the staff at the Australian Embassy, Korea James O Lucas Maryanne Lynch Halcyon Macleod Paul McGill and Jane McGill
Barry Plews, Hu He and all at Reckless Moments in Shanghai, China
Rob Robson Tatia Sloley, Mary Thompson, Lucy Waldron-Brown and Amaya Courtis at TS Publicity Ann Tonks and the team at the Melbourne Theatre Company
Julia White and the rest of our amazing Board: Johanna Platt, David Hanrahan, Angela O’Brien, Richard Roberts and Tom Gutteridge. Jessica Wilson
Carol Gafen Bruce Gladwin
Philip Mitchell
Vicky Guglielmo
Jodee Mundy
Xinhong, Zhou Yanyan, Zhang Tian, Zi Xiao.
Andrew Gun
Alice Nash
David Young
Hal, Nina, Leo, Evie, Orla and Hugo
Julianne O’Brien
Karl Hatton at the Portland Arts Centre
Jan Panettieri
The Ivor Ronald Evans Foundation – as administered by Equity Trustees.
Michelle Wild
Market Development Funding Partners
Jonathon Oxlade
Philanthropic Partners
Ian, Rosie and Zak Pidd
The Ivor Ronald Evans Foundation – as administered by Equity Trustees.
The staff of Pink Ginger for delicious sushi
Thanks to all of our non-Polyglot family and friends for supporting us, forgiving our absences and helping us find the playfulness in the rest of our lives. We would also like to sincerely thank and acknowledge the support our many volunteers who generously give their time to support the company and teachers and kids from Mahogany Rise, Carrum Downs, Karingal, Dinjerra, Currajong and Stonnington Schools.
27 ANNUAL REPORT 2011
The Paul Edward Dehnert, Charles Robert Eastgate Ogg and Teresa Mary Wardell Funds – managed by Perpetual
Julia Topliss, Jim Koutsouris and Amber Henry at Web Prophets
The people of Minami Sanriku, Japan
Anne Henshall at The Capital, Bendigo
Project Partners Project Partners Affiliations are specified on each project page.
Peter Redden and the City of Stonnington
The Paul Edward Dehnert, Charles Robert Eastgate Ogg and Teresa Mary Wardell Funds – managed by Perpetual
Corporate Partners
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 28
MORE INFORMATION Polyglot Theatre 27a Cromwell Road, South Yarra Victoria 3141 Australia T +61 3 8060 4680 E info@polyglot.org.au www.polyglot.org.au