16–19 Sep
BLEACHERS SPRUNG DANCE THEATRE
Bleachers aren’t just for sitting on.
Dance
Stories of loneliness and togetherness sit side by side in this new disability-led dancetheatre work by Sprung Ensemble — a collective of 10 d/Deaf and disabled artists from Bundjalung Country in Northern NSW. Rooted in the artists’ lived experiences, Bleachers delves into isolation, connection, relationships, and belonging. Drawing from regional showgrounds and communal spaces, the work explores the human desire to be part of something — to sit together, to be together, to understand one another.
DURATION 60min
Accessibility Audio Described Performance Fri 18 Sep, 6pm All performances are Auslan Interpreted
CONTENT WARNING
This production contains haze. Age recommendation: 15+
Director’s Note
There is something extraordinary that happens when people are given the time and space to become more fully themselves. To be curious. To take risks. To play. To fail. To be witnessed. Over time, an ensemble becomes something more than a collection of individuals — it becomes a language all of its own. One built through trust, generosity, humour and countless small moments of listening and responding to one another. The artists you see before you have spent years building that language together. The artists of the Sprung Ensemble are dancers, performers, storytellers, collaborators and leaders. They are also
neighbours, advocates, workers, dreamers and friends. They have performed on festival stages, exhibited in galleries, mentored emerging artists and continually challenged assumptions about who gets to take up space on our stages and whose stories are worthy of being seen and heard. We become ourselves in relationship with one another — in the moments we are held, celebrated, challenged and witnessed by our communities.
We invite you not only to witness this extraordinary ensemble, but to allow yourself to be changed by the encounter. To notice where you see yourself in the work. To laugh, to wonder and to sit for a while in the beautiful complexity of being human. Disability-led creative practice is about placing d/Deaf and disabled artists at the centre of the creative process — not only as performers, but as artists, makers and decision-makers. For Bleachers, this meant allowing our lived experiences, perspectives and access needs to shape the work from the beginning. We wanted to create a work that reflected the diversity of our experiences, while also challenging assumptions about what contemporary dancetheatre can look and sound like. Bleachers is the first live performance work completely conceived and created by Sprung Ensemble artists from its inception; it champions disability-led practice with the entire leadership team and performing cast identifying as d/Deaf and/or disabled. It is the first live performance work Ensemble artists have made centered around a large set piece — pushing the artists physical movement practice and extending conceptual ideas. “We push ourselves physically and take risks” — Tara Coughlan, Ensemble artist.
Access is embedded into both the making of Bleachers and the finished work. Captions and text are woven into the performance, Auslan is included in every performance rather than being offered only at selected sessions, and text-to-voice technology — an everyday access tool used by Sprung Ensemble artists — becomes part of the work. Deaf-led scenes in the show are consciously performed without music, creating an opportunity to explore Deaf ways of experiencing the world through movement and visual language. These artistic choices were informed and strengthened by the guidance of Deaf arts consultant Sigrid McDonald and Deaf educator Catie Britton, who supported us to thoughtfully embed Auslan and Deaf cultural perspectives throughout the creative process and finished work. We are deeply grateful for their knowledge, guidance and Deaf-led insight. By embedding access into the work itself, we hope Bleachers creates a more welcoming experience for audiences while demonstrating that access can be an integral and creative part of how art is |made and experienced.
DANIELE CONSTANCE & KATIE COOPER-WARES
The team Bleachers is a devised work and was co-created, collaboratively by
Tallula Bourne, Alice Boschenien, Tara Coughlan, On Gamolnet, Max McAuley, Zachary Mifsud, Kane Shields, Sinead Skorka Brennan, Freya Toussaint, Daniele Constance, Katie Cooper-Wares, Anna Whitaker, Liesel Zink, Stuart Currie, Alison Toft, Catie Britton.
Director
Daniele Constance
Assistant Director
Katie Copper-Wares
Dramaturg
Liesel Zink
Sound Design
Anna Whitaker
Light Design
Rich Morrod
AV Design
Jake Dix
Production Manager
Jake Dix
Set Design & Construction
Charlotte Haywood and Ed Horne
Producer
Sarah Ma
Performing Artists
Tallula Bourne, Alice Boschenien, Tara Coughlan, On Gamolnet, Max McAuley, Zachary Mifsud, Kane Shields, Sinead Skorka Brennan, Freya Toussaint
Auslan Interpreters
Stuart Currie, Alison Toft, Jodie Bibiana
Bleacher Movers & BOH Management
Vanessa Kellas, Kasey Turner
We acknowledge the creative contributions from
Jenni Large, Anat Greenberg, Paul/Moonshine Walker, Bryn James
We acknowledge the support from
MJ Rintala, Ash Cassell, ensemble families and support teams.
Cover Image Credit
Thomas Oliver
Other Image Credits
Georgia Haupt, Jade Ellis
About the Artists
Sprung Dance Theatre Sprung Dance Theatre is a not-for-profit arts organisation based on Bundjalung Country in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales and caters to emerging artists and community across a 5,000km expanse, providing dance and performance workshops and training for people with disability or who are d/Deaf. We develop original dance and performance works through collaborative and disabilityled processes with our Dance Ensemble; and deliver accessible and inclusive training and participatory arts experiences through our community program. We are proud to provide @sprungdance
sprung.org.au
these critical development opportunities, pathways and presentation opportunities for new contemporary works, showcasing and supporting artists and communities with disability or who are d/Deaf. Our values underpin everything we do and the way we work; with respect, creativity, collaboration and rigour. We are agents for social change and promote community-engaged, disability leadership and inclusive arts methodologies across our wide reaching community, partnerships and collaborations.
“We are all artists. We want you to be interested in us. You will like us. It’s bigger than words. That’s why we dance. We think of anything. See us. Hear us. Smell us. Feel us. Know that we exist.” ENSEMBLE ARTISTS
Tallula Bourne
Tara Coughlan
Guys and gals and non binary pals, I’m Tallula, an emerging artist and Deaf creative. I’m a dancer. Basically, I have so many fingers in so many pies. I’m a generalist. Opposite to specialist. I can do a lot of different things, dance, act, poetry, improvising, choreography. I love listening to music (I’m a swifty). Living and working in the Northern NSW region. I love to dance because it brings me joy, it’s my perfect place, a moving shape always evolving. I am a multitude of thoughts and experiences.
My name is Tara Louise and I’m dancer in Sprung since 2012. My interests in dance are Irish, broadway, musical theatre, jazz, modern, tap, contemporary, ballet, stripper. My interest in Sprung are my friends, my family. I want to make new work with new dance, new techniques, outside of Sprung, outside of Byron, the world, leadership. I imagine leadership like work and community, how the world is changing, what we can do as artists. I love clothes and I love to judge.
Alice Boscheinen
Max McAuley
I did it for a really long time, really little like 6 years old. Funky Moves, Amazon Dance, acro yoga, gym, kickboxing. Also an actor. I make dance moves better than Sprung. I like being dragged on the dance floor. Feels good. I’m good. I have a good death stare. I’m like a bossy personal trainer, but better.
Hello beautiful! Hang on, I mean, Hello I’m beautiful, I’m Max, power of love, spirit of dance. I love being here, working with everyone at Sprung. Performing makes me happy, strong and powerful. Feel like a super person, belong in dance, work hard. Watching youtube, when I see dance moves, I steal it. When I put music on I flow. I lead in dance. Aggressive in a good way. My dream is to be fabulous. A fabulous youtube dancer and do speeches in the street.
Zac Mifsud
Freya Toussaint
Hello my peeps, my name is Zachary Mifsud. I’m an artist in Sprung. Bit of acting, dance. I’m a performer, I’m in a band (Tra la la Blip). I want to do new stuff, not old stuff. Music, acting, performing, new work, dance, challenge. Push me really hard. I have a really strong fire voice. Deep.
Theatre masks representing the performance arts. Ballet shoes. Dancing women wearing bunny ears. Selfie. Dress, Woman with light skin tone dancing. Clown face. Mirror. Threaded sewing needle.
Sinead Skorka Brennan
On Gamolnet
Hi, I’m Sinead Angelica Skorka Brennan. I’ve been dancing since I was 5 years old. I am a ballerina. I have love and passion in ballet and lots of strength from the muscle work. I am a tapper. I am good with structure and rhythms. I can make rhythm dance out of tap steps. I am a contemporary dancer. I want to create the story of my life of dance. Dance lets me get out my feelings and emotions. I release tension in my body and thoughts in my mind and get a new start. I am an artist. I have many interests that I love doing. I want to keep up my health and strength as a dancer. Being fit is part of it.
I’m a Thai Deaf artist, based in Jiggi in the Northern Rivers of NSW. I am a new member of Sprung Ensemble. I live on a farm and and when I’m not with my chickens, I’m dancing. I love Thai food, Thai traditional dancing and spending time in nature.
Kane Shields Hi, I’m Kane Michael Shields. I’m just a guy who loves to dance freely. I don’t take anything serious. I’m there to learn. I like to do contemporary, dark stuff, drag, I like to get clothes off, I like to get wild. Go hard or go home. If you judge someone with a disability, you’re like a blank canvas, no subject, no depth, you’re nothing. I love to dance, get down and crazy.
Daniele Constance Director
Daniele is an artist and director with a focus on social, civic and inclusive arts practices, currently working across the lands and waters of Kombumerri Country as part of the Yugambeh Language Region and Bundjalung Country. Daniele creates artistic works that draw from community engaged, site-specific and contemporary arts, performance and dance practices. Daniele works with care, transparency and with relationships at the center of her work. Daniele has presented independent performance and commissioned contemporary art works with: Footscray Community Arts Centre, Festival of Live Art, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Testing Grounds, La Boite Theatre, Metro Arts, Supercell Festival of Contemporary Dance, Horizon Festival, Bleach* Festival, Castlemaine State Festival, HOTA, IMA and Undercover Arts Festival. Daniele has held artistic residencies at HOTA, Metro Arts, Punctum Inc, Placemakers* Gold Coast and Testing Grounds. Daniele was the founding Director of inclusive and disability-led arts collective Aha Ensemble and former Artistic Director of Sprung Dance Theatre.
Liesel Zink Dramaturg Liesel is an award-winning choreographer of Ukrainian and German descent interested in collective bodies as a tool for social change. She has developed and presented work around Australia, Asia and Eastern Europe. Liesel’s practice explores the intersection of contemporary dance and community engagement often seeing her create performances in public-space and use her creative process as a means for artistic, cultural and intergenerational exchange. As an Independent choreographer Liesel creates large scale performances in public space. In 2023 she premiered en-masse public space performance Us And All Of This (Arts Centre Melbourne, Geelong Arts Centre and Bunjil Place), commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne with the support of the Betty Amsden Foundation.
Katie Cooper-Wares Assistant Director Katie Cooper-Wares (She/Her) doesn’t just make art—she engineers joy, mischief, and meaningful connection in equal measure. Her work lives at the intersection of the playful and the profound—crafting experiences that invite audiences not just to witness, but to participate, disrupt, and belong.Neurodivergent and proudly so, Katie brings a fiercely inclusive lens to everything she creates. She has worked alongside organisations including Sprung Dance Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, NORPA, and regional galleries, consistently advocating for d/Deaf and disabled artists and audiences. Whether she’s directing a festival takeover, facilitating a community workshop, or mentoring emerging creatives, her approach is grounded in curiosity and responsiveness.
Following the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, Katie emerged as a leading voice in arts-led recovery—using creative practice as a form of collective care. Through collaborative projects, workshops, and her founding of the Creative First Aid Alliance, she champions the role of art in processing grief, rebuilding connection, and restoring agency in times of crisis.icontribution to the success of live production endeavours.
Anna Whitaker Sound Design
Anna Whitaker is an Australian sonic artist with a background as a classical violinist, recording engineer and composer. As a composer-performer, Anna’s work has been featured front and centre of productions and theatre companies including La Boite Theatre Company, Bleach Festival, Anywhere Theatre Festival, Brisbane Festival and The Farm Company. These works have been written for a variety of formats, including playhouses, music for screen and immersive surround sound installation. The diversity of challenges — ranging from subtle underscoring and subliminal influence to heart-wrenching scores and floor-shaking impacts — share equal appeal.
Mark Isaacs, Ivan Sen and Cameron Patrick list themselves among the ranks of composers to trust Anna’s attention to detail as an audio engineer. A notable highlight includes a co-recording credit on Sen’s 2015 blockbuster sequel Goldstone. Anna’s freelance experience as a front-ofhouse engineer has led to gigs mixing for acclaimed international pop acts through to touring ballet companies in capacity theatres. On most given days, you can find Anna in a sonic laboratory, dissecting and distorting sound beyond recognition for her latest musical offering.
Jake Dix
Rich Morrod
Jake is a prominent theatre professional and technical pecialist based in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. He is widely recognised for his multifaceted contributions to local arts organizations, including the Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) and the Byron Theatre Company. Equipped with excellent communication skills and a comprehensive knowledge of the production process, Jake is eager to contribute his expertise to the dynamic world of live production.
Richard “Rich” Morrod is a Northern Rivers, Australia-based lighting designer, performer, and technician known for his work in theatre, dance, and circus. He is recognized for enhancing the energy of live performances and has a background as a trained dancer, which informs his approach to lighting design.
Production Manager / AV Design
Drawing upon his artistic background, Jake brings creativity, adaptability, and attention to detail to every project. With a genuine love for the performing arts and a passion for bringing stories to life, he is excited to leverage his skills from his previous recruitment career with his arts experience to make a valuable contribution to the success of live production endeavours.
Sigrid MacDonald
Deaf Access Consultant Sigrid Macdonald is a Deaf creative, accessibility advocate, and community worker with 10+ years of experience in a variety of community-based roles. Sigrid’s passion and recent practice is focused on the intersection between Deaf Culture and arts engagement. With a passion for the arts and Northern NSW’s exploding creative scene, Sigrid seeks ways to access and share all aspects of culture and identity for the Northern Rivers community. Second Nature Strategies works in collaboration with communities, individuals, families, and organisations to explore inclusive solutions that increase connection and engagement.
Lighting Design
Trained as a dancer at the Victorian Academy of the Arts, Rich performed worldwide with companies such as Sydney Dance Company which shaped and styled his belief in the importance of backstage arts. He works nationally and is one of the region’s most experienced technical creatives.
Brisbane Festival Team Ebony Bott
Artistic Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr Jane Wilson AO Philip Bacon AO Kim Challenor Andrew King Mirusia Louwerse Amanda Newbery Jonathan Perry Sophie Robertson Graeme Wikman
LEADERSHIP TEAM Michael Adams Bella Ford Claire Hooper Tim Pack Justine Robins
DEVELOPMENT Lyndsey Black
Xandy Blue Jared Cameron Jodie Gordon Warrick McDonald
FINANCE
Rhoisin Elwell-Sutton Lorelle Edwards
Charlie Cush
Chief Executive Officer
Chair Deputy Chair
Emily Barclay Persephone Hitzke-Dean Sasha Iwanick Sabrina Ryan Ella Winten
Aunty Bridget Garay Aunty Raelene Rallah-Baker Ben Graetz Danielle Ah Boo Luke Peacock Sharnee Hegarty
Chief Impact Officer Program Director Chief Financial Officer / Company Secretary Technical Director Administration Manager Development Coordinator – Philanthropy Development Administrator Development Coordinator Development Manager – Philanthropy Development Manager – Partnerships Financial Accountant Finance Assistant
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Nadia Jade Okorn Mark Sutton Lucy Andrews
INDIGENOUS ADVISORY GROUP
Marketing Manager Brand and Content Manager Marketing Officer – Media & Comms Ticketing Lead Ticketing and CRM Manager Marketing Officer – Content & Engagement Brand Coordinator Marketing Officer – Digital Lead
Chair; Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation Yuggera, Birri, Girramay Nations Malak Malak, Kungarakan, Muran Clan, and Torres Strait Islands Samsep, Dhoeybaw, Maluligal, Kulkalgal Samsep/Meriam Gunggari, Wulkurukaba
PROGRAMMING Stefan Greder Sanja Simić Adeline Shaddick Renee Place Michelle Morgan Consultant Genevieve Trace Darcy Boyd
TECHNICAL Richard Clarke Andrew Haden Henry Manning
Senior Producer Creative Producer Associate Producer Education Consultant Community Engagement Program Manager Production Coordinator Production Manager Technical Manager Technical Coordinator
GIVING COMMITTEE
The Honourable Justice Thomas Bradley Courtney Talbot Philip Bacon AO Andrew Baker Heidi Cooper Anna Palmer Prue Pateras Paul Taylor AM Dr Jane Wilson AO
NEXT GEN GIVING COMMITTEE Ashleigh Mansfield Alissa Bermingham Xanthe Lowe-Brown Bianca Wylie Phoebe Zavros
Chair
Chair Deputy Chair
Acknowledgements
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. This project was proudly funded by NSW Government. Bleachers was developed with support from NORPA and the community season was presented by NORPA with support by Kirsty-Lee Seaton. Thanks to Studio1 for their support of creative development through the Pathways Residency. Presented by Brisbane Festival and Sprung Dance Theatre in association with Brisbane Powerhouse.
brisbanefestival.com.au