Community Workshop: Introduction to Theatrical Clowning with Hew Parham
Mar
28
12:30 pm12:30

Community Workshop: Introduction to Theatrical Clowning with Hew Parham

In this fun blast of a workshop work with Adelaide based clown and theatre maker Hew Parham in how to unpack your silly, engage and listen to the audience, embrace mistakes and make fun of them, learn to tune in to your impulses, discover new and inventive parts of your creative persona and most of all have a chance to play, learn and discover together.

OPEN FOR BOOKINGS 3RD JULY

ABOUT HEW

Hew Parham has made a series of theatre shows with his comedic personas, he has trained extensively in the Pochinko Clown through Mask technique and is the clown teacher at Flinders University Drama Centre.

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Community Workshop: Voice Acting with Wendy Bos
Apr
3
6:30 pm18:30

Community Workshop: Voice Acting with Wendy Bos

When we offered this workshop in '24, it sold out in only eight hours! Learn about the art of voice acting from Wendy, a queer artist with over 20 years of experience recording audiobooks, radio commercials and television voiceovers.

You will learn vocal techniques to explore the different tones, sounds and depths your voice can make, and discover how these changes may impact your listening audience. Learn how to mark up a script and practice reading a voiceover in a fun and relaxed environment.

All experience levels are welcome, ages 18 and over - suitable for people that have or haven't attended the 2024 workshop. No experience required.

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Community Workshop: Queer Theatre Making in Australia with Stephen Nicolazzo
May
1
6:30 pm18:30

Community Workshop: Queer Theatre Making in Australia with Stephen Nicolazzo

Focusing on the work of queer theatre artists across Australia including Little Ones Theatre, Sisters Grimm, THE RABBLE, Joel Bray, and more, this workshop will be a deep dive into the aesthetics and approaches of queer theatre making, dramaturgy and the importance of gender and sexual representation on Australian stages.

Join us for this free event designed for community members aged 18+, with a small donation suggested from allies to support the program.

All donations $2 and over are fully tax-deductible.

Please note: ActNow Theatre will be capturing photos and videos for promotional purposes during this workshop. If you do not wish to be recorded, please let an ActNow Theatre representative know when you arrive so we can ensure we respect your needs.

If you have any trouble RSVPing please call us at (08) 8123 0346 during business hours or email info@actnowtheatre.org.au to register.

ABOUT STEPHEN

Stephen is a theatre director, dramaturg and creator. He works across theatre, comedy, dance, and contemporary performance. He is the Artistic Director of Brink Productions was a member of the Associate Artist Advisory Panel at Melbourne Theatre Company 2022-2024. Stephen was founder and Artistic Director of Little Ones Theatre, an independent company focused on innovative queer theatre-making (2009-2023). Stephen studied at The University of Melbourne (2008) and NIDA (Directing, 2010).

He is a Green Room Award winner for Best Direction (The Happy Prince) and has been nominated a further four times (Loaded, Psycho Beach Party, Dracula, and The Moors). His works have won 13 Green Room Awards and been nominated for a total of 45 since 2012. His works have also won a Sydney Theatre Award and been nominated for a Victorian Premiers Literary Award and an AWGIE.

Stephen was also the recipient of the Besen Family Artist Program award with Malthouse Theatre and a PlayKing funding award to work in Singapore with Wild Rice Theatre Company and playwright Alfian Sa’at. He was a member of the 2019 Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab, New York City.

He has directed for Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir, Griffin Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre Company, Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Arts House, Performance Space, Yirramboi Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane Festival, Darwin Festival, Perth Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, Midsumma Festival, Theatre Works, Darebin Arts Speakeasy, fortyfive downstairs and La Mama. His works have been critically acclaimed and toured to sold out houses across the country.

Recent Credits: Loaded (Malthouse Theatre) Looking for Alibrandi (Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir), Loaded-Audio Experience (Malthouse Theatre), Considerable Sexual License (Joel Bray Dance), Merciless Gods (Arts Centre Melbourne, Griffin Theatre Company), and Abigail’s Party (Melbourne Theatre Company).

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Community Workshop: Power of Puppets with Sulochana Dissanayake
May
29
6:30 pm18:30

Community Workshop: Power of Puppets with Sulochana Dissanayake

Looking for ways to deliver memorable messages? Or create magical plays? Or create playful spaces? Then you are ready to witness the POWER OF PUPPETS!

From the tiniest finger puppets to bigger-than-buildings giant puppets – puppets have withstood the test of time (and tyrants!) to become the most powerful mediums of communication and entertainment in the world.

Join us and learn a brief history of puppets, experience a few different types of puppets & make your very own paper puppet and bring it to life. Tap into the endless playful possibilities that your puppet can pave for your personal/professional goals.

Dress: Comfortable (dress in clothes that allow flexibility)

Optional: Bring any recycled materials (old socks/boxes/newspapers/paper/bits & bobs), scissors, sticky tape, markers/colour pencils to share.

All donations $2 and over are fully tax-deductible.

ActNow Theatre's Community Workshop Program is supported by the ActNow Theatre Accomplices.

Please note: ActNow Theatre will be capturing photos and videos for promotional purposes during this workshop. If you do not wish to be recorded, please let an ActNow Theatre representative know when you arrive so we can ensure we respect your needs.

If you have any trouble RSVPing please call us at (08) 8123 0346 during business hours or email info@actnowtheatre.org.au to register.

OPENING FOR BOOKINGS 1ST MAY

ABOUT SULOCHANA

Founder and artistic director of Power of Play (PVT) LTD, Sulochana Dissanayake engages in communication development, corporate trainings, education and performance, based in Pita-Kotte, Sri Lanka. A cum laude graduate of Bates College (B.A. in Economics and Theater, 2009) (www.bates.edu), her study of social economics combined with formal training in acting, directing, play writing and puppetry has led her to connect with diverse audiences using non-traditional tools for effective communication. She facilitates positive behavioral changes across industries by employing creative and interactive communication techniques to convey critical information in fast paced work environments. Her professional experience in leading theaters in USA (Guthrie Theater - www.guthrietheater.org & Williamstown Theater Festival - www.wtfestival.org) exposed her to the supremacy of theatrical presentations to influence audiences. Keen on discovering the power of performance to build bridges across social, cultural and economic divides, she travelled to South Africa and Indonesia on a Watson Fellowship (2009/10, awarded by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation of IBM). She returned to Sri Lanka in 2010 & established Power of Play PVT LTD in 2011. Dissanayake won the BUNKA Award (awarded the Sri Lankan Artists by the Sri Lanka-Japan Friendship Association of Sri Lanka) in 2016. In 2024, Dissanayake migrated to Adelaide with the hope of expanding Power of Play to Australia for intercontinental collaborations. Dissanayake remains active in both countries & capitalizes her experience in USA, Europe, Africa and Asia to customize unique communication solutions for corporate, governmental and non-governmental sectors of Sri Lanka & South Australia.

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Community Workshop: Stephen Rea and Vicky Featherstone In Conversation
Mar
4
2:00 pm14:00

Community Workshop: Stephen Rea and Vicky Featherstone In Conversation

Stephen Rea and Vicky Featherstone - In Conversation will focus on Stephen’s founding of the theatre company Field Day. Field Day began in 1980 in Derry as a cultural and intellectual response to the political crisis in Northern Ireland. Playwright Brian Friel and actor/director Stephen Rea set out to identify and develop a new audience for theatre. Friel’s critically acclaimed Translations was the first of many Field Day plays to show at Derry’s Guildhall before travelling throughout Ireland and the world.

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Community Workshop Intensives: Exploring Metamorphosis with Yasmin Gurreeboo
Jan
28
to 31 Jan

Community Workshop Intensives: Exploring Metamorphosis with Yasmin Gurreeboo

Join us for a series of transformative theatre-making workshops led by Yasmin Gurreeboo, ActNow Theatre’s Artistic Director. These intensive sessions will explore new approaches to storytelling and collaborative creation.

During these intensives, we'll explore Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis as source material for a new theatrical adaptation. We'll examine the work's core themes while reimagining this classic story from the perspective of the communities that we work with. 

These free intensives are a chance to get a glimpse into ActNow Theatre’s processes and approaches to making new work. 

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis explores the complex interplay between alienation, filial duty, and otherness. Through its protagonist, Gregor Samsa, we witness how his physical transformation catalyses a profound psychological and social metamorphosis. As he grapples with his new form, the story reveals how his sense of familial obligation collides with his growing alienation, leading to a devastating exploration of otherness. His transformation not only distances him from his own identity but also challenges the familial bonds he has sacrificed everything to maintain.

Dates

  • Intensive 1
    Tuesday 28th 9:30am - 4:30pm
    Wednesday 29th Jan 9:30am - 4:30pm 

  • Intensive 2
    Thursday 30th Jan 9:30am - 4:30pm
    Friday 31st January 9:30am - 4:30pm

You can choose to attend one, or both of these intensives. 

Where?
ActNow Theatre’s MakeSpace, 253-255 Gouger St.

How to register
Spaces are limited. Submit your expression of interest now, via this form.
EOIs close on January 12th, at 10pm. 

Priority will be given to First Nations, POC, LGBTQIA+ and Disabled people, but allies are also warmly welcome. 

What to prepare for the intensives
Please read any available translations or adaptations of Metamorphosis before the workshops begin. Throughout our intensive sessions, we will explore different versions of the text, comparing various interpretations and adaptations.
Wear comfortable clothing that you can move around freely in, and bring a water bottle. 

Sharing stories
Please note: no content generated by participants during these intensives will be used in ActNow Theatre’s final production of Metamorphosis, unless we receive written permission from the participants. If this occurs, participants will be financially remunerated for their contribution to the final work.

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