SEARCHLIGHT

How High The Sky
Polyglot Theatre

Venue: Piano Bar
When: Tue 28 Feb 09:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Genre: Interdisciplinary / Hybrid Arts
Main Audience: Children/Primary
Producer: Simon Abrahams
No. in touring party: 5

How High The Sky

Can adults perceive the world as babies do? How often do we get an opportunity to reflect on the unadulterated wonder of a baby’s unique view of the world? Polyglot Theatre’s How High The Sky is a multi-sensory interactive theatrical experience for babies under 12 months and their carers.

An immersive environment is filled with white and clear balloons which are delicately balanced with both ‘breath air’ and helium to create a continuously changing architecture. The intimate sonic response of each child is captured using radio microphones, as the magical sounds of delighted goos and sighs, even cries, are mixed live into the sound design, enabling an experience of the pure and heightened expression of the babies in the room.

The heartbeat of each child is recorded by their parent using a digital stethoscope, as this chorus of rapidly beating infant heartbeats becomes a striking metaphor for the fragility and individuality of new life and the miracle of a collective future.

After over two years of development, How High The Sky will premiere at the Arts Centre in Melbourne in late 2012.

Directors: Sue Giles and Jessica Wilson
Designer: Anna Tregloan
Sound Designer: David Franzke
Lighting Designer: Andrew Livingston

Polyglot Theatre

Australia’s Polyglot Theatre is an internationally renowned creator of interactive theatre and installation art for children. At Polyglot, theatre is child’s play. Polyglot’s artists are inspired by the artwork, play and ideas of children, and our performances feature active participation from audience members through touch, play and encounter. Our artistic works respond to the childhood need for experiences that encourage free artistic expression and an imaginative interpretation of the world. We seek to challenge, to foster curiosity and to inspire.

For over 30 years, Polyglot has been recognised one of Australia’s leading children’s arts companies, and in recent years the company has been in demand internationally, playing to over 100,000 children annually on four continents in five different languages. Recent tours include We Built This City at the Royal National Theatre as part of the London International Festival of Theatre, Kennedy Center, Kujimuna Festa in Japan and Taipei International Children’s Theatre Festival, Check Out! at the Hong Kong International Arts Carnival and National Theatre of Korea, Muckheap at China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, Wild Things at the World Expo in Shanghai and The Big Game at the Singapore Arts Festival.

Photo: Gavin D Andrew