Creative Movement and Drama Classes

Please note these classes are moving for term 3 to the Uniting Baptist Church in Upwey

PLAY UP: Grades Prep – 2 or Ages 5 – 7 years
The emphasis for this age group is on creative play and improvisation. Classes are designed to stimulate the imagination of young children, through participation in various drama, music and movement activities.

ACT UP: Grade 3 – 4 or Ages 7 – 9 years
These classes are designed to encourage children to become confident in presenting their own ideas and to work together in a group. This is achieved through movement, poetry, songs, scripts and theatre games; providing safe, supported performance opportunities.
 
TROUPE: Grade 5 – 8 or Ages 10 – 13 years
These classes are designed to encourage children to become confident in presenting their own ideas and to work together in a group. This is achieved through movement, poetry, songs, scripts and theatre games; providing safe, supported performance opportunities.

ADVANCED TROUPE: By invitation only
This class is for students showing the commitment to work within certain guidelines enabling them to extend their drama experience and skills. It will be a class requiring focus and dedication and within these guidelines each student should have a fully rounded drama experience, still full of creativity and enjoyment but supported by focused behaviour and extended by more advanced scripts, monologues & movement.

Further information:
Classes are facilitated by Dee Whittington who has many years' experience with children and youth of all ages in the areas of creative movement, drama and music, with fabulous outcomes for the participants.

ANY ENQUIRIES please CONTACT the Box Office: Tue-Fri, 10:00am-4:00pm, 9754-8723 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Returning to my Home Country

Jonathan Kumintjarra Brown (1960 – 1997). Retrospective

As a member of the Stolen Generations Jonathan Kumintjarra Brown grew up with white foster parents. The trauma of forced separation and cultural disconnection never left him. At Neil McLeod’s Tecoma studio in the 1990’s he met artists like Lin Onus and Rover Thomas and took to painting. Canvasses with rich layers of ground ochre and desert sand became his trademark, depicting the lost country of his grandparents. More pointedly, they also tell the story of one of Australia’s darker chapters of history, the atomic tests at Maralinga and his people’s dispossession from their lands. Following on from Burrinja’s award-winning touring exhibition Black Mist Burnt Country, inspired by Jonathan’s paintings, this retrospective tells a uniquely Australian story.

"Jonathan Kumintjarra Brown cleverly articulates the merger of traditional and contemporary culture.” Hetti Perkins (Art + Soul)

Exhibition Finissage & Book Launch Sun 17 March at 2pm - to RSVP email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Wed 13th March

Book in for a guided tour with curator JD Mittman here
THU 7 MAR 11AM OR THU 14 MAR 2PM

IAN the time machine

The physicist Brian Greene says, "The bottom line is that TIME TRAVEL is allow by the laws of physics." Artist Cameron Semmens wanted to allow that possibility through this fun, fully interactive time machine called IAN – wholly powered by imagination.

There are dials to turn, buttons to press, levers to pull and children are invited to imagine themselves as babies, as teenagers, as adults and even beyond death – to travel through the potentials of their life... and maybe to dream some dreams never before dreamt.

Ian is created out of recycled retro tech, cardboard and gaffer tape. He is 12 foot long, 5 foot high and contains 8 control/play panels, 49 digital clock-radios and a central control unit with toy-stick and 'time helmet'. Ian is a marvellous monstrosity of manic play potentials!

You maybe wonder why this time machine is called IAN. Well, IAN mashes time together, so you could call him a 'time-mash IAN'!!!! (Get it?)

And Pablo Picasso said, "Everything you can imagine is real". So lets get imagining! And lets get real!!! (BYO flux capacitor).

Re-Imaginings - Stories for Change

It's International Women's Day - come along to celebrate this exhibition launch with women who are imagining a society free from domestic violence.

This event is hosted by Dandenong Ranges Domestic Violence Peer Support (a program of Foothills Community Care - Community Meals) with the support of Burrinja.  

Morning tea with guest speakers to launch the exhibition at 11am.

This exhibition is a collaborative project created by women and children who are survivors of domestic and family violence and have supported each other as they recover and navigate the impacts of violence in the home.Opening for International Women's Day this collaborative mixed media exhibition places women's stories front and centre and highlights the role of community in re-imagining and re-creating social engagement and the profound societal healing possible when women are heard, supported, and connected to their local communities. 

The deep indigo cyanotype prints weave in the varied lived experiences of women and their children who have experienced domestic and family violence whilst acknowledging that their stories are connected and cultural change is required to change the story to one where violence against women and their children is unthinkable.

Underground

Nancy Wake: Special Agent. Saboteur. Resistance Commander. Australian. Human.

Experience the Underground reimagined through the eyes of the woman herself; the determination, the jocularity, the personal cost.
Nancy Wake doesn't want another layer of gold paint added to the legend of The White Mouse. What happened in France in 1944 changed her forever but this time no one is messing with her story. She tells it her way. She evaded capture by the Gestapo, and was the only female special agent to survive the war. Was the price she paid too high? Part of the Small Gems program, “Underground” is a new work which unfolds as a hallucinatory journey through Nancy Wake’s life. Become embroiled in her story as it is revealed with humour and pathos. 

Underground is part of the Small Gems Program

Written by Christine Croyden (The Cat's Paw, A Stranger in Town, How to Survive an Earthquake, The World without Birds) 

Directed by Sara Grenfell (The Girl Green as Elder Flower, My Life in Art, Food, Vincent)

Cast
Margot Knight (Prisoner, Blue Heelers, Skirts, The Dressmaker)
Emma Annand
Ezra Bix
Billy Sloane
Tori McCann
 

2019 Dandenong Ranges Open Studios

Come and explore the secrets of the Dandenong Range’s with this creative and inspiring cultural experience. The Dandenong Ranges Open Studios takes you down the fern lined lanes of the hills to discover 36 of the most intriguing studios. Explore and connect with artists, ignite your creative imagination and step into the hidden gems, curious constructions and awe inspiring spaces of the artists’ creative environments.

Visit the exhibition at the Sherbrooke Art Gallery and select the studios that most intrigue or inspire you. You will have the unique opportunity to purchase artwork and hand crafted items directly from the artists, informed by new insight into their creative world.

Dandenong Ranges Open Studios is the biggest creative 'Open Door' of the region.

FEATURING: JUET, KAPI ART SPACE, GUY WHITBY, MATHIEU DECHAMPS, MARTA SALAMON, MELCHIOR MARTIN, HELENE CAMPBELL, TRISH CAMPBELL, TOM HARRIS, RAMAK BAMZAR, LEAF STUDIOS, CHES MILLS, TRACEY ROBERTS, JULIET WIDDOWS, MARK WESTAWAY, ROSS MILLER, GINA MILLER, WENDY HAVARD, JENNY ROWE, GLENN ENGLAND, JOY SERWYLO, EMACH, JESSIE YVETTE JOURNOUD-RYAN, GROWING PAINS SYNAPSE, RAIN WHITE, STEPHEN GLOVER, SAMUEL HARDIDGE, STEPHANIE REYNOLDS, LAUREN PITT-TREWIN, MICHELE FOUNTAIN, CAMERON SEMMENS, LISA HASS, TWO FLOORS, NARELLE GLEESON, JAMIE SAXE, GERARD RUSSO

OPEN STUDIOS WEEKEND
Sat & Sun  30 & 31 MAR 2019

Lady be Good

The Songs of Ella Fitzgerald.

Travel through time as Nina Ferro pays tribute to the great Queen of Jazz!
Lady Be Good is a joyous, swinging tribute to the First Lady of Song and the legends of The Great American Songbook she most loved to interpret, performed by one of the brightest stars of the international jazz scene, Nina Ferro. Her powerful, evocative voice, stunning vocal range and extraordinary stage presence have earned her an enviable reputation at home and around the world. Joined on stage by a jiving band, songs include How High The Moon, The Lady is a Tramp, Blue Skies, Love For Sale, & Someone to Watch Over Me.   

The Makers Trail

Be led, fed and inspired on this curated tour of arts through the Yarra Ranges

Saturday 30 or Sunday 31 March 2019

Let us take the wheel with this full-day curated bus tour of Dandenong Ranges Open Studios and TarraWarra Museum of Art’s Open Weekend. Start at Burrinja for studio visits and morning tea, then head to Two Floors in Belgrave, followed by a visit to the Open Studios exhibition at Sherbrooke Gallery. Enjoy a picnic lunch with a view at Kapi Art Space in Kalorama, before winding your way across to the Yarra Valley where you’ll finish your day with a Makers’ Market and wine in hand at TarraWarra Museum of Art’s Open Weekend. 

CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE

Book Launch 

Early Praise for Crossing the Great Divide:

"Crossing the Great Divide is a monumental achievement. Epic in scope, it encompasses a life-journey recorded in luminous detail, driven by an unwavering intellectual curiosity, and graced by unsparing self-reflection and humanity. It is both a portrait of a young man as aspiring artist, working his way towards his calling, and the reflections of the mature artist, who has truly crossed the divide between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples, and found a way to express his findings, and his vision, as a painter, craftsman, lateral thinker and writer."
Arnold Zable (The Fighter, Sea of Many Returns)

Please join us for the book launch of Crossing the Great Divide Sun April 7 at 2pm

April Holiday Art Classes for Children

“Open Heart Art & Healing”

Fun, creative, open ended classes, empowering children to tap into inner creativity 

Wed 10 April
10.30am-12pm | Watercolour Painting, Eagles, Owls and Birds. Explore textures and shades to create a watercolour painting

1pm-2.30pm | Outer Space Science Fiction –Learn how to create the illusion of 3D forms with grey lead shading. Combine this with watercolours for a “3 Dimensional Outer Space Science Fiction" drawing.

Fri 12 April
10.30am-12pm | Watercolour Painting  Create a “Castles and Fantasy Scene”, using tones, special effects with salt and sponging.

1pm-2.30pm | Tie Dyed T.shirt and decorative pattern BYO t.shirt with some cotton content. Create your pattern on special effects paper while the t.shirt is in the dye.

Suitable for Ages 6-12
5 year olds to be accompanied by a parent

Places Limited. Book in early.

HERE ME - Youth Arts Project

HERE ME will be a flashmob-style performance art work in Belgrave. I’m sure you’ve all seen a flashmob, right? This project is like that, but there’s no dancing – just making shapes and taking up space. (FYI the idea for this project was inspired by this crew "Bodies in Urban Spaces" – check them out at in the vid below).

Artists who make performance art have something they want to tell the public through their artwork. Have you got something to say about the myths and misconceptions about teenagers these days? I bet you do!

Workshops will include group discussions exploring ideas, drama-based activities, learning contact improvisation skills and checking out the public and hidden spaces of Belgrave.

So get involved! Meet new people, learn new skills, have a voice, share opinions and ideas, express yourself, move and take up space in the April school holidays! Yes!! No drama, dance or performance experience necessary, only a willingness to participate!

For more info go to the HERE ME Facebook page here

Big Tops and Tiny Tots

Interactive theatre for small humans.

Big Tops & Tiny Tots is a circus adventure for 3 to 6 year olds. Walking the tightrope between circus and magic, Big Tops & Tiny Tots is a non-stop whirlwind of plate-spinning, hula hooping and uni-cycling fun! In a screen-time world, Big Tops & Tiny Tots introduces kids to performance that talks back, is constantly engaging, and inspires kids to get out and give it a try. After 45 minutes of endless giggling, they’ll be somersaulting out the door with excitement, ready to set off on their very own circus adventure.
 

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow

Grab a mate, grab a date… grab a ticket to the Roadshow!

Looking for a laugh? The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow is coming to town. Forget I-Spy, spotto and stale servo snacks, this road trip is jam-packed with a crew of fantastically funny comedians, specially selected to bring the fun of the Festival to towns and cities nationwide. With a line-up of artists sure to tickle anyone’s funny bone, the Roadshow has something for everyone.

NEON

The world-famous Circus Oz comes to the Hills!

A Circus Oz cabaret celebrating the gloriously gaudy, glammed up ‘80s.*
This is an unapologetic, funny, and downright dirty dancing cabaret where circus meets comedy and song in an unforgivably big shoulder pads night out. NEON delivers stunning acrobatic and aerial acts, breathtaking feats of circus, with a smattering of Flashdance choreography in some rather uncomfortable gym wear. *Warning: May contain hazardous levels of hair gel 

Swansong

One Man’s Life Of Grit, Terror And Heartache.

Do not miss this achingly brilliant, ovation worthy theatre show.
Abused and isolated, Occi struggles to avoid his ghosts and tortured memories of mental institutions. He is violent and vulnerable, soaked in alcohol and yearning, seeking redemption. Our challenge is to perceive Occi as more than a thug – as he and his mother fight for survival in a tough garrison town on the edge of a cruel and unforgiving world. Directed by [Melbourne Fringe co-founder] Greg Carroll, Swansong is an acclaimed production, and roller-coaster ride transporting its audiences into the life of an enraged ‘Occi’ played by Andre De Vanny (‘Best Actor’, 2015 Green Room Awards). 

Some trigger warnings (mental health, family abuse, domestic violence, strong course language)

Running Time | 80 mins | no interval | Appropriate Age Range: 15+

Duet Presents The Celtic Tenors

Irish Song Book Tour 2019

When you put together three brilliant Tenor voices with natural Irish charm, singing spine-tingling Classical, Folk, Irish, Gaelic and Pop favourites in stacked three-part harmonies, then mix them up with quick witted banter, you have THE CELTIC TENORS.

The Celtic Tenors perform The Irish Songbook on their Australian tour with such classics as Finnegan’s Wake, In The Gloaming, Song For Ireland, Danny Boy, The Dutchman, Caledonia, You Raise Me Up and many more favourites.

The charismatic, globe-trotting trio are the most successful classical crossover artists ever to have come out of Ireland. With just two Victorian shows, one at Burrinja.

““…stacked in tight three-part harmony, they become one magnificent flawless instrument.” Jon Jackson - Classic Melbourne

Running time 110 minutes | plus 20 minute interval

More info

L'amante Anglaise (The Lovers of Viorne)

Captivating True Crime Drama not to be missed.

Classic psychological thriller from one of France’s most renowned authors; Marguerite Duras

A brutal murder is committed in a small town in France. The dismembered corpse is dropped from a railway viaduct onto passing trains below… All except the head. Based upon an actual event, L’amante Anglaise is a beautifully poignant and emotionally powerful portrait of lost passion. This modern classic psychological thriller from celebrated French author, Marguerite Duras, takes you right inside the heart and mind of the perpetrator. A fascinating and compelling true crime story. Pierre (Rob Meldrum) and Claire Lannes (Jillian Murray -2015 Green Room winner, Best Female Performer, Independent Theatre) are ordinary human beings leading everyday lives until catastrophe occurs. Over the course of the drama, they effortlessly reveal the beauty and brutality of their inner selves, and create a painstaking portrait of lost passion. Performed exquisitely and directed by Laurence Strangio, L’Amante Anglaise is a rare and unmissable work of theatre. 

Lior and Paul Grabowsky

Revel in two of Australia’s most acclaimed musicians and composers performing together on Burrinja’s stage!

A collaboration of two of Australia’s most respected artists. Singer/songwriter Lior shot to the public’s attention following his 2005 debut album Autumn Flow, which became one of the most successful independent releases in Australian history. His collaboration with composer Nigel Westlake, won best classical album at the 2014 ARIA awards. Paul Grabowsky is an acclaimed composer, pianist and polymath who has received numerous awards in his illustrious 40 year career. Together they will be reinventing some of Lior’s most cherished songs as well as bringing their own individual voices to this special show.

My Sight Their Sight

Perception is more than just seeing.

Be captivated and challenged by this playfully provocative exploration of the senses.
How would you adapt without sight - blindfolded? Would you rise to the challenge or trip over your own feet? Three highly trained interdisciplinary performing artists work to explore how the human body can move and interact when sight is compromised. A quirky and atmospheric interpretation of the relationship between being sighted and not sighted -exploring shifts in power, poignant moments and pure physicality. My Sight Their Sight engages with the audience to show us how movement, dance, and circus can transcend something that most of us take for granted – SIGHT. Join creator Abbie Madden, Director of the company Blindful, for an insightful Q&A after the performance.

Babar the Elephant and Mozart Melodies

Whitehorse Orchestra Children's Concert

A deep dive into the world of the Orchestra for inquisitive youngsters!

Don’t miss this entertaining and popular introduction to the Orchestra, complete with a full orchestra on stage, music, songs, story line, narrators, characters in costume and wonderful video imagery. The Orchestra will be performing The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant (L'Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant) by Francis Poulenc (1940). The story of Babar the Elephant has been a much-loved children’s favourite for almost 100 years now, from the original French books and A.A. Milne’s English versions; to animations, feature films and major concert works. Babar is one of the most recognized children's characters in the world, with publications in over 17 languages. Come and explore the musical world of Babar with the Whitehorse Orchestra.

A Taste of Tamworth

Featuring Carter & Carter, Lyn Bowtell, Jayne Denham & The Weeping Willows

GiddyUPwey!

The Taste Of Tamworth show is a unique concert experience that brings a tasty sample of Australia’s biggest festival, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, right into your own backyard. Four multi- award winning acts, led by Golden Guitar winners Carter & Carter, team up to bring you the excitement and entertainment of a festival which has produced artists like Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley, Keith Urban and many more. Each act performs a set of their own hits, before teaming up for a fun filled finale. Four award winning acts together in one big show – A Taste Of Tamworth you’ll never forget.

This years performers are:

Carter & Carter – Australia’s most successful independent country music act with a Golden Guitar, 12 National #1 hits and 12 Independent Country Music Awards

Lyn Bowtell – 6 time Golden Guitar Winner, Toyota Starmaker Winner and Finalist on The Voice in season 6

Jayne Denham – Winner Australian Independent CM Rising Star, five top 10 videos on the Country Music Channel and three national #1 hits on country radio.

The Weeping Willows – 5 X Golden Guitar Finalists, 4x Country Music Channel Finalists and APRA/AMCOS Australian Independent CM Single Of The Year

I Hope It's Not Raining in London

Gripping. Challenging. Confronting. Enlivening.

Delve into fresh, new theatre devised by the award-winning youth company ‘Bearfoot’.

"Two people trapped in a room. One is almost finished but the other is not yet ready. The other will be ready, but just not yet." I Hope it’s Not Raining in London is a contemporary, hybrid- experimental work in its exploration of our perceived realities and the effects of trauma. A sophisticated short play that places two strangers together in a mysterious room. Neither of them has knowledge of where they currently exist and how they got there- and the newest to arrive has no memories whatsoever.

The Sapphires

The most intimate telling of this now much-loved story yet.

The Sapphires is a funny, heart-warming tale inspired by the true story of Tony Brigg’s mother – the incredible journey of four Yorta Yorta Women, who sing Motown hits against the backdrop of personal change and massive social upheaval. It is an energetic, fun and engaging play that affirms life and the realisation of dreams. The Sapphires is one of Australia’s best-loved stories. This multiple award- winning musical play, that inspired the film, is lighting up the stages of the Memo & Burrinja for Culture Tracks 2019.

Picasso and His Dog

A captivating story for the whole family – sure to delight audiences of all ages.

For anyone who’s ever patted a dog or been moved by an artwork.
Picasso and His Dog is inspired by the true life story of Pablo Picasso and his sausage dog Lump. This delightful show celebrates the animals with whom we share our lives while exploring what it is to be creative and to create. Created by Lemony S Puppet Theatre, this work is an inventive mix of live art-making on-stage, puppetry and magic realism. Picasso and His Dog is about how the animals in our lives can inspire us to be excellent humans (and artists).

FoRT

A show for cubby creators and den dwellers!

Rollicking fun with spectacular acrobatics, clowning and poetic visuals, celebrating imagination and adventure.
Have you ever built a… FoRT? … The wonderful crew at Asking for Trouble delve into the art of play and the creation of worlds from everyday objects. Two strange characters appear hunting for whispers of adventure. A couch, table, cushions, sheets and broomsticks transform into rockets, trampolines, cliffs and tents - places to explore. Images appear and disappear. FoRT is full of ridiculous clowning, spectacular acrobatics, poetic visual imagery and celebrates the kind of creative genius that has been known to turn lounge rooms into volcanoes, trees into castles and cardboard boxes into racing cars.

My Brilliant Divorce

My Brilliant Divorce by Geraldine Aron is the radiantly witty and warm personal account of Angela. Dumped by her husband for a younger model, we follow her achingly funny story as she fumbles through the days and the dating scene, rediscovering herself and hoping to find the love of her life! A smash hit for Dawn French on the West End, Mandi Lodge will star in HIT’s 2019 Australian production of this irresistibly funny “stand up tragedy!” 

39 Forever

An enthralling comedy about ageing in an image obsessed world

Satire with sting and songs with cringe… it must be Fringe Fun Follies time!
Do you still feel like you’re 25 even though your birthdate stubbornly insists you’re not? Are you enquiring about Botox ‘for a friend’? This hilarious cabaret from Amity Dry (author of the musical ‘Mother, Wife and the Complicated Life’) was a sell-out success at last year’s Adelaide Fringe and is sure to be a great girls night out. From her childhood home perm to the eve of her 40th birthday Amity explores the pressure women face to maintain the beauty ideal and how social media, Botox and the Kardashians have forever altered the quest for eternal youth. She pokes fun at her '80s childhood and '90s teen exploits, and questions whether 40 is the new 30 or just something you say to make you feel better.

Sherlock Holmes and a Woman's Wit

Grip the edge of your seat as Lux Radio Theatre brings these wonderful ‘whodunit’ stories to life.

Before television, the entertainment highlight of the week was the Sunday night radio play. The Lux Radio Theatre recreates those days with distinguished actors playing multiple roles, creating the live sound effects and the vintage soap commercials. Let your imagination run free as you watch two intriguing Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Paul David Goddard leads the cast as Sherlock Holmes and the woman he admires is played by Lucy Gransbury.

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