For the past eight years, Kinetic Energy Theatre Company has been conducting a radical theatre-in-eduction program with a focus on social justice.
It is called Village Space, which is an umbrella name for a series of theatre projects zooming in on themes ranging from poverty and inequality, displaced people and refugees, civil wars and non-violent direct action, and the environment and climate change.
These productions are put on in schools (state, Catholic and others), at teachers conferences, for environmental groups, and for political gatherings such as those organised by Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly.
Kinetic Energy began its life in 1975 in Sydney as a contemporary dance company. In the ’80s, co-directors Graham Jones and Jepke Goudsmit began to explore a multi-disciplinary style of performance.
Since then they have run an ongoing program of training, research, creation and performance, always including educational work. The style of their current theatre-in-education program Village Space is interactive, participatory, and experiential.
It aims to empower the audience. It kindles a desire for taking action and confirms in a positive way that change is possible, starting on an individual level, and rippling out into the wider community, at home and abroad.
This is critical mass stuff: last year they reached 15,000 people over 120 performances. The 2011 program will focus on Indigenous struggles, with a re-enactment of the Australian Freedom Ride led by Charles Perkins, a story about the devastation and civil war caused by the Panguna Mine in Bougainville, and a story about the landless peasants and indigenous peoples of Para in Brazil in their fight to protect the Amazon rainforest.
Also on the repertoire will be their award-winning Climate Change Show. Both productions will tour NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
Kinetic Energy is holding auditions at the moment for two versatile actors (one female, one male) to join their team of six. If you are an activist with skills in drama, song and movement, put your hand up!
It's paid professional work, spanning the period from mid April until mid November, with breaks in-between tours.
You can contact Graham and Jepke at: kineticenergy@iprimus.com.au or phone 0415 391 533.