Two lively animal tales, one about a singing dog, the other a brave little bird, will make their first steps from page to stage this month, as JUTE Theatre Company and ARC Disability Services present Stories Alive – a creative development showcase at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre.
The showcase will be a culmination of a one-week creative development residency that brings together ARC Creative authors, illustrators, actors and professional theatre-makers to adapt Jack the Singing Dog by Mel Egan and Lucky the Little Bird by Imogen Lambeth into original works for young audiences.
Jack the Singing Dog is a joyful story about a dog who finds belonging through music, while Lucky the Little Bird follows a small bird who ventures out in search of friendship and connection.
JUTE Artistic Director Chris Kohn said Stories Alive demonstrates the company’s dedication to inclusive storytelling and regional creative voices.
“JUTE’s residency program of Stories Alive is about opening up the creative process, working alongside ARC artists to bring their stories into a theatrical form and sharing that journey with audiences,” he said.
“It’s a chance to experience new work in development, while supporting artists to grow their practice and see their ideas realised on stage,” Mr Kohn said.
The Stories Alive project supports regional artists with disabilities in building skills, deepening their creative practice, and collaborating with established theatre-makers.
The creative team includes co-directors Chris Kohn and Karen Jackson, writer and dramaturg Amber Grossmann, projection designer Tetsu Sabata, and actors Matt Raleigh and Velvet Eldred. They are joined by ARC Creative artists and collaborators, including Imogen Lambeth, Mel Egan, Adam Reddicliffe, Aaron Lee, Gabby Benedetti and Mathew Parlas.
ARC Creatives is a large and diverse ensemble of individuals living with disability, whose multi award-winning work spans stage, screen and books. Through their active arts program ARC supports creative development across theatre, film, visual arts and publishing – and the books featured in this project were created as part of the ARC Story Writing Program.
ARC Disability Services CEO Ben Keast said:
“We are incredibly proud of our authors and illustrators, who have crafted incredible stories that have travelled an extraordinary path since publication.
“This first-time collaboration with JUTE Theatre Company is something truly special, and we are deeply grateful to Regional Arts Fund (RAF) for making it possible. We can’t wait to share these stories with Cairns audiences in a whole new way.
The public showcase will take place on Friday, 17 April, from 1 pm to 3 pm at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre, inviting audiences to experience these works in development and support the artists bringing them to life.