Bowery Theatre 2021 Apr-July - Printed Program

April-July 2021 Program

Theatre The Bowery Theatre, located within St Albans Community Centre (STACC), is a hub for arts and cultural events. Through live performance, artists and the community can come together to boldly create a connected, vibrant and creative community. The Bowery Theatre presents a diverse bi-annual season of theatre, music, dance and children’s programming. The theatre plays a vital role in nurturing the performing arts in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Phone: 9249 4600 How to Book: Tickets can be Email: purchased via phone on [email protected] 9249 4600, in person at our box office located at STACC Accessibility: We aim to make (33 Princess St, St Albans) or via our venue accessible to all. To our website discuss your access requirements creativebrimbank.com.au/ contact us via phone or email. bowery Looking for a versatile creative space to suit your event needs? Hire the Bowery Theatre! Visit creativebrimbank.com.au/venue-hire/the-bowery-theatre

Theatre presents the 2021 Be Bold Performance Residency Artists Making performance work with and for the Brimbank community. Four diverse women lead this selection of artists with bold works designed to create connection and inspire people through the performing arts. Photo: Justyn Koh Photo: Irihipeti Waretini Aseel Tayah Fipe Preuss & Irihipeti Waretini Vocalist, art producer, installation artist and activist Creative producers, storytellers and theatre makers Photo: Shane Delonix Photo: Amelia J Dowd Dan Wei Chi Nguyen Multidisciplinary new media artist Stage and screen actor, playwright and educator For information on our 2021-22 round of residencies, visit creativebrimbank.com/boweryopportunities

APRIL School Holiday Workshops with The Australian Ballet Presented by The Australian Sessions available Ballet Education and for: Outreach Team •GROUP 1 - Primary Tuesday 6 April - Friday 9 April Prep – Grade 1 Dance/Workshops/ •GROUP 2 - Primary Children & Families Grade 2 & 3 No charge, bookings essential •GROUP 3 – Primary Grade 4, 5 & 6 Join us for a fun and creative school holiday For session times and dance program. booking information, visit creativebrimbank.com.au Students will explore the world of dance and create an original dance work to perform in the theatre for family and friends on the final day. Children need to attend all days at their group time.

Photo: Sophia Bender Wilaygu Ngayinybula // Possum’s Two Minds Friday 9 April: 12-12.45pm Dance/Children & Families | No charge, bookings essential Enjoy this live performance by The Australian Ballet. Blending ballet and contemporary dance styles, this is a fun and thought-provoking story about Wilay, meaning possum in Wiradjuri language, and his two minds. One is cheeky, fun and creative. The other is smart, serious and sharp. Choreographed by First Nations dancer, Ella Havelka.

Festival 2021 9 & 10 April Bowery Theatre & St Albans Community Centre Be Bold Festival returns & Torres Strait Islander with a dynamic program festivities Be Bold of arts, culture, music Blakout on Friday 9 April. and performance by Saturday 10 April is a full and for our community day of family friendly fun, in Melbourne’s west. entertainment, activities, Everyone is welcome to markets and more. the jam-packed two-day all ages festival. The Bowery Theatre will have a program of film, art, and We are proud to bring children’s theatre over the Friday you a dedicated outdoors and Saturday delivered by its program of Aboriginal artists-in-residence. Ipu Ti - Film Preview and Artist Talk By Be Bold Performance Residency Artists, Fipe Preuss and Irihipeti Waretini Friday 9 April: Film / Talk | No charge, bookings required 7-7.30pm A weaving of contemporary and classical performance art with traditional Pacific/Māori storytelling, Fipe Preuss and Irihipeti Waretini present a film excerpt from their performance, which explores their relationship with the element of water. Preview screening will be followed by an artist talk.

Tahlilah (Arabic Lullabies) Created by Be Bold Performance Residency Artist, Aseel Tayah Saturday 10 April: Photo: Justyn Koh 11-11.45am and 3-3.45pm Performance / Children & Families Suitable for children under 6 and their families, who speak languages other than English Pay what you can options $20, $10, $5, $0 Bookings required In this participatory performance, Aboriginal and Palestinian artists share lullabies from their languages and cultures while inviting children to dance, sing and play in a magical twilight inspired installation space. The experience invites families to connect across cultures through the simple beauty of lullabies. Performed in Arabic, First Nations Australian languages, and English. Tadpoles Looking for Mama By Be Bold Residency Artist, Dan Wei Saturday 10 April: • Storytelling workshop – 10.30am-11.30am / 12.30-1.30pm • Window installations 10am-4pm Workshop / Visual Art / Children & Families No charge, bookings required Tadpoles Looking for Mama is a reimagining of a long forgotten Chinese children’s story. Move, chat, laugh and draw on the day. Dan will create colourful window installations inspired by your participation.

Photo: Irihipeti Waretini Ipu Ti Friday 16 April, 7.30-8.10pm By Be Bold Residency Artists, Performance Fipe Preuss and Full $28 / Concession $22 / Irihipeti Waretini Group 6+ $20 each Ipu Ti is a weaving of contemporary and classical performance art with traditional Pacific/Māori storytelling. A multidisciplinary storytelling that explores our relationship with ourselves, each other, and our environment. Sharing their indigenous knowledge and healing rituals, Ipu Ti deliver stories and conversations with their community, through various modalities including film, song, chant, language, instruments and movement.

in Brimbank Monday 19 April - Wednesday 5 May Midsumma draws together a wonderful array of events that celebrate the creativity of our diverse LGBTIQA+ community. These events are also part of Midsumma Westside. Photo: Todd Cravens via Unsplash Let Me Get We launch our Midsumma Something Off My program with Chest Let Me Get Something Off My Chest, a night Presented by of polemical rants and The Gender Whisperers righteous queer rage. Ten LGBTIQA+ activists, artists Monday 19 April: 6.30-8.30pm and storytellers take to the stage. Featuring Roj Amedi, Theatre / Talks Joshua Badge, Tony Briffa, Full $18 / Concession $14 David Mejia-Canales, Kitty, Dean & Sasja from 3CR’s Behind Closed Doors + many more. Warning: Coarse language, references to drug use, sexual violence and suicide

Photo: Rachel Main Photo: Nick Manuell Duets with a I Have a Face Shapeshifter – By Jude Perl Exhibition and Special Film Premiere Friday 30 April: 8-9pm By James Welsby Theatre / Music AKA Valerie Hex Full $28 / Concession $22 / Group 6+ $20 each Exhibition runs 19 April - 5 Suitable for ages 15+ May at STACC Special Film Premiere on In her award-winning Friday 23 April: 8-9pm show, I Have a Face, Jude Perl is embarking Film / Exhibition / Talks on an adventure to solve No charge, bookings required all of our collective inner angst… With lots of bright Duets with a Shapeshifter colours! Dazzling sounds! is a drag fusion project And prizes!* Are you by award-winning feeling overwhelmed? Are choreographer James you perpetually confused Welsby (AKA Valerie about everything? Hex). Lush landscapes, Well, look no further, breath-taking costumes, because when it comes to intricate choreography, confusion, Jude Perl has and striking digital effects all the answers. *Kidding create a virtual reality in a 10-minute video project. Join us at the Special Film Warning: Mild coarse language, Premiere on Friday 23 April sexual references, mental to view the film, hear about health themes the process, and witness the costumes up close. Supported by Regional Arts Victoria, Creative Victoria and The Warning: Adult themes, Australian Government’s Restart strobe lights Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund Supported by City of Melbourne For the full Midsumma Festival program visit midsumma.org.au #SpeakingUpVolumes

Also happening in April Bowery Online Stage Series premieres live performances online showcasing local musicians. In April and May Resonate partners with FReeZA for a very special youth lineup. Filmed at the Bowery Theatre. Sunday 4 April Ag Johnson (Soul / Pop) Sunday 18 April Mercii Makepeace (Folk) Sunday 2 May Vertex (Hip Hop / Electronic) All videos will premiere at 3pm via Creative Brimbank’s Facebook page and YouTube channel creativebrimbank.com.au/resonate

MAY Photo: Adrian Cook Archie Roach: Tell Me Why Created and performed by Archie Roach, accompanied by musicians Steve Magnusson and Sam Anning Saturday 8 May: Music | Full $38 / Concession $26 7.30pm / Group 6+ $20 each In his final national Roach voices the joy, tour ever, legendary pain and hope he found songwriter, ‘Voice of on his path through the Stolen Generations’ these songs to become and 2020 Victorian the singer-songwriter Australian of the Year, and storyteller that Archie Roach AM will he is today – beloved bring his brilliantly and respected by fans reviewed new memoir worldwide. and album, Tell Me Why to the Bowery Theatre. Supported by Regional Arts Victoria, Creative Victoria and The Australian Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund

JUNE 17-26 June 2021 author talks, panel discussions, creative The Brimbank Writers & professional writing, & Readers Festival is storytelling and more. an annual event that This event is free of encourages a love of charge. reading and literature, storytelling, celebrates For further information visit creativity and diversity, brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/ and promotes lifelong writersfestival learning. The ten day program of workshops, Photo: Shane Delonix Tadpoles Looking Tadpoles Looking for for Mama Mama 小蝌蚪找妈妈 is a magical live performance, By Be Bold Performance weaving together a Residency Artist, Dan Wei, whimsical Chinese presented as part of Brimbank animation of tadpoles in Writers & Readers Festival search of their mother with the retelling of Dan’s Saturday 19 June: 4pm own personal story of childhood loss. Performance Children & Families Supported by the No charge City of Port Phillip

BUOY Photo: Jacquelyn Hughes Presented by BoilOver Inclusive Performance Ensemble Saturday 26 June Check website closer to date for session times Theatre / Accessible Full $20 Consession $15 / Groups of 6+ $15 each – companion cards welcome BoilOver is back the boundaries of gravity, teaming up with the space, sound and time in incredible Your DNA and an oceanic world premiere Internationally acclaimed of BUOY. 5AM as we dare to push JULY Going Green! Arts Festival Presented in partnership with environmental issues and Environmental Film Festival preserving our natural Australia (EFFA) and environment through art. Snuff Puppets Designed for primary school 5-11 July (School Holiday aged children and their Program) families, short films curated by EFFA, creative activities, Major Event / Children & Snuff Skool puppetry Families / Environment workshops and more! No charge, bookings required Going Green! is a mini- festival dedicated to celebrating nature, educating families about

Photo: Jolyon James Robot Song The show employs cutting edge digital technology, Presented by Arena Theatre startling animatronics Company | Written and Directed and a beautiful original by Jolyon James musical score. Schools performances: WINNER Best Presentation Thursday 22 July, 1pm and for Children & Young People Friday 23 July, 10am and 1pm Robot Song is part of the Full $10 Victorian Curriculum and Schools can book via: Assessment Authority [email protected] (VCAA)’s VCE Theatre Studies Unit 3 and Unit 4 Playlist. Based on a true story, The Bowery Theatre invites Robot Song illustrates the primary and secondary profound, transformative schools to attend and can nature of creativity that, when combined provide teachers’ with unconditional love, resources at becomes an unstoppable force. Robot Song shares creativebrimbank.com.au/ an honest, intensely BoweryEducation funny and often unconventional window Supported by Nic Clark into writer and director Management (NCM), Creative Jolyon James’ experience Victoria, Australia Council for of parenting a child on the autism spectrum. the Arts and City of Greater Bendigo

Creative Brimbank We invite everyone to participate and collaborate towards building a vibrant, connected and creative community. We bring and support quality experiences in performing and visual arts to the west, and deliver an engaging program of creative workshops, festivals and events for the community. Subscribe to our eNews for updates creativebrimbank.com.au/enews Creative Brimbank and the Bowery Theatre is owned and operated by Brimbank City Council. Acknowledgement to Country Brimbank City Council respectfully acknowledges and recognises the Kulin Nation including the Wurundjeri, Bunurong and Boon Wurrung Peoples as the Traditional Owners of this land and waterways and pays respect to their Elders past, present and future. Program details are correct at the time of printing, but are subject to change where necessary and without notice. Please check our website for updates.

Presenting Partners and Supporters Let Me Get Something Off My Chest and Duets with a Shapeshifter are part of Brimbank City Council’s Land MARKS Artist in Residence program and supported through the Victorian Government’s Working for Victoria Initiative.

General Information Access The Bowery Theatre and St Albans Community Centre (STACC) building is fully wheelchair accessible, with accessible and ambulant bathrooms and a lift servicing both levels. Gender neutral bathrooms on ground level. Auslan interpreting available upon request. Please contact us two weeks prior to the event. Audio loop/sound amplification is available in the Bowery Theatre and the Dance Studio. Portable sound amplification devices are also available. Translation is available through Brimbank’s translation service, call: 131 450 Local costs apply View our venue access video at creativebrimbank.com.au/access

Getting there By Car: Enter Princess Street, from St Albans Road. By train: 3-minute walk from St Albans Station on the Sunbury/Watergardens line. Exit via Princess Street. By Bus: Take route 408 or 419, Stop 34 or 48 (Errington Reserve) on Main Road East. Cycle: Bike racks available at STACC. Parking: Limited and restricted parking around the venue. Four hour parking is available in nearby Percy Street with unrestricted parking at the St Albans Railway Station. Main Road West St Albans 3B4uasnSdto4p8s St Albans Main Road East Percy St Station Woolworths Princess St Big Sams Market St Albans Road For more information COVID Safety and updates visit For COVID Safety information, visit creativebrimbank.com.au creativebrimbank.com.au/covid-safety or call us on For Ticketing Terms and Conditions, visit 9249 4600 creativebrimbank.com.au/terms-and- 33 Princess Street, St Albans conditions Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 9am-5pm Sat 9am-12.30pm

Subscribe to our eNews for updates creativebrimbank.com.au/enews Program details are correct at the time of printing, but are subject to change where necessary and without notice. Please check our website for updates.