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June 22, 2006
arts2go – Bringing the best performing arts to kids in regional Victoria
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Alcoa of Australia has joined with Regional Arts Victoria to support the arts2go Schools Touring Program.
arts2go brings the best of Australian theatre, dance, music, literature and multicultural arts for young people to over 400 Victorian schools annually, reaching 65,000 students in over 600 performances each year.
Launching the partnership in Geelong today, the Minister for the Arts, Mary Delahunty said “arts2go is giving children and young people in regional areas the opportunity to experience the best live performing arts available in Victoria, without experiencing any of the usual barriers such as remoteness or socioeconomic disadvantage. Ensuring all Victorians have access to the best there is in the arts, wherever they live, whatever their age or background, is integral to the Victorian Government's arts policy.”
The Minister congratulated Alcoa and Regional Arts Victoria on forming an innovative partnership that would help to ensure that children in Victorian communities had access to the best arts available.
Alcoa Managing Director, Wayne Osborn, said “Alcoa is focused on building community capacity and a sustainable future for all and we are proud to partner with Regional Arts Victoria to make arts2go available to more children in regional Victoria.
“Through Regional Arts Victoria’s vision, we have been able to bring internationally-renowned Zeal Theatre to schools in the Geelong and Surf Coast region to workshop a new play with local children. The drama workshops have been conducted around an important and topical theme in Australia today, “Helping others, Helping those less fortunate in our community,” Mr Osborn said.
Director of Regional Arts Victoria, Lindy Bartholomew, said “This is a special partnership for Regional Arts Victoria. One cannot underestimate the profound impact of performing arts experiences for children, especially in regional and remote areas. Through the support of Alcoa, we will be able to bring more performances to young Victorians, which we hope will inspire a life-long journey of creative engagement.”
“With additional, generous support from the Australian Children’s Theatre Foundation (ACTF), the material generated in these workshops will form part of the development of a brand new production for primary schools by Zeal called The Best Little Town in the World, to tour with arts2go in 2007. Primary students will be co-creators in a new work of Australian theatre,” Ms Bartholomew said.
Background
Alcoa’s sponsorship of RAV’s arts2go Program is a benchmark example of excellence in business community partnerships. The arts2go Schools Touring Program reaches 65,000 regional students in over 600 performances in Victorian schools each year. arts2go tours the best of Australian theatre, dance, music, literature and multicultural arts for young people to over 400 schools annually and the outreach is extensive: arts2go regularly tours to Portland, Murrayville, Walpeup, Albury-Wodonga, Orbost, Sale, and most of the small towns in between. It is well-documented that more than twice as many young people are reached through performances for schools’ audiences as through other performances (Australia Council, 2002). Theatre experiences in schools are critical for young Victorians’ access and engagement with the arts. Alcoa have joined RAV as an Outreach Partner to support arts2go to continue this vital educational work.
To launch the three-year partnership, Alcoa and RAV are coordinating a community capacity building project for primary schools in the Geelong/Anglesea area. The project involves a series of workshops for upper primary students with internationally-renowned Zeal Theatre, who are widely regarded as the top practitioners in this field. Recent winners of the ASSITEJ award for services to theatre for young people, this Victorian company will involve students in drama workshops focusing on the topic of helping others, especially those who are disadvantaged or less fortunate in their communities.
Students in the project will benefit from using drama to explore issues of relevance to their community, will develop skills in drama, improvisation, movement and basic play-building, and will be excited by their involvement as co-creators of a new Australian theatre work, The Best Little Town in the World, that will tour with arts2go, Sydney Opera House’s House-Ed and Queensland On-tour In-Schools in 2007,
For further media inquiries:
Alcoa of Australia
Helen Campbell
(m) 0437 800 429
Regional Arts Victoria
Robin Penty, Program Manager, arts2go
(m) 0404870 300
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