Alison Croggon writes: One of my minor obsessions is the question: what about theatre for young people? Theatre for children and young adults is generally marginalised as a minority sport. Being a keen reader of children's fiction, I know that some of the work written for young people is as fine as anything written for "grown ups" (try Alan Garner, Sonya Hartnett, David Almond or Alice Hoffman). And so it is with theatre.

In our culture, theatre for young people is either hived off into specialist companies - not that I mean to dismiss what can be wonderful work - or into educational programs. What doesn't happen in any of our major companies is main stage programming of work that is specifically made for young people: that is, a sense that this theatre audience is taken seriously.

Yet this happens routinely in Europe, where major companies commonly program plays for young people alongside their productions of Kleist or Euripides. The National Theatre in London puts on a massive production for children each year (most recently, a very successful adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel Warhorse). Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I can't remember the MTC, for example, ever putting a show for children into its mainstage programming. (Update: I was mistaken, as a commenter below points out). Last year the Malthouse came close with their production of Stephen Page's Kin, which I saw with a lot of children in the audience, and it made me wonder why more of this kind of programming doesn't happen.

It's not as if there are not beautiful works written for young people. To take a couple of English writers, try David Almond's Wild Boy, Wild Girl, or the extraordinarily lyrical The Lost Child by Mike Kenny (who is, oddly, extremely popular in France). There's no reason why theatre for young people ought not to be as artful and profound as theatre for anyone else; and to me it seems like such a strange oversight. Young people are, after all, every theatre's future audience.

We can't just leave the anklebiters to the Wiggles. I deeply worry that all the smart young adolescents I know hang out at art galleries and concerts, and scarcely ever think about going to the theatre; they are literate, sometimes scarily so, in film, visual art and music, but not in theatre. (My children are an exception, because they've been indoctrinated).

There is, of course, a lot more to say about all this, and some of those who ought to be saying things are young people themselves. Which brings me to Theatargh, a new blog started by 19 year old arts/law student Chris Summers which promises "thoughts and frustrations on Melbourne theatre through bright young eyes". He aims, he says, to explore "youth and emerging forms of theatre". The blogosphere is of course full of startlingly young persons who make me feel like Methusaleh (hi there Avi and Matt) but Chris is highlighting an area that is sadly overlooked. And he's made an excellent beginning with an interview with Platform Youth Theatre's Nadja Kostich on her upcoming show Tenderness.

(Article published in LOWDOWN magazine April 2008 vol 30 no 2)
We just never have time. No time to see each other's work, time to talk about new projects, why works are being developed, what's in the pipeline, what explorations are taking place. How are you going? What do you think? And when do we ever talk about Art? Heads down bum up, the small to medium sector are all monarchs of multi-tasking and rarely have the time to think or dream.

At Polyglot Puppetry Theatre this situation got to ridiculous proportions. Always under the pump with the next project looming, we found ourselves constantly writing applications or acquitting them and trying to do the day to day business of a fast growing company. With just three full time staff members, we experienced a relentless pace with multi-tasking becoming insane and often rehearsals suffering with the director sucked into the office maelstrom.

In 2007 we received a Company Development Grant from The Australia Council for the Arts Theatre Board to work with Dr Mary Ann Hunter with the intention of identifying what Polyglot was and how we worked. Dr Hunter undertook extensive research and gathered information about our company, internally and externally, particularly focusing on how we were perceived by others.

The research identified several issues. We saw that we needed to be more visible in our activity, to be able to articulate what the company did clearly and with confidence, and most importantly we had to make sure that the art was being nourished, internally and externally. The findings of the research were very challenging but also positively fascinating and resulted in a vigorous re-articulation of the company's activities and the creation of a business plan that actually meant something and had art at its heart. Thus the creation of ‘Feed the Art'.

Feed The Art is a cultural model of appraisal and replenishment which now sits under all of Polyglot's activities, and underpins all of our goals. The model does several things.

Feed The Art has a menu of elements that go towards making a strong and living foundation for good art and one that invites the rest of the world into our entire practice in a way that is inspiring, stimulating and full of energy. There are 4 choices in the menu - and each has little side dishes. I'm hoping the food metaphor wont run out - it hasn't yet.

1. Kids Creative Committee (KCC). Our ever growing group of children who have enjoyed Polyglot's shows and are our regular touching stone for ideas, opinions and performance development .The KCC are from two areas: a general public group and a specific school or community group for each project. Through the KCC, we are continually inspired by the instinctive art genius, unique perspectives and discernment of children of all ages.

2. Puppetry Catalyst. We are a puppetry company and provocation in puppetry is essential if we are to make the most of this boundless art form. Our Puppetry Catalyst has two functions - as a workshop/conversation group before ideas hit the floor and as individual members entering early in the rehearsal process for a day of play where all ideas are up for grabs.

3. Critical Appraisal. This is an idea that is already well done by some companies in Australia, including Patch Theatre in South Australia, and has been embraced by the Danish Children's Theatre movement. Our Critical Appraisal Panel is asked to respond freely to new work at three stages. In rehearsal during the third week, at an invited showing at the end of for an audience of children and adults and while in performance during a season.

4. Artistic Conversations. This is about opening arts practice by talking and working with practitioners in other forms - expanding the application of puppetry by colliding ideas with music, dance, visual art, opera, sculpture, design, architecture, film and TV. It also means keeping abreast of contemporary art, researching historical trends, becoming immersed in the bewildering variety and breadth of expression that human beings have invented.

The benefits of using this model to underpin our work are numerous

It widens our appreciation and perception of our peers - creating a non-competitive culture of involvement and bringing other partners into the process so they can become advocates for our sector.
It ensures our work is carefully created, rigorously discussed and debated and widely supported in the industry.

Feed The Art enables us to be sure that new avenues are being explored, that young people are central to our practice and that we continue to challenge the status quo of theatre and children's theatre in particular.

It serves the Artistic Director by providing replenishment, connection and stimulus in an often administration-heavy working environment, validating dreaming/thinking/talking time and offering sources of contact and conversation.

Not only does the model serve the art-making within the company, it serves to increase the rigour in the creative process by introducing catalysts to provoke and challenge our art form, broadening our consultation, inviting critical appraisal and feedback.

One of the unique things about this model is that we are also applying it to our operations - inviting critical appraisal, kids consultation and the concept of catalyst to management, finances, marketing and the role of the board

Feed The Art has already changed the culture of Polyglot significantly. It validates artistic time and effort, develops the relationship with our Kids Creative Committee and with our artistic peers. It opens every part of our company to the idea of excellence and draws the industry closer to Polyglot's activities and future.

Sue Giles - Artistic Director Polyglot Puppet Theatre

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