Primary schools students will work with creative professionals to create a collaborative project about their acknowledgement of Country.
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Arena Theatre Company's program has California Gully Primary School students working with First Nations artist Annie Brigdale on what acknowledgment of Country means to them.
It is the first term-long program Arena has been able to deliver in two years.
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Arena executive director Sharon Custers said the program we part of the company's research into what works they develop for teh stage.
"We often spend time in schools," she said. "We have been trying to make this happen (at California Gully PS) since 2020. It was almost happening at end of 2021 but we are so excited to be here now.
"For this one we are working with the kids to find out what they feel about (acknowledgement of Country) and are using visual art, sound recordings and a lot of other things.
"At the end of term a space will taken over with exhibits and families invited to experience that."
California Gully PS principal Andrew Frawley said the school was excited to connect with Arena.
"The starting point for us was knowing how we could connect with staff coming in. That was key," he said. "Since they walked in the door the first time the excitement, the engagement and care that has gone into working with the kids is evident.
"The quality and expertise available to us (through Arena), you couldn't match it. It is a chance to have the kids to explore and create, which is is an important part of their development."
Ms Custers said by focusing on visual art rather than theatre encouraged more collaboration for the students.
"We generally don't do drama, what we do is pull out creative things that kids who may not normally be theatre kids can do," she said. "It is exploring lots of ways of expressing themselves creatively. What we see is they build up confidence to work together.
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"Schools like this need artists to come in and show what's possible. That's why generally go to schools that need us most. We want to work with kids who haven't had experience of working with professional artists.
"We like to go quality over quantity and are doing a residency for the whole of this term. We might do one or two (residencies) a year and then four or five one day workshops with different schools."
Federal member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she knew how critical art is to young people looking to explore their emotions.
"At a federal level, something we should do more of is creating opportunities for theatre groups to partner with schools," she said. "Arts communities have expertise, schools have expertise - so why not bring them together."
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