JUTE Theatre Company’s Dare to Dream initiative is a powerful endeavour aimed at creating positive change in Far North Queensland and Cape York Peninsula. Through a captivating play, engaging workshops, and a comprehensive wrap-around program, we seek to promote early intervention and provide better access to support networks for those at risk. Our innovative play tackles sensitive topics, with a particular focus on preventing childhood trauma. What sets us apart is our exceptional First Nations Crew, trained by psychologists, who possess the expertise to identify individuals in need and offer them emotional support. Moreover, our bespoke wrap-around support program ensures a holistic approach to healing. Over the course of the next two years, this transformative educational performance and workshop theatre program holds immense potential to positively influence the lives of children, young people, and their families in these regional and remote communities. Together, let us dare to dream and make a lasting impact.

2024 Locations:

2023 Locations

I Gut This Feeling

by Isaac Drandic

I Gut This Feeling is written as a two-hander touring show, usually presented to students ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 9. The work has been commissioned by JUTE Theatre Company as part of the Dare to Dream initiative’s, Safer Children Safer Communities program.

Synopsis

I Gut This Feeling is a clever and comical theatre experience to entertain and educate audiences, both young and old.

Djirra is a young girl just trying to make her way safely back home through a strange world. But where is home? Which path to take? She has no idea!

Along the way she meets some very odd creatures; a crafty water spirit who tries to lure her to the water’s edge, a roaring Hairyfella who seems so scary but maybe he isn’t, and a peculiar old cook who is making stew in the middle of nowhere with crazy ‘secret’ ingredients. Djirra even gets messages from a little lizard! All of them have advice for her, but who should she trust?

Why this performance?

Stories exist to help explain and describe the world we live in. Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories are told to ensure caution is taken in unsafe situations; transmit and maintain culture and lore; embed and impart Indigenous epistemologies- ways of knowing and being, orally, through music, song, dance, and the visual arts.

Isaac Drandic’s I Gut This Feeling uses these techniques with a creative mix of fantastical fairy tale characters from around the world making a modern moral tale that delivers the serious message of staying safe. This is a play about how to safely navigate the weird and wonderful world using your instincts. It’s about working out who to trust. It’s about how to trust yourself.

Contact our First Nations Creative Producer Monica Stevens for more information: monica@jute.com.au or 0742816832.2023 

Student Feedback

“This theatre workshop has been amazing. It gave me more confidence to act and taught me a lot of new and exciting skills like focus.”
“It was encouraging (road) safety but was also funny and relatable which made me more hooked.”
“I enjoyed showing my school our cool performances.”
“It was funny and taught us about road safety.”

Teacher Feedback

“Our students have learnt many performance skills and grown in confidence from watching the performance and participating in the workshops with the professional artists. We would jump at the opportunity to have the artists visit again in 2023.”
“At the conclusion of the residency, students stated how much they liked working with the actors and director and how they wished they could stay for longer. Parents of students involved were extremely happy with the program and explained their children where excited to participate and come to school each day during the program.”

This initiative is supported by funding from the Queensland Government’s Community Road Safety Grants scheme.