Black Swan travels to the Gascoyne and Pilbara with Shadowboxing

Black Swan travels to the Gascoyne and Pilbara with Shadowboxing

Gemma Robins

After a successful launch in early June, Black Swan State Theatre Company will travel with their new work Shadowboxing, to a combination of regional performing arts venues and schools within the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions in August and October.

Shadowboxing with Ella Hetherington and Brendan Ewing.

Shadowboxing with Ella Hetherington and Brendan Ewing image 2

Shadowboxing is a new work written by and featuring local Perth writer and performer Ella Hetherington. This is the second production created by Black Swan to specifically tour to schools and regional Western Australia and is aimed at Years 7-12 (ages 12 – 17).

In a new initiative by the company, tours to the towns of Shark Bay, Carnarvon, Port Hedland, Karratha and Onslow will involve a combination of both regional performing arts venues and schools.

This unique opportunity will give parents and extended family members (grandparents, carers and other children in the age range) the opportunity to attend a performance at the same time their child is attending at the local performing arts centre, town hall or at their school.

Shadowboxing looks at social media, the online world and identity. Many schools have social media policies that encourage parents to discuss their child’s social media usage and to have an awareness of how their child engages online, including the implications of risks and scope of social networking.

It is envisaged that by enabling the production to be seen more broadly in the community with a combination of audience members, the conversation about online engagement and social media usage between parent and child as well as extended family members and peer groups, can be facilitated.
Post performance discussions will also be available.

Esperance Regional Ambassador and President of the Esperance Theatre Guild Victoria Brown commented that “Shadowboxing was fabulous. Two hundred students from Esperance Anglican Community School and Wongatha Caps enjoyed the show. Congrats to all involved. Acting and writing were right up there, as it gave so many kids in our community the chance to see a truly great and totally engaging performance. Q&A session afterwards was entertaining too with a question on ‘The Flesh Forest’. Thanks Black Swan.”

Student responses: Very symbolic, It made you think a lot, Great performance, Really enjoyed it. Very clever! Excellent production.

Department of Culture and Arts Director General Duncan Ord congratulated Black Swan on touring Shadowboxing to the Gascoyne and the Pilbara.

“The tour gives students, teachers, family members and the public in these regions the rare opportunity to interact with one of the State’s leading theatre companies and to see a contemporary production that tells a story about today’s technology and how it is being used,” Mr Ord said.

“In addition, Black Swan will collect audience feedback on the show using the Department’s Culture Counts system, the first time this new system will be used during a regional tour.”

Funding for the Regional tour of Shadowboxing was made possible by the Department of Regional Development and Department of Culture and the Arts.

Black Swan’s Education and Community Access Manager, Alena Tompkins will visit each of these towns prior to the performance, speaking and consulting with a variety of community member groups, seniors, family support services, parents, teachers, school executive staff, ambassadors, libraries, local government departments and shire representatives.

REGIONAL TOUR Timetable:

• Monday 24 August, 6pm
Denham Town Hall, 08 9948 1218 www.sharkbay.wa.gov.au
FREE community event

• Tuesday 25 August, 2.15pm
Camel Lane Theatre, Carnarvon, 08 9941 4200 www.carnarvonciviccentre.com
FREE School & community event

• Thursday 27 August, 1:20pm
Matt Dann Theatre & Cinema, Port Hedland. SOLD OUT!
.www.mattdann.com

• Friday 28 August, 1pm
St Luke’s College, Karratha, 08 9144 1081 www.stlukescollege.wa.edu.au
School and community bookings welcome

• Saturday 24 October, 1pm Performance,
2.15pm Workshop Onslow, MultiPurpose Centre.
Contact: Senior Activity Officer Melissa Raffan T: 08 9181 3305 E: Melissa.Raffan@ashburton.wa.gov.au

DEVISED CREATED AND WRITTEN BY: Ella Hetherington
DIRECTED BY: Jeffrey Jay Fowler
SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Patrick Howe, MUSICAL DIRECTOR/SOUND DESIGN: Ben Collins
CAST: Ella Hetherington & Brendan Ewing
DURATION: 50 Minutes