Welcome
to our 2024
season
A brand new season from Breaksea with 5 meaningful projects, exploring relationships between generations in the community, telling true stories of connection and finding purpose, and spreading joy and messages of kindness and culture. A full year of community and youth engagement, touring in the regions with performances in Perth and Albany.
Come together with Beacon ~ City of Joondalup Community Choral Project, find your way back with Caretaker, be transported by Thunderstorm (Malkar), be enchanted by our touring show Seadragon, and celebrate the joy of culture with a Nyittiny creation story in our school series, Aliwah Bardinar!
An ode to connection and togetherness.
Together. Connected. United.
Breaksea, side by side.
Beacon
COMMUNITY SERIES
2024 City of Joondalup Festival ~ Community Choral Project
Open Workshops | Thursdays
6:45-8:45pm
1, 8, 15, 22, 29 February & 7, 14 March
St. Stephen’s School, Duncraig
Dress Rehearsal 15 March
Duncraig Community Centre
Free Public Performances | Sunday 17 March 5:30pm & 6:30pm
Hillary’s Boat Harbour | Electric Kingdom Installation
Beacon, this year’s City of Joondalup Community Choral Project was an exciting community activity bringing together singers of all ages and abilities from all over Perth. A great opportunity, open to all West Australians, to be together, have fun and learn something new!
Over 7 weeks with Music Director Pia Harris, the choir met weekly to participate in engaging and fun-filled sessions learning songs with interesting processes and vocal parts.
The theme for 2024 was Beacon. In being a beacon of hope and light to others, we have the opportunity to lead and encourage other people through dark passages of life into the light. Intergenerational participation was encouraged in this project, the families that we are born into and the ones that we create as our own. Making time with and for the people in our lives, we connected through our weekly commitment and shared the experience of the power of singing and music making together. We will be exploring knowledge sharing between generations, history and culture, with a strong emphasis on building and maintaining community.
With uplifting, inspiring music from Florence & The Machine, Jackie Wilson to Breaksea original pieces, the sessions culminated in free outdoor performances, Sunday 17 March 7pm & 8pm, Hillary’s Boat Harbour amongst the captivating Electric Kingdom installation.
Please see a short video of Beacon at the link below!
Seadragon
BREAKSEA ON TOUR
Port Hedland Tour
31 October - 2 November 2024
Matt Dunn Theatre | Port Hedland
The Magical Weedy Seadragon is a magical transformative adventure from ocean to shore, following a young child who has forgotten how to be kind.
When the child finds a Magical Weedy Seadragon washed up on shore and chooses to take it home, they find themselves magically transformed into a fish! Facing raging oceanic currents, sea creatures and a dazzling aquatic talent quest, the child must learn the most important lesson of all - kindness.
This interactive, musical production is brought to life by 3 exceptional performers, extravagant costumes, cute puppets and incredible new music. Children will be swept up in the magic of theatre with opportunities to interact with characters and contribute to the performance.
Developed over a 4-month period with primary school children from across the Great Southern, the performance features live music, quirky characters and a sprinkling of magic.
Featuring Breaksea artists, Pia Harris, Stuart Laing & Ron Dick directed by Matt Ward, with music by Jonathan Brain.
Breaksea have recently completed succesful seasons of Seadragon at AQWA & CircuitWest "Shows on the Go" Tour!
Thunderstorm (Malkar)
SPECIAL EVENT | ALBANY
Friday 12 July 4pm & 7:30pm
Albany Entertainment Centre
This project is supported by the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund
Experience crafted storytelling through singing, acting and dancing interwoven with live music and beautifully created projections.
Showcasing Breaksea youth artists, Jarrad Inman, Sabrina Ives, Bonnie Staude and Gus Moir, together with Let’s Shine All Abilities Performance Group.
Thunderstorm features a newly formed choir, meeting over 10 weeks, bringing together youth and adults in the community.
Celebrating side by side partnerships with incredible Noongar artists Jarrad Inman and Rachael Colmer, Thunderstorm is part of the Albany Entertainment Centre's NAIDOC Week program.
Thunderstorm explores the universal themes of home, family and country, following a young father's journey through conflict. What happens when Harry is lost, far from home with only memories of family to sustain him? Directed by Matt Ward, conducted by Pia Harris with brand new music by Jonathan Brain and Sabrina Ives.
Join us on a powerful odyssey of reconnection.
To participate in the project, please register your interest as soon as possible. Follow the links below for more information.
Caretaker
SPECIAL EVENT | PERTH
Saturday 24 August 4pm & 7:30pm
Fridays Studio, West Perth
Contemporary music theatre by Breaksea in collaboration with UWA Conservatorium of Music
"Emotionally transformative" - Albany Advertiser
With the dawn comes the warmth of sunlight, the coming of the wind and with it comes the Caretaker. Following people of all kinds, she collects the lost selves that people discard, simply forget or unknowingly lose. No self is ever truly lost, it just comes to her for a time. She guards the self, keeping it safe in the pockets of her magical cloak. You cannot recognise her in a crowd and you will not know what she looks like until you see your lost self cradled in her hand.
Following the true Great Southern stories of family, connection and purpose, Caretaker will take you on a journey of self discovery, understanding and hope for the future.
The culmination of 2024 Breaksea Youth Mentorship program, Caretaker comes to the stage in collaboration with UWA Broadway Choir & Aquinas College Schola Cantorum, featuring Sabrina Ives, Rachael Colmer, Bonnie Staude, Maree Cole & Stuart Laing. Directed by Matt Reuben James Ward, conducted by Pia Harris with music by Jonathan Brain & Sabrina Ives.
This is a Breaksea Youth Mentorship Project supported by the Department of Local Government, Sport & Culture.
Support
Aliwah Bardinar!
by Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse
We are currently fundraising for our upcoming production Aliwah Bardinar! premiering at Albany Entertainment Centre and Awesome Arts Festival in 2025. This joyful new children’s show written by multi-award winning composers Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse, tells the story of how the Bardinar (Western Rosella) got its colours. We would appreciate any support you can provide to bring this joyous show to life!
SCHOOL SERIES
Hilton Primary School Residency
July-September 2024
Aliwah Bardinar! has begun its journey this year, as a 3 month multi-art form residency at Hilton Primary School culminating in a full school production in September.
WORKSHOP SERIES
Awesome Arts Festival
Wednesday 25 & Thursday 26 September 2024
Aliwah Bardinar! continues his journey at Awesome Festival in the September School Holidays with ticketed visual art and design workshops with Rae Cottam & Fiona Bruce, singing and performance workshops with Pia Harris & Jarrad Inman culminating in a concert with multi-award winning composers and performers Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse featuring brand new music from Aliwah Bardinar!
About Aliwah Bardinar!
From the multi-award winning composers of Wanjoo and Koolbardi wer Wardong, comes a new children’s production - Aliwah Bardinar! (Look-out Rosella!). Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse’s new production tells the sweet Nyttiny (creation) story of how the Bardinar (Western Rosella) got its colours. Presented in both Noongar language and English, the work introduces audiences to an ancient language and story featuring an array of barna (animals) from across beautiful Noongar boodja. Set to premiere in 2024, over the next few years, this production is set to tour Noongar country promoting Noongar language and celebrating creativity.
First phase development
After its 3 month multi-art form residency at Hilton Primary School culminating in a full school production in September, Aliwah Bardinar! continues with multi-art form workshops and a concert featuring performers Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse with brand new music from Aliwah Bardinar! at the Awesome Arts Festival this September school holidays. The creative team will be inspired by community engaged workshops with children, which will inform the design and development of costumes and set. Find out more at awesomearts.com/festival
About the creators
Wanjoo Pty Ltd – is the company of multi-award-winning musical duo Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse. Wanjoo is firmly in the business of building a legacy of sharing Noongar language, through music, storytelling, songwriting and performance. Wanjoo has been at the forefront of the musical revival of Noongar language, releasing four albums, writing two major Festival works (Koorlangka and Koort), two books and two critically acclaimed operas for West Australian Opera (Koolbardi wer Wardong & Wundig wer Wilura). They coordinate the ever-popular Wanjoo workshops, seeing up to 3000 school children a week at any given time and run Noongar singing masterclasses for adults.
Celebrate the joy of culture with a Nyittiny (creation) story, Aliwah Bardinar!
