Big, busy and bold years ahead

YOUNG performers are gearing up to get back on stage with Arena Theatre Company after the organisation secured four years of funding from the State Government.

Until 2025, the company’s work will be boosted by a $760,000 grant from the Creative Enterprises Program.

The money forms part of an $85 million statewide spend by the Government, aimed at supporting the arts industry in its recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arena’s executive director Sharon Custers said the funding meant certainty and long-term stability for an organisation which has faced repeated disruptions and cancellations to their original productions.

“In terms of the next couple of years, what this funding will allow us to do is bring Robot Song back, that’s the number one thing,” she said.

“That was something that people have been asking for for a long time, as well as developing a very large and very exciting project towards the end of this year which we’ll be announcing very soon.”

Ms Custers said there was also confidence to employ staff in a range of areas like administration, production and artistry.

National tours of Robot Song and augmented reality show Hidden Creature Gallery are being planned, while this term the company is taking up a residency at California Gully Primary School.

For artistic director Christian Leavesley, the organisation’s work creating original shows and new theatre opportunities for local young people was “absolutely essential”.

“We all understand how different things are for young people, particularly teenagers, so our work really tries to speak to that and give them an opportunity to explore their own lives and understand all the massive change that is happening around them in the world,” he said.

“If we just did old works, they would go out of date quite quickly and we’d have to only do classic things.

“Doing new work regularly means that we can approach things that are very much of the moment and impacting young people in very contemporary way.

“We’re really excited to get back in contact with all the young people in the city that is our home.”