2004 Annual Report - Queensland Theatre Company

Youth & Education ProgramTheatre Residency Week (TRW) Project teamTRW project team is a new initiative for QueenslandTheatre Company. Six Year 12 students that had attendedTRW in previous years were selected to give input into theplanning of 2004 Theatre Residency Week and learn projectcoordination skills. The team met for three months to workon ideas for both junior and senior weeks. Some of the tasksundertaken were the selection of core groups, workshopsand performances, program schedules and timelines, traveland accommodation, logistics and on the ground operations.Some skills learnt were: scheduling, basic budgeting,artist liaison, Occupational Health and Safety, team work,leadership and negotiation.The TRW project team:Tom Grace, CoorparooJess McLintock, BiloelaRikki Eller, SouthportKelly Browne, Bli BliBen Stewart, WarwickLouise Simpson, Bundaberg (Alan Edwards Scholarshiprecipient 2003)Education Reference GroupThe Education Reference Group provides feedback andadvice on youth arts and education issues and trendsfor Queensland Theatre Company’s Youth & Educationprogram. In 2004 this group consisted of members fromearly childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary educationsectors, youth arts practitioners and artists.Ed OnlineEd Online is a free internet based service that QueenslandTheatre Company offers to all Queensland schools. Theprogram consists of tailor-made workshops with artists in anonline format (Chat Rooms or Billboards) developed to suitthe needs of Queensland students and teachers. The mainaim of this program is to develop stronger relationships withQueensland students and teachers in both metropolitan andregional areas.School Groups7,784 students attended the mainstage productions in 2004.Queensland Theatre Company offers several resources toaccompany a mainstage production:Head SpaceHead Space is designed to complement young people’sunderstanding of the mainstage performances by givingstudents access to the ‘head space’ of the artists who createour productions. Head spaces were conducted for The CherryOrchard, Proof, Eating Ice Cream With Your Eyes Closed andThe Venetian Twins. These sessions were conducted beforethe Wednesday matinees at 11am.Behind the ScenesBehind the Scenes are guided tours of the stage andbackstage area of the current production giving students aninsight into design and stage management process. If thetour is held at Bille Brown Studio, students also have theopportunity to visit workshop, wardrobe and administration.Teacher BriefingsHeld prior to and post performance on every production,these briefings were facilitated by Queensland TheatreCompany’s Education Liaison Officer. Teachers exchangedideas on the production and how it related to their workprograms.Education Resource Packs and ArtistInsightsIn 2004, every teacher that attended a mainstage productionreceived an Education Resource Pack designed to provideinformation and offer ideas for classroom connections tothe production. These packs were also offered as a freedownload from the Queensland Theatre Company website.Every student that attended a production or a Youth &Education event received an Artist Insights booklet. Thisbooklet includes information on career pathways in the arts,interviews with young professional theatre practitioners anda Company event calendar for young people.In 2004 the major Ed Online projects were held with:Theatre Residency Week Project TeamQUE Theatre Inc.Central Highlands District partnershipWide Bay Network partnershipSt Peter Claver CollegeBrisbane Boys CollegeCentral Highlands ProjectEducation Reference GroupA n n u a l R e p o r t 39