Being brave on the big stage

In late 2022, a group of students participated in our out-of-school art education program, SmArts. For each of them it was a very exciting opportunity. The Smith Family Program Coordinator Jacinta recounts for us what happened.

“We were not sure it would work. A class of extremely shy girls performing a drama piece to an audience in Darwin's Entertainment Centre. The idea was theirs. Every word was written by them,” she says.

“Even an hour before the show the students were negotiating lines, positions on stage, who would stand, who would sit. The audience had to be held outside for an extra 15 minutes to patiently follow this democratic process through to the end.

“The audience entered and the lights went down. And what emerged was a quirky tale called ‘The Flip Side’. The cast woke up in a world where everything had changed. The girls owned this story and delivered strong, bold lines and movement, backed by mesmeric digital imagery.

“In every SmArts program, the final performance always proves the worth of this program.

“Students discover they CAN do things they never imagined they could. Their excitement and joy is infectious!”

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Anna and Alyson from Corrugated Iron because it helped me to become more creative and flourish as an artist. As a future actor, this has given me an amazing opportunity to work with professional actors. By the end of this experience, I knew I wanted to be a stage actor after I graduate. I feel lucky I got to have this experience at school.

Starzia, age 17

The program helped me become more confident with speaking out loud to people. I enjoyed the project as it involved working together with my friends and other people I befriended. The Corrugated Iron leaders made the project comfortable for me because they made me feel welcomed. I learnt to have courage to speak and perform publicly.

Annie, age 16

I enjoyed the program because I was able to experience what it was like to build a performance from the ground up. It was interesting being able to work with professional actors in a professional setting (Darwin Entertainment Centre). Overall, I would recommend this program to others.

Leyarna, age 17

I enjoyed working on the performance with Corrugated Iron as I was able to expand my knowledge and skills with performance and acting. I was able to learn more about how rehearsals work and how creative productions occur in the theatre. It was able to shape a new perspective of theatre for me.

Alliah, age 17

Being brave on the big stage

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