Walk the Fence. Theatre-in-Education co-created and directed by Felicity Bott (Buzz Dance Theatre, Perth) and Kate Shearer (Jigsaw Theatre Company, Canberra)for Early Childhood age group. Composer, Melanie Robinson. Installation and costumes, Kaoru Alfonso. Lighting, Alex Sciberras. Courtyard Studio at Canberra Theatre, June 3-13, 10am and 12.30pm. Bookings: Canberra Ticketing 6275 2700 or www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Buzz and Jigsaw, with actor/dancers Keira Mason-Hill (Rachel) and Chris Palframan (Pole, Mr Troublesome, Maggie and Brick)have created a work which excited, moved and educated all the Year 1 and 2 boys and girls I sat among on Wednesday.
Teaching emotional intelligence to 4-8 year-olds means engaging the childrens' emotions first to put them in the right state of mind to learn the lesson – just what theatre is designed to do, and done beautifully in this production. The lesson for Rachel is "Breathe 1, breathe 2, breathe 3 (to slow down and lower your anger), shake yourself, run about and dance, then use your words to tell your feelings – because I am the boss of me."
But I am angry and breathing hard because I am told that the ACT Department of Education no longer gives any funds to support Jigsaw Theatre Company – despite 35 years' top-class work making it arguably the nation's premier theatre-in-education team. Jigsaw walks the fence even more on their tiptoes than the young girl Rachel in the show who has to learn to cope with her parents' separation and moving away from her street.
Rachel's story, danced exquisitely by Mason-Hill, with expert help from highly gymnastic actor Palframan,reaches a positive conclusion. I asked a neighbouring 6 year-old boy was he sorry or happy for Rachel. Happy in the end, he said, and clearly understood how good it was for Rachel to learn to ground herself in reality, feeling OK on the ground instead of only up on walls and fences.
The show is a wonderful example of how movement is the basis of feeling in theatre, as it is in putting emotional intelligence into practice. All the right principles of educational drama are played out through Rachel's journey from anger, which puts her in "time-out" without resolution, to working through to acceptance and even excitement at the prospect of change.
So while parents and teachers can, indeed should, give their children the experience of Jigsaw's work under the Department of Education's Key Learning Areas of The Arts and Health, the Company has to face the divorce of education from the arts. ArtsACT is the only local parent providing alimony, with encouragement from a supportive aunt at the Australia Council. There is enough to pay for artistic direction and administration, but absent parent ACT Department of Education needs to pay their share to cover costs of mounting shows. After all, this is not box office commercial theatre. Teaching emotional development in early childhood is essential to our community's well-being, but where's the right response from our government to support Jigsaw's literally heart-warming work?
©Frank McKone, Canberra
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