AustLit

'Baai (Meaning Home in Dinka) is a visually arresting and conceptually invigorating live theatre performance, celebrating the colourful and rich South Sudanese culture. A culture that is often under represented. This work aims to change this, by reducing societies misconceptions of what it means to be a newly arrived Australian.

'Baai (Home) is the main theme that threads the work; this includes the exploration of fleeing South Sudan to the Kenyan refugee camps, the longing for home, and the journey in creating a new home, in a country far away from your own. With this comes, feelings of alienation, isolation, cultural pride, strength and hope.

'Born out of a unique collaboration between artists Eliza Hull, Ajak Kwai, Awak Kongor and the young generation of the Bendigo South Sudanese community, ‘Baai’ is a spectacular video work and performance, which represents the vibrant and colourful world of South Sudanese culture. Intertwined with stories and original songs of life in South Sudan and personal accounts of each of the performers’ unique journey in now calling Australia home. Baai is a celebration of identity, a joyful and captivating experience for young and old.'

Source: Arena Theatre Company.

'Based on the true story of the 1919 London to Australia air race. Air Race follows the stories of the six flight teams who took up the challenge. From crash landings, to disappearing planes and patching engines with chewing gum, their stories range from ingenious, to hilarious to deeply moving and sometimes tragic.

'Air Race tells a remarkable untold Australian story but also challenges us to question – how can we tell white, male Australian history in an innovative way, relevant to diverse young Australians?

'Subverting outdated gender and cultural representations, Air Race aims to enable all young Australians to see stories they can identify with, find inspiration in and allow them to ‘own’ their country’s history.'

Source: Arena Theatre.

'When it comes to friends, Juniper has no idea what all the fuss is about. In fact when classmates tease her for being like a robot she takes it as a compliment. Through the unconventional eyes of a child on the Autism Spectrum, Robot Song takes the audience on an incredible ride of personal discovery.

'Robot Song introduces us to Juniper, a smart 11-year-old whose world is turned upside down when the arm of a giant robot appears on her doorstep and takes her on an unexpected journey to find the rest of its body. Surprised by the robot’s revelation that it has only ever wanted to sing, Juniper learns flexibility and unexpected outcomes are sometimes exactly what you need.

'Robot Song is drawn from writer director Jolyon James' experience raising a child on the Autism Spectrum. In celebrating Juniper’s unique way of interpreting the world Robot Song provides a window for all young people to recognise and embrace the differences within themselves and others.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Meet Sunny Ray: happy, light, a true wonder of the world. Sunny loves her life but has always secretly wanted to know… what happens when she goes to bed? Meet her best friend in the sky, the Magnificent Moon: the all night party guy who gets to stay up late every night. Then one bedtime Sunny Ray breaks all the rules and doesn't go to sleep. Find out what happens when the sun and moon stay up all night together.

'From the imaginations of Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias, creators of the internationally acclaimed Die Roten Punkte and Arena Theatre Company, and featuring original music inspired by everything from folk to funk, disco and pop, Sunny Ray and the Magnificent Moon will delight audiences aged four years and over.' (Production summary)