Barking Gecko’s The Cicada Experience heads to Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre

Harvey’s youngest drama kings and queens have taken part in a series of workshops based on one of Shaun Tan’s most famous picture books. The Cicada experience — Inspired by Tan’s Cicada — is a series of drama-based workshops led by teaching artists from the State’s longest-running theatre company, Barking Gecko. Held at the Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre, the workshops are an opportunity for regional kids aged seven to 11 to engage with the performing arts and explore themes of belonging, alienation, freedom, prejudice, self-expression and transformation. Barking Gecko creative learning associate Carla Nirella said all the kids involved in the Harvey workshops had been incredible and excited to share their ideas. “For a lot of them (the kids) drama and theatre is really new, a lot of the kids haven’t done performing before so it’s really great to see them, mostly, just developing their confidence, sense of self and learning to express their creative ideas and opinions,” she said. The workshops run in unison with Cicada, a professional show to be performed later this year, which Ms Nirella said was a wonderful way for the performers to engage with the community before the show’s arrival. “It’s really about working with young people, by immersing them (the kids) in the story of Cicada and getting kids to dive deeply into the story, the character and its world,” she said. “One of the things that’s really important for Barking Gecko Theatre is that we feel young people act as our creative consultants, while we’re creating and making a new show we like to explore some of the content ideas with young people. “When the show comes to town it’s not just a show that comes in for a day or two, by the time it gets there (to Harvey) the kids already have a connection to the story and its character and it’s a much deeper, long-lasting experience for them.” Having run over a four-day period the workshops end with participants presenting a small performance to parents and family members, after Cicada premieres in Perth it will make its way to the HRCC stage later in the year.