ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROJECT

Our Artist in Residence (AIR) Project aims to develop a rich arts learning environment by engaging arts educators and students with professional theatre artists throughout the course of a full creative process.

Beginning in 2009, the AIR project saw approximately 65 students from two selected schools become a ‘Student Advisory Group’ working with the creative team in the development of the world premiere production Nyuntu Nglali (You We Two) – a co-production with Big hART. The students’ participation occurred throughout the rehearsal period, during the performance season and then in post performance discussions and critique. Click here for a short clip.

The 2010 project involves students from five secondary schools working on the upcoming production Fugitive. The student will have the unique opportunity to spend time in the rehearsal room watching the actors developing their character, the director shaping the production, the behind the scenes trials and tribulations of taking the script from the page and transforming it into an exciting and engaging performance. Windmill artists will also visit the students in their schools to run workshops on various different elements of theatre making including directing, designing and performing.

The five schools for 2010 are; Craigmore High, Charles Campbell Secondary, Paralowie R-12, Blackwood High and William Light R-12 School. In 2011 the project will include students and teachers from the primary education sector working on a performance production for the 2011 Come Out Festival.

Windmill’s Artistic Director, Rose Myers commented on the project saying, “The AIR Project provides an invaluable opportunity to expose students to the artists’ thinking and process at a very refined level. It encourages fantastic performance literacy and a deeper engagement with the arts amongst the participants. The mutual benefit sees the artists having their creative imaginations inspired by the dynamism and creative capacities of the students and this feeds back into Windmill for the future.”

Arts SA representative Alex Reid said, “Windmill was an excellent choice for this pilot project as they are already very engaged with arts educators and school students, through Education links to their theatre seasons and previous project work such as the Children’s Voices Research. Windmill’s initiative offers a genuine ‘hands-on’ opportunity for students to be involved in a unique and exciting creative process with highly talented theatre professionals.”

The project has the potential to be rolled out as a national model for Arts Education following on from this pilot program.

The project is managed by Julie Orchard, Windmill Theatre’s arts education manager. Julie is seconded to Windmill from DECS and works to make meaningful links between the education sector and the arts industry to further develop teaching and learning in the arts.

For more information, contact Julie: julie.orchard@windmill.org.au