BODY ARMOUR - ILBIJERRI Theatre Companyilbijerri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/BODY_ARMOUR...BODY ARMOUR – Education Resource Pack 4 ABOUT THE SHOW “This is going to be the

Education Resource Pack

Author: Lia Pa’apa’a

Updated by: George Katsikas

State Governmentof Victoria, Department

of Healthwww.ilbijerri.com.au

BODY ARMOUR

1BODY ARMOUR – Education Resource Pack

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME 2

Making the most out of Body Armour 2

Victorian Essential Learning Standards 3

BODY ARMOUR 4

About the Show 4

A short history of the show 4

MEET THE CHARACTERS 5

Rose Thorn 5

Harley Davidson/Degree 6

Danni Boye 7

TASK 1: HEP C – WHAT IS IT? 8

TASK 2: THEATRE ETIQUETTE 11

TASK 3: ENJOY THE SHOW! 14

TASK 4: REVIEW AND MEET THE CHARACTERS 14

TASK 5: IDENTITY 16

TASK 6: DEVELOP YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN 17

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM 19

Uraine Mastrosavas: Actor 19

LeRoy Parsons: Actor 20

Maurial Spearim: Actor 21

Kamarra Bell-Wykes: Writer 22

John Romeril: Dramaturgy 24

Margaret Harvey: Director 25

Alison Ross: Designer 26

Ann Liebzeit: Sound Designer 27

Bec Cooen: Tour/Stage Manager 28

CAREERS IN THEATRE: PRODUCTION ROLES 29

Production Management 29

Stage Management 29

Technicians 29

Costume Coordinator 30

Mechanist 30

ABOUT US: ILBIJERRI THEATRE COMPANY 30


MAKING THE MOST OUT OF BODY ARMOUR

Welcome to the BODY ARMOUR schools kit.

This Body Armour kit has been developed by Lia Pa’apa’a [email protected] who has been working in both Indigenous Education and Community Arts for the past 10 years.

It is intended that teachers will build on their students’ theatre experience of Body Armour with these resources and establish explicit links with their own curriculum and learning outcomes. Inevitably, there will be a diverse range of student (and teacher!) experiences with theatre, however the inherent fl exibility in these activities is designed to engage all levels.

Six tasks have been developed to be delivered both before and after the performance. These tasks were developed in consultation with ILBIJERRI staff and are aimed at maximising student’s creative development within their classroom learning.

As Indigenous Australians share and learn culture orally, it is intended that teachers will be able to use different methods of delivery and assessment for each of the activities. It is also intended that students will take a lead in driving their own learning and engage in different creative tasks that extend them beyond their comfort zone.

Naturally, these tasks are only guides and should be adapted to meet the needs and interests of the students. They are intended to be delivered sequentially, however can be done individually too. The tasks can also be accessed online so students can work at their own pace and access the site from home.

This is an integrated unit of work and covers several VELS Domains and Standards as listed below. At the time of revising this content, the National Curriculum for The Arts was still in a consultative phase (see www.acara.edu.au/arts.html). It is worth noting however, that Body Armour presents many opportunities to link in with the Cross-Curriculum Priorities (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures) and the General Capabilities (Critical and creative thinking, Personal and social competence, Intercultural understanding) – key elements of the Australian Curriculum.

As this is the fi rst time that we have developed an education kit for one of our theatre shows, we are keen for any feedback and would like to know how the lessons work on the ground with your students. Please feel free to email with any comments or questions.

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company is excited about your students learning and would love to have any student work samples scanned to us. Please forward to [email protected].

WELCOME


VICTORIAN ESSENTIAL LEARNING STANDARDS

Level 6

The Arts Standards - Creating and making, Exploring and responding

Civics and Citizenship - Community engagement

Communication - Listening, Viewing and responding, Presenting

English - Reading, Writing, Speaking and listening

Health and Physical Education - Health knowledge and promotion

The Humanities/History - Historical knowledge and understanding

Information and Communications Technology - ICT for communicating

Interpersonal Development - Building social relationships, Working in teams

Personal Learning - The Individual learner, Managing personal learning

Thinking Processes - Reasoning, processing and inquiry, Creativity, Refl ection, Evaluation and metacognition


ABOUT THE SHOW

“This is going to be the hottest thing since Dian got fi lmed French kissing her Maltese” (Danni)

“I mean red-hot, mint fresh, rolled gold, tight clenched, bomb-biggy, pooty-tang, po-pro bro” (Harley)

“Shut up Harley” (Rose)

Meet Dannii, Harley and Rose. Three teenagers. Three individuals. Three modern-day warriors on a quest for identity: fuelled with attitude and armed with ink and steel.

When their paths cross unexpectedly, they realise that they might have found more than they were looking for. And that sometimes, the best way to look forward is by looking back...

Body Armour is the next installment from the team behind the multi award-winning Chopped Liver (which has been seen by almost ten thousand people in over 150 communities, schools and prisons across Australia). Fresh, sassy and razor-sharp, Body Armour has been specifi cally designed for high school audiences, to raise awareness of Hep C in the Indigenous community and beyond.

The story follows the journey of three teenagers as they experiment with risky activities such as piercing, tattooing and blood sharing. Timely comparisons to ancient body modifi cation rituals gently remind us of the importance of history and culture in the search for identity and the need to belong.

Vibrant, funny and non-judgmental, the show’s power lies in its ability to open minds, discussions and possibilities.

Running Time: 50 minutes (no interval)

Audience: Suitable for audiences age 16+. Performance includes infrequent coarse language, drug references and adult themes.

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SHOW:

In 2005 ILBIJERRI Theatre Company was approached by the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop a play that would communicate Hep C prevention and education messages in a culturally appropriate way to the Indigenous community.

This project became Chopped Liver, which has subsequently gone on to be seen by around ten thousand Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, in well over one hundred and fi fty communities, schools and prisons across Australia.

In 2008, the show was awarded an Indigenous Community Justice Award (for outstanding contribution towards improved social justice for the Koori Community in the Enforcement Initiative), as well as the prestigious “Secretary’s Award” at the 2008 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards, for “keeping people well in the community”.

In response to the demand and phenomena surrounding Chopped Liver, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company has once again joined forces with the DHS and Hep C Victoria, Playwright Kamarra Bell-Wykes and Dramaturg John Romeril, to devise Body Armour.

BODY ARMOUR


My name’s Rose Thorn, and believe me, every rose has one – I’m living proof.

That’s my mum’s pet name for me – the thorn in her side.

I live in Reservoir but I’m Yorta Yorta breed through and through. Both my mum and dad are Yorta Yorta, which is one thing they had in common.

Not enough to keep them together though.

After me, mum couldn’t have any more kids but dad wanted a big tribe so he got busy making babies all over Mildura.

Obviously not something mum enjoyed watching, so we moved to Melbourne to start a new life. I think mum blames me, like I made her barren or something.

That’s what she told me on my 8th birthday. I didn’t know what it meant so I was pretty happy when I unwrapped my only present, a dictionary.

Me and mum? Yeah it’s a bit of a love/hate relationship. But all mother/daughter relationships are like that, aren’t they? Or is it just ours? Maybe it’s just me.

Apparently love/hate relationships are my specialty. The school well-being offi cer reckons I have one with myself. A love/hate relationship…

She reckons that’s what it was with Storm. A love/hate relationship, she reckons that’s why we… It wasn’t though, we might have hated ourselves but we loved each other.

Adults are real good at stating the obvious and missing the other stuff, the stuff that’s not easy to see.

ROSE THORN

Name: Rose Thorn

Mob: Yorta Yorta

Age: 17

School: Northlands Secondary

Favorite Color: Black

Favorite Book: The Power of One

Favorite Movie: Girl, Interrupted

Favorite Food: Nachos

MEET THE CHARACTERS


I grew up in Collingwood high-rise: “commissioned til I die”, that’s what my dad used to say. And come to think of it, he was – born and bred in the fl ats. And a few years ago that’s where he…

Yeah he knew the system alright, couldn’t help it, grew up in it, welfare, foster homes, juvenile, penitentiary, rehab, he knew the game and how to play it. Not enough to get anywhere but enough to survive.

That’s why my name’s always been on the lease, just in case anything happened I wouldn’t be out on my arse. No 7 years waiting list for me, number 654a, Harley Davidson’s place, always was, always will be.

Yes that’s my real name, and it’s about the only thing I can’t blame dad for… my mum was the chopper freak, he reckons that’s the only reason she married him, for his last name… I can believe that.

He was a champion once, a boxer; I’ve seen the posters, Peter Davidson: Welter Weight State Champion. 3 years in a row, they reckon he was pretty smooth once, my old man, surviving on charm and a cheeky smile, they reckon I’m just like him before he… He never knew his family or where he was from, he claimed Collingwood.

They met at the Fitzroy All Stars Gym, she was fresh from Framlingham Mission, love at fi rst sight, a Gunditjmara Princess and the Prince of the Streets.

Then she got sick, with cancer, and dad, I think he’s always had a hole inside.

She went when I was 8 and dad, well he spent the rest of his life trying to catch up with her, trying to fi ll the hole inside.

Me? I watched and I wished. Every day I watched him chase death and every day I wished that he would just hurry up and catch it.

And I sketched. I used to cruise around with my pad and my pen drawing everything I’d see; my dad passed out on the couch, an old man going through rubbish in the park, whatever, anything but my mums face, the only thing I saw when I closed my eyes.

When I was 13, I saw some dudes in the Clifton Hill train yard, spraying on an old 6 carriage-clinker; the cans were like magic wands in the hands of master sorcerers, weaving a spelling of golden fi ll and aqua blue out-line. That was my conversion, my redemption, my-rebirth;

“…And from the spray-can was born Degree.”

HARLEY DAVIDSON

Name: Harley Davidson

Mob: Gunditjmara

Age: 17

School: School of Life!

Favorite Color: Black, Yellow & Red (of course)

Favorite Book: Deadly Unna

Favorite Movie: The Tattooist

Favorite Food: Pizza


My names Danni and I just had my sweet sixteen, but believe me I have been kissed and…well a lady never tells her secrets but let’s put it this way, I don’t think I’ll be wearing a white dress at my wedding... LOL ;)

Actually, of course I will wear white. I mean Carrie Bradshaw did and the name of the show isn’t “Virgin and the City” is it?

But anyway back to me. I was born and bred in Kew, I was raised by my mother Hannah, a successful advertising executive. Well, Hannah is my mother but Louise was my mummy, that’s our housekeeper.

Louise nurtured and Hannah provided, Hannah can’t help being workaholic - you have to understand it requires sacrifi ce to get the things that really matter in life.

What matters? Well an exclusive education at Ullarah Hills High for a starters and, I don’t know, the everyday things: clothes, cars, jewellery, travel, the latest ‘i-whatever’, you know, it’s the little things that make the world go round.

Okay I bet I know what you’re thinking: “how many single Aboriginal women live in Kew and are CEO of one of Australia’s leading advertising companies?”

Well the answer is none. My mother is not Aboriginal, I got that from my father; it’s like the only thing he gave me...

I’ve never met him. From what I can gather, mum hardly met him… except in the biblical sense of course.

She was on a research trip in the Northern Territory and her and the tour guide had a bit too much to drink one night and under the stars of the outback sky…well mum forgot who she was… and here I am.

For years she tried to tell me I was a throwback to her Italian-Irish ancestry but then my father wrote a letter, and since Hannah’s never home, of course I was the one to open it…

He wants to meet me, wants me to go to Darwin to meet my family…but I don’t even know any Aboriginal people, except for me…and I don’t count do I?

DANNI BOYE

Name: Danni Boye

Mob: Koori

Age: 16

School: Ullarah Hills High

Favorite Color: Aqua

Favorite Book: Twilight

Favorite Movie: Sex and the City

Favorite Food: Sushi


OBJECTIVES OF TASK 1

1. To develop an understanding of HepC - including symptoms and characteristics, key agencies who support people with HepC

2. To identify strategies that support a person with HepC.

3. To familiarize and use key words and concepts associated with HepC.

4. To use traditional oral communication strategies.

GET IN THE KNOW

Hepatitis C is a disease that affects thousands of Australians. There are many myths and facts about how we can catch it, what are the symptoms and if infected, how we can live our lives. In this task it will be up to you to separate fact from fi ction.

There are some great websites that are targeted at raising awareness of Hep C amongst Australian youth. You may choose to work independently or pair up with a friend to fi nd out about one of the following topics and then report your fi ndings back to the larger group.

Indigenous Australia is an Oral culture that passes down history and traditions through non-written means including, stories, songs, dance and painting. They did not use a written language to document and pass down their information like we do today. You can report back in any medium or way that you would like.

Traditionally, Indigenous Australians use many different mediums and ways to share their knowledge and there are certain people and families within the clan or tribe that are responsible for keeping and maintaining different knowledge. This ensures that stories and knowledge don’t change with every person that learns them.

Body Armour is an Oral form that has been used to tell you a story and teach you about hep C. It would be great for you to share the information that you have learnt about Hep C in an oral form too! This means that you are going to have to think outside the box a bit. These activities have been developed to help you get thinking, get creative and have fun!

CHECK OUT THESE WEBSITES TO GET YOU STARTED:

www.hepcvic.org.au

www.health.vic.gov.au

www.hepcaustralia.com.au

www.hepedu.org.au/resources/res_foreducators_youngpeople.php

TASK 1: HEP C – WHAT IS IT?


SUGGESTED LESSON PLAN

Step 1

Using web-based resources or resources supplied by your teacher, research answers to the Key Questions (write down your answer as you will need to refer to them) – group-based or individual task.

Key Questions

1. What are the physical symptoms of hepatitis C?

2. How can you become infected with hepatitis C? (Alternate wording: what behaviours can lead to being infected with Hepatitis C?)

3. What are some of the psychological and/or social impacts of being infected with hepatitis C?

4. What are the most common treatments available for someone with hepatitis C?

5. Who are some of the agencies that are working with people affected with hepatitis C?

6. How can you support someone you know with hepatitis C?

Step 2

Using the answers to the Key Questions, develop a presentation (between 3 and 10 minutes) communicating an awareness-raising health message about hepatitis C. You must use a non-written form. For example:

• Play or skit

• Painting or drawing

• Rap or song

• Poem,

• Story

These are just some ideas, if you have any others, you should negotiate them with your teacher. Remember that you don’t want this to take you too long to do, but you want to be able to express what you have learnt to others.

This task may be done in small groups or individually.


Step 3 (time dependent on number of presentations - for example, 10min presentation, 5min per feedback)

Each group presents their ‘health message’. Peer review could address the following questions –

1. What aspects of the presentation were engaging? Why?

2. What aspects of the presentation had the greatest impact? Why?

3. What parts of the presentation could be further developed to foster social change?

4. In what ways does presenting health information orally, work better than printing/ publishing?

5. In what ways is printing / publishing health information more effective than using an oral strategy?

Step 4: (extension)

Further develop the health message using a printed medium such as –

• Brochure

• Comic strip

• Diorama

• Poster

• Board Game



1. To develop an awareness and understanding of theatre etiquette and appropriate behaviours from the perspective of an audience.

2. To develop an awareness and understanding of the relationship between performers and the audience.

3. To maximize the theatre experience for the audience.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THEATRE

Theatre has been around for thousands of years, before the Internet, television and even the radio! Theatre shows are exciting because as an audience member you are an important part (active) in the performance rather than just watching as an outsider (passive).

As a live performance, the actors on stage can hear and see you; your reactions and behavior fuels their performance. So, the audience has a direct infl uence on the energy, pace and vibe of the performers.

In order for everyone to enjoy the show there are a few things that you should be aware of. Going through these tasks is one of the main ones as it means that you will come to the show with some understanding - so well done to you!! Others are during the show itself.

THEATRE DO’S AND DON’TS

Here is a list of some basic theatre etiquette that you can apply to any live performance show:The fi rst, and possibly most important, thing to know is that theatre is not cinema!

Coming and Going

Make sure you arrive with enough time, 20 minutes prior to the show beginning is always a good idea. Be aware that for many shows if you arrive late you will not be admitted until a scene change or not admitted at all.

Lock Out

Do not leave your seat and plan to re-enter the auditorium during the performance, you probably won’t be allowed back in!

Mobile Phones

Please ensure these are turned off. If they do ring or beep in a performance it can be very embarrassing for you and distracting to cast and audience members. It is also inappropriate to text during any live performance.

TASK 2: THEATRE ETIQUETTE


Noise

Lolly wrappers and plastic packets make a lot of noise. It is generally accepted that you DO NOT eat during a performance, but if you absolutely have to have lollies (like a cough lolly) when attending a show, ensure that they are out of the packet and unwrapped before the show starts.

Talking

Show consideration for everyone else in the auditorium and resist the urge to talk during the performance. Apart from being really annoying to others in the audience, as a performer it is distracting and simply bad manners. Save something to chat about during the intermission and after the show.

Photographs and Videos

Taking photographs and video during a performance is not permitted.

SUGGESTED LESSON PLAN

Before deciding to implement this particular activity, take some time to get an idea of the level of theatre experience in your students. This will clearly help you in determining at what level to pitch this activity. If you decide to use this activity, the following plan may help in getting you started.

Step 1

Get students to share their own theatre experiences and respond to the following questions:

• What show did they see?

• Where did they see it?

• What was the show about?

• Was it an amateur or professional production?

• How did they end up there?

• What kind of impression was left on them?

Step 2

Create a list of appropriate and inappropriate behaviours for a live theatre performance. You could start with the categories from the list of Theatre Do’s and Don’ts.


Step 3

Create a list of acceptable and inappropriate behaviours for different performance contexts. For example, what is acceptable and unacceptable in a rock concert compared to going to the footy compared to a theatre production.

Consider using a matrix layout such as the following:

Rock concert Football Theatre production

Talking during the performance OK Absolutely No

Eating during the performance Yes Yes No

Walking in and out of the performance Probably not Yes No

Whistling / hooting / booing Maybe Yes No

Step 4

Break into small groups and give each group one scenario based on the categories developed in Step 2.

As a group, brainstorm how different people may respond in the situation. How would another audience member react? What would the actors do? How would theatre staff respond (or not)?

Once you have some ideas act out one of the scenarios. Your characters could include some actors and audience members, theatre ushers, staff etc. (e.g. Someone’s mobile rings during the show and everyone in the audience get distracted and looks at the person instead of the actors, who then forget their lines!!)


It’s now time to enjoy the show. The ILBIJERRI Theatre Company team has travelled far and wide to share this show with you so sit back, remember what you learnt about theatre etiquette in task 2 and get the most out of the experience!!

TASK 3: ENJOY THE SHOW!

TASK 4: REVIEW AND MEET THE CHARACTERS


1. Encourage students to refl ect on their reaction to the performance.

2. Refl ect on the impact the characters may have had on the audience.

3. Make connections between the actions and attitudes of the characters and behaviours that may lead to increased risk of Hepatitis C infection.

KEY REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

Now that you have seen the show, take 20 minutes for personal, independent writing to refl ect on the show and write a review while the show is still fresh in your mind. This will act as a reference for you. Use the following questions to structure your review:

• What was your overall impression of the show?

• Did you learn anything new about Hepatitis C?

• Did you learn anything about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

• What did you love about the show and what do you think could be done to improve it?

• What aspects of the show were ‘real’ and what aspects were ‘unrealistic’?


CHARACTER REVIEW

Now you are going to look at each of the characters. You can refer their personal pages on this site as well as your own observations from the show. Answer and present on one or more of the following questions:

• Which character did you relate to most and why?

• What were some of the risky behaviors that each character displayed in the show?

• What factors do you think may have lead to this behaviour?

• If a friend or family member was displaying those same behaviors, how would you best support them - what would you do?

You could present your responses in a number of ways. Here are a few suggestions:

1. A piece of narrative writing

2. A dot-point list

3. A mind-map

4. A graphic representation (e.g. fi sh skeleton, tree)

5. An ‘interview’ with one of the characters

TASK 5: IDENTITY



1. Develop an awareness of different personal and cultural expressions of identity.

2. Develop an understanding of the function of identity.

3. Refl ect on students’ own expression of their identity.

WHAT MAKES ME, ME!

One of the key themes of Body Armour is that of personal identity. Whilst our three characters explore and express their identity through their use of body art and ceremony, there are many other ways that people express and defi ne their identity, which may vary depending upon culture, background, age, social status and upbringing.

These include:

Physical expressions – such as piercings, tattoos, fashion and dress, make-up, haircuts (color and style), cosmetic surgery, how we walk and talk.

Behaviours – everything we do contributes to our identity, but there can be some behaviours that defi ne who we are more than others. These will be different for every individual and they may include:

• Cultural rituals and ceremonies,

• Rites of passage,

• Social and family relationships,

• Sporting, artistic or volunteering activities

• Employment, career

Values and attitudes to race, religion, gender, sexual preference, social, economic and demographic standing

Cultural elements – stories, music, dance, dress, food, customs/cultural practices

KEY QUESTIONS

1. How do individuals express their identity?

2. How do whole cultures express their identity?

3. What results when individual and cultural identity interact or collide?

4. Why is a sense of identity so critical to human beings?

5. How can a person’s sense of identity impact on their behaviour?



1. Identify the key issues related to the spread and management of Hepatitis C.

2. Identify an audience and their key characteristics.

3. Develop a health awareness message that is appropriate to the needs and characteristics of the intended audience.

SPREAD THE WORD

Part of the reason for shows like Body Armor is to create awareness around a particular issue, which in this case was Hep C. Now that you are an expert, your fi nal task is to create a campaign that spreads the messages that you have learnt to your community.

The main thing here is to think about your audience. It could be –

• Your friends or class

• Your little/older siblings

• Your parents/grandparents

• Your neighbors

• A sport/community group

Consider the following in terms of your target audience –

1. Age range

2. Gender mix

3. Level of schooling (literacy)

4. Cultural background

5. Socio-economic characteristics

TASK 6: DEVELOP YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

• Develop a visual art piece to depict your own identity (canvas/paper with paint, charcoal, pencil etc.)

• Produce a short creative writing piece about how you identify yourself.

• Develop a t-chart comparing your individual identity with the identity of your cultural heritage.

• Construct a mind-map with you at the centre that shows all the elements of your identity.

• Present your piece to the class.


Once you have decided WHO you are going to share your new knowledge with you now have to work out HOW you would like to share it. Again, get creative with it- you have learnt the value of Oral Literacies so try using one of them. This is a great chance for you to show people some of your skills and strengths that you have might not been able to explore at school before.

Design the campaign

Health awareness campaigns generally take months even years to develop and implement. For this reason, approach this task in one of two ways:

a. Campaign Proposal

This is a ‘big picture’ exercise where you identify the various elements of the campaign that will be developed separately.

This can be done graphically, as a fl ow-chart, mind-map or even a narrative. It should list what will be included in the campaign, who it will be targeted at and how it may be developed.

b. Campaign tool

This activity is more about developing a specifi c tool that could be part of a broader campaign. For example –

• Song

• Rap

• Brochure

• Poster

• Mobile phone app

• Radio advertisement

• Story-board for a television ad

• Design for a website

• Interactive computer game

• Community engagement activity

• Traveling roadshow

c. To get you started, think of other public health campaigns that have been effective. What did they do? Why were they effective? (one of the most successful was the “Life Be In It” campaign from the 1980s. Others include the TAC “Bloody Idiot” and QUIT Smoking).


What excites you about working on the show ‘Body Armour’ and with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company?

I get to travel to different parts of Australia, to make a change and educate. It’s one of my dreams to tour a show and travel Australia.

A little bit of background and how you became a performer…

Well I’m from a very small country town via Ceduna at Koonibba Mission SA. My love for performing started as a small child playing cubby house out the bush of Koonibba mission with all my little cousins and loved playing it, we would get so lost in the moment out bush in the trees making tree houses and cubby houses, the town dump was close by so we would get pretty cool stuff for our cubbies. I remember feeling a sense of freedom; I guess that’s why I like performing.

What do you enjoy about performing and what motivates you?

I guess it’s for my people back home, to educate and plant seeds of education, peace, harmony, courage and freedom. I want to make a better life for my family and myself.

What interests and infl uences you in the arts?

I guess how the world was and how it is now, seeing shows that make me feel proud and remind me of why I perform, when I see mind blowing shows I’m like “oooooh that’s why I love performing!” I love and treasure those moments.

What would you like to do or try in the future?

Filming. I’m right into the theatre so I guess fi lming would be nice to learn more about.

Each person working on this show has come from a very different background, education pathways and experiences. There are many different ways to be involved in telling stories and working in the Arts and these Artist profi les will give you some insight into how you might develop your own passion and skills for theatre.

URAINE

MASTROSAVAS:

ACTOR

Name: Uraine Kirranne Mastrosavas

Mob: Kokatha Tribe-SA Nunga

Favorite Theatre Show: Birthday Party-Harold Pinter

Favorite TV Show: Offspring

Favorite Colour: Blues & Purple

Favorite Book: You can heal your life by Louise L. Hayes

Favorite Movie: “Up” by Carl Fredricksen

Favorite Food: Chicken, chips & salad

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM


LEROY PARSONS:

ACTOR

Name: LeRoy Parsons

Mob: Daingatti/Yuin

Favorite Theatre Show: Songlines of a Mutti Mutti Man

Favorite TV Show: True Blood

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Book: The Wolves of Time

Favorite Movie: Zoolander

Favorite Food: Thai

What you have liked best about working on Body Armour?

Working with new talented actors and working with ILBIJERRI is like coming home for me.

A little bit of background…

I’m one of six kids and the third eldest and grow up in country NSW and completed high school in 1993 and moved to Sydney in 1994 to study fi lm and T.V. working behind the scenes, then I heard about an acting course in Melbourne at Swinburne University after completing that I went on to study acting at Victorian College of the Arts. I’ve now lived in Melbourne for 16 years.

It has always been a dream since I was kid to be an actor and now I’m living that dream.

I’ve worked on the SBS television show called THE CIRCUIT in Broome. I’ve also worked with various theatre companies over the years, right across Australia and overseas, taking me from Mildura to Singapore, to name a few locations.


What you have liked best about working on Body Armour?

The team has been great to be a part of, and learning from the other actors. The content of the story that we are telling is very important to tell and I think that Body Armour and the ILBIJERRI Theatre has expressed the need for this to be told.

A little bit of background and how you became a performer…

I am an Indigenous woman from the Gamilaraay nation on my fathers side and on my mother’s side I am from the Kooma/Muruuwari nation. I am interested in exploring theatre, song and dance through the expressions of the body and the utterance of the voice; where art forms are combined to create a story evoking of past, present, race, gender and age to a formless progression and examination of life.

I grew up within the creative and traditional arts world, having had an early introduction to story telling, dance and song from learning and performing our traditional songs and dances, ever since I could walk! This has formed a strong foundation for me to grow and further develop my talents as an adult – playing such roles as Helen in Helen of Troy, to Julius Caesar in Julius Caesar. I am continuously discovering the wonders of performing. A safe home to enhance and encourage my development into the arts industry was Southbank TAFE in QLD, where I undertook training in a Diploma of Performing Arts. With great mentors and encouragement I was urged to apply to the Victorian College of the Arts. Acceptance into the VCA enabled me to further expand my repertoire. Upon completion of my Bachelor of Dramatic Arts Degree, I have continued to work with a wide range of artists who share a passion to co-create, develop and perform.

What do you enjoy about and what motivates you to be a performer?

What I enjoy most as a performer is being able to share stories that enable not only myself but the audience to let go of one’s inhibitions, to not over-think and just be open to what comes. This is one of the many factors that continue to drive me, along with fi nding the truth of each story, each character and each performance I am a part of.

What interests and infl uences you in the arts?

A mixture of the past and present; how the deeds done can infl uence the ‘now’. I love the different interpretation you fi nd – all very honest and exploring and combining all art forms.

What would you like to do or try in the future?

Continue acting not only in theatre but also on TV and fi lm, I would also like to sing and dance more.

MAURIAL SPEARIM:

ACTOR

Name: Maurial Spearim

Mob: Gamilaraay/Kooma/Muruuwari

Favorite Theatre Show: Namanjerra

Favorite TV Show:How I Met Your Mother

Favorite Colour: Green

Favorite Book: Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing

Favorite Food: Roast


A bit of background…

My name is Kamarra Bell-Wykes, my heritage is Welsh/English (my fathers line) and my mothers family are from South East Queensland, my grandmother was a Butchala/Dalingbara from Fraser Island and my Grandfather a Jagera man from the Southside of the Brisbane River.

They both were taken to Cherbourg where they met, raised a family and were eventually buried.

I am now thirty-two years old, with two children living in Darwin for the last 5 years. I am in the 4th year of my Education degree at ACIKE (Australian centre of Indigenous Knowledge and Eduaction) which is a part of the Charles Darwin Univeristy. By the time you read this I hope to have graduated and be working as a registered teacher.

Before that I lived in Melbourne, where I went to Diamond Valley Secondary College and went on to Swinburne Tech, where I undertook a Diploma of Community Theatre which is where I was fi rst introduced to ILBIJERRI Theatre Company.

I have always loved writing in every form, essays, poetry, short stories etc but it wasn’t until I was 21 not long after the birth of my fi rst child that I was approached to write a theatre piece for the Next Wave Festival, since then I have been working in various festivals and conferences around the country, giving me the opportunity to work with some of Australia’s most talented writer, actors and directors which has allowed me to hone my scriptwriting craft simply by being immersed in it. Through all this ILBIJERRI Theatre Company has been one of my biggest supporters, inviting me to work on exciting and innovative projects like Body Armor and Chopped Liver.

About the Process

Writing a script like Body Armor is different to that of other play; it is not just a piece of theatre but is a collaborative community development project.

That means it is funded by different organizations such as the Department of Human Services and the Department of Justice, and it being written to inform a specifi c audience about a specifi c issue; in this case the issue is Hep C and the audience is secondary students.

The fi rst step in the process is meeting with the Reference Group which includes representatives from the funding bodies and relative organizations such as VACHO, the Hep C Council, ILBIJERRI and of course my dramaturge (the force behind the writer that helps me perfect my ideas/script), in this meeting we talk about the criteria of the project; what is the exact message to be communicated by the piece, who will the audience be, how many actors will be performing and how long do I have to write the piece.

KAMARRA

BELL-WYKES:

WRITER

Name: Kamarra Bell-Wykes

Mob: Butchala/Dalingbara/Jagera


After this I have a one-on-one with my dramaturge (John Romeril) and the artistic director of ILBIJERRI (Rachael Maza Long) where we start brainstorming ideas, characters, story line, set and so on.

Then I go away for a few months and come up with my fi rst draft based on all the prior discussion.

Once I send this script in John and Rachael read it and feedback to me which then informs the development of the fi rst draft in to the second, this is done through email but a lot of the hard work takes place in intensive creative development workshops.

In these workshops actors are hired to read the script-in-progress aloud so I can hear how it sounds outside of my head, after this John and I discuss, argue, brainstorm and debate the progress and the direction of the script, all in an attempt to bring the piece to its next stage of development. As well as creative input the reference groups job is to ensure the facts I include I accurate and the content stays appropriate for the set audience.

I then take all of this input home with me and battle with my keyboard to get to the next draft…and the process is repeated and repeated until fi nally I press send on my fi nal draft and breathe a huge sigh of relief. Aaahhh.

KAMARRA

BELL-WYKES:

WRITER


Born in 1945, John Romeril began writing plays in the late 1960s while a student at Monash University. He was a founding member of the Australian Performing Group at the Pram Factory during the 1970s, writing nearly forty plays for the APG. They included the greatly acclaimed The Floating World, which earned him the Literature Board’s inaugural Canada-Australia Award in 1975. He is also well remembered for other works from the 1970s, such as Marvellous Melbourne, The Dudders and The Accidental Poke.

Romeril’s recent works include the script for the fi lm One Night the Moon and the stage plays Miss Tanaka and Love Suicides. One Night the Moon, an Australian music drama of 2001, gained both cinema and television release. Miss Tanaka, based on a short story by Xavier Herbert, was the writer’s last major play in Melbourne. Romeril transplanted its setting from Darwin to Broome as a salute to Noriko Nishimoto, the Perth-based Japanese puppeteer who was a key collaborator on the script.

Other recent work has been as dramaturge for Kamarra Bell-Wyke’s Chopped Liver, a play about Hep C produced by ILBIJERRI, Melbourne’s Indigenous theatre company. After touring Aboriginal health centres, community centres and prisons in regional Victoria and South Australia last year it has been touring other States.

Over a forty-year career as a dramatist, Romeril has produced nearly eighty works for stage, fi lm and television, including satirical, musical and humorous drama. His theatrical approach retains an improvisational element, is collaborative in style and is responsive to a wide range of social issues. In the 1980s and 1990s his involvement in the live theatre concentrated on musical drama with History of Australia: the Musical, Jonah, Legends and The Kelly Dance among his signifi cant works.

John Romeril’s work has been consistently performed at all levels of theatre: state, company, community and educational. His plays have also been translated and performed in Japan, Vietnam, Italy and elsewhere.

JOHN ROMERIL:

DRAMATURGY

Name: John Romeril

Mob: Scottish & Channel Islands

Favorite TV Show: 4 Corners

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Book: Good Soldiers

Favorite Movie: Bladerunner

Favorite Food: Moussaka

Favorite Music/Band: Kutcha Edwards


Margaret is an actor, director and is co-producer of Brown Cab Productions.

I’ve worked on heaps of shows including theatre, fi lm, television and radio. Doing RAN for SBS in the Torres Straits would have to be one of my most memorable gigs. It was 3 months fi lming on a coral cay island in the middle of the Straits.

My job in the Arts allows me to meet heaps of great people and has enabled me to travel the world.

In this industry it’s really about working and collaborating together to tell a story and help bring it to life. Everybody’s input matters and has impact on the show you create and as director, you need to bring all these ideas together to tell the one story.

On Body Armour it was really important to explore different way the actors could change characters right in front of the audience eyes...a massive challenge! But one that everyone was up for. Through minimal costume changes, changes in physicality and voice, it becomes a bit of a juggling act for the actors.

If you’re interested in a career in the Arts you can help kick it off by signing up in your high school musical or play...it’s where I started!

MARGARET

HARVEY: DIRECTOR

Name: Margaret Harvey

Mob: Samu & Ait Kadal Clans, Saibai Island, Torres Straits

Favorite TV Show: Gavin & Stacy

Favorite Color: Turquoise

Favorite Book: The Art of Happiness

Favorite Movie: Samson & Delilah

Favorite Music/Band: Seaman Dan & One Blood, Hidden Image


A bit of background

I am a freelance designer who has spent a lot of time working in theatre and live performance as well as behind-the-scenes in fi lm and television. My job usually requires me to design sets, props and costumes... and that is what I have done for this ILBIJERRI show.

Body Armour has been a great show to design because the script is so great! Design isn’t about creating lots of cool stuff just because you can. It’s about working with a script, a director, the actors and other creative collaborators to arrive at the best result for a particular play. Body Armour is fast and dynamic, edgy and urban, with an important message. There’s also such a fabulous array of characters that you’d know from your bus stop or your sister’s friends – have fun recognising them!!

ALISON ROSS:

DESIGNER

Name: Alison Ross

Mob: Scottish/German from Brisvegas

Favorite Theatre Show: Anything by French puppeteer Phillipe Genty

Favorite TV Show: Six Feet Under

Favorite Color: Red (with Black & White)

Favorite Book: The Clan of the Otori

Favorite Movie: Samson & Delilah

Favorite Food: Anything Vegan & gluten free!

Favorite Music/Band: The Cat Empire


A bit of background

Anna Liebzeit is a sound designer, composer and performer who makes work for radio, theatre, installation and gallery settings.

I got into music by playing guitar in bands. When I left art school I wanted to learn how to use computers to make sound and music so I could create my own compositions. The great thing about using computers to record is that you can create multiple layers of sounds - kind of like cooking a cake with layers of sponge, chocolate, fruits, icing and candles. You can really let your imagination go wild! When making sound for Body Amour I really had to think about the environment the characters were in. Music was chosen specifi cally to create a mood. Body Amour is about young urban people who are into pop culture and who are dealing with some pretty heavy issues. The sound of Danni’s ring tone refl ects the music she’s into, as well as pointing out to the audience she might just not be a ‘stupid girl’. At the end of the play when Harley says he has Hep C the sound is designed so the audience feels the emotions Harley might be feeling.

Sound design and music ROCK... if you get the chance, give it a go!

ANN LIEBZEIT:

SOUND DESIGNER

Name: Anna Liebzeit

Mob: Koori

Favorite Theatre Show: Sleeplessness

Favorite TV Show: Deal or No Deal

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Book: Narcissist Goldman

Favorite Movie: Bright Star

Favorite Food: Hamburger


A little bit of background…

Born in Melbourne, my mother and I shifted to Albury NSW when I was 7, where I spent the next 12 years growing, dancing, playing music, swimming in the river, swinging out of trees and hanging out at the circus.

My background in the arts took off in 1995, as a member of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus (FFFC). Throughout 7 years of training and performing, I was given many opportunities to gain experience in a wide variety of practical and social skills, from learning to teach, choreograph and organize classes, to stage management, costume design and technical production. We had our own, small school that allowed us to train everyday and the teachers would come on tour with us. As troupe members we were expected to learn and participate during bump in/out, rigging, technical set up and tent construction.

After fi nishing at FFFC, I shifted back to Melbourne, completing a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts at Deakin University in 2004. My major study was in Drama, with subjects largely devoted to performance creation, community arts and cultural development and technical aspects in the theatre and photography.

Since graduating I have stayed within the arts industry in both a self-employed capacity and for companies such as Circus Oz, the Women’s Circus and Outback Theatre for Young People and now ILBIJERRI Theatre, which I am really excited about.

I enjoy working in a ‘chaotically controlled’ environment (and have a relatively short attention span!) so the thing I love best about my current jobs are that they expose me to many different people and require me to do a variety of things, such as plan and schedule, facilitate classes, work with different cultures and languages, rig, climb up, under and over things, pack and unpack, manage and feed groups, maintain project budgets and cash fl ow, liaise with venue, transport and operations staff, choreograph, stage manage, travel, build, fundraise, sew and wash costumes, drive mini-buses and spend hours doing things like re-taping hula hoops! I’ve found that it’s very important to be resourceful in the arts, particularly in Australia. Thankfully I have inherited my Nanna’s ability to pack lots of things in small spaces and road-cases. Recent highlights? Rigging trapezes from a petrol-run cherry picker in the outback. Suspending theatre blacks from broom handles. Doing emergency backstage orthodontic work on a 13 year old with a Leatherman!

As a performer, teacher and arts worker I’ve been fortunate that my career has taken me to amazing and diverse places, such as Russia, Cambodia, New York and the Pitjantjatjara lands near the centre of Australia. It’s defi nitely worth the long hours and hard work to do something that you love and feel passionate about.

I greatly appreciate the variety of skills, people and lessons I have been exposed to and try to maintain a strong focus on sharing these skills, with particular interest in projects that provide arts access for young people experiencing diffi cult situations or who live in remote areas.

BEC COOEN: TOUR/

STAGE MANAGER

Name: Bec Cooen

Mob: Chinese, Irish,and Welsh

Favorite Theatre Show: Can we talk about this? By DV8

Favorite TV Show: Mad Men, Absolutely Fabulous

Favorite Colour: Red, Green

Favorite Book: Photography

Favorite Movie: The Emperors New Groove, Snatch,

Favorite Food: Thai and anything with cheese.


There are heaps of career possibilities within the Arts besides acting. Some people like to work more “behind the scene.” ILBIJERRI and other companies are always looking for trained, reliable and enthusiastic crew to work on the many positions that need to be fi lled to make a show like “Body Armour” happen. There are lots of people who make a full-time living working in the “Production” side of Theatre. We have listed below some of those positions so that you can get an idea of what is out there and then it is up to you to get out there and fi nd out more!!

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

The production manager coordinates and supervises all of the logistical element for a show. They are responsible for ensuring that all the elements needed for the artists to work are available within budget including personnel, venues, services, and time. They are also responsible for ensuring that the strategic goals of the company are met. Most production managers start as technicians, designers, or stage management and eventually work up to this role. Production managers can be employed by theatre companies or theatrical venues.

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Stage managers coordinate all of the day to day elements of rehearsing a show and ensuring that every performance is the same as the others. This involves managing all the props and costumes required (including cleaning and maintenance), supervising the rehearsal room and performance space, and ‘calling’ the show. Stage Managers record all the information about the show so that it can be remounted in the future and be exactly the same. Stage managers start as assistant stage managers and work up to deputy stage manager, and then Stage Manager. There are TAFE and university courses for Stage Management. Stage Managers are usually employed by theatre companies.

TECHNICIANS

There are three main types of technicians - lighting, sound, and audiovisual. Technicians specialise in their chosen technical elements. They set up, operate and maintain the equipment during the course of a theatrical season. Technicians are usually employed by theatrical venues and TAFE is where to get training in your fi eld of interest. You may also go on to gain other licenses and industry qualifi cations in electrical engineering, etc.

CAREERS IN THEATRE: PRODUCTION ROLES


ILBIJERRI (pronounced “il BIDGE er ree”) is a Woiwurrung word meaning Coming Together for Ceremony.

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company is the longest existing Indigenous theatre company in Australia. Since commissioning and producing Jane Harrison’s renowned classic Stolen in 1992, The company has toured nationally and internationally, fi nding critical acclaim and resonance with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences.

ILBIJERRI celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010 and entered an immensely exciting new era of Indigenous theatre – where the journey is one of discovery and the rules are simple: be BOLD, BLACK and BRILLIANT.

“ILBIJERRI... crackles with so much black humour it’s like sticking a knife into a toaster” (The Age)

Visit our website to fi nd out what else we’re up to www.ILBIJERRI.com.au, swing by our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ILBIJERRI) or say hi on Twitter!

ABOUT US: ILBIJERRI THEATRE COMPANY

COSTUME COORDINATOR

The costume coordinator will work closely with the costume designer organising the purchase or construction of costume elements. This will include organising fi ttings for the actors, shopping, and sewing and overseeing the expenditure of the costume budget. Costume coordinators usually start their careers as theatre ‘dressers’ and can also specialise in wigs and millinary. There are some TAFE courses in related fi elds which can help develop skills in costume construction.

MECHANIST

Mechanists are generally people who have good carpentry skills and it is often helpful to have a rigging licence. Mechanists construct and pull down sets in theatres and can often be required to fi x things or build extra pieces. They can also be involved in rigging set elements to the grid, and senior mechanists with rigging qualifi cations can become ‘fl ymen’ which means they are resposible for operating mechanisms for lifting scenery and lighting elements up and down during a performance. TAFEs can provide training and qualifi cation for rigging and carpentry. Mechanists are usually employed by theatrical venues.

Documents

BODY ARMOUR - ILBIJERRI Theatre Companyilbijerri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/BODY_ARMOUR...BODY ARMOUR – Education Resource Pack 4 ABOUT THE SHOW “This is going to be the