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Scan the QR Code on this page or click here to join the group where you can connect with other educators and our programming staff. Be among the first to access resources and performance information and share ideas with other like-minded educators.
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Welcome to Darwin Entertainment Centre’s 2025 Creative Learning Program!
This program has been designed to spark creativity, bring joy and enrich the lives of young people in the Top End. It’s more than a collection of shows; this program is a celebration of the transformative power of education through the performing arts.
Here at DEC we want to make the lives of young people better; we offer inspiration, imagination, play and new perspectives. We know that the health and wellbeing of our young students is paramount and that arts and culture can foster that foundation.
We have a chocolate box of performances to choose from; all specially selected to meet your curriculum outcomes and teaching goals. We want to give your students a fabulous excursion experience.
I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the educators, administrators and leadership teams who work tirelessly to make performing arts excursion experiences a reality.
To our students and their families, thank you for embracing the experiences we have to offer.
We hope that DEC has offered experiences that make planning and teaching the curriculum easier and more enjoyable for educators and students alike.
We look forward to welcoming you to Darwin Entertainment Centre in 2025 and beyond. Enjoy!
Darwin Entertainment Centre is for everyone. We aim to make our shows accessible for children with disability, sensory and learning needs.
Accessible performances support an atmosphere where each child can react naturally and implement their own strategies if they become overwhelmed. Audience members can bring their headphones to reduce noise and a designated “chill out space” is available.
Wheelchair spaces are available for all events and a Listen Assist Network is available for most events. Some events presented may be Auslan Interpreted, or Open Captioned upon timely request.
We encourage you to get in touch directly with us to discuss the options for your class.
The following resources are available for the listed shows:
Visual Story
Visual stories help familiarise audience members with the storyline, characters and venue before coming to the show.
Ratburger
Relaxed Performance
Relaxed performances are open to everyone, but the environment has been adapted so that individuals with disability, sensory and learning challenges, or anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment, can access live performance experiences without barriers. The house lights are dimmed, patrons can easily exit the theatre, the atmosphere is non-judgemental, and noisy enthusiasm is embraced.
The Listies - 110% Ready – Sat 10am You Are a Doughnut – Mon 5.30pm Beetle – All performances IMAGINE LIVE – All performances
TERM 4 IMAGINE
Wed 8 & Thu 9 Oct p11
Children Are
Stinky
Sat 8 Mar p9
Class Clowns
Sat 8 Mar p16
Ratburger
Thu 22 & Fri 23 May p12
The Wiggles
Sat 29 & Sun 30 Mar p8
You Are a Doughnut
Mon 16 & Tue 17 Jun p13 LIFE
Wed 10Fri 12 Sep p19
The Listies
Fri 26 & Sat 27 Sep p10
Love Stories
Thu 2Sat 4 Oct p21
Frankie & Brian
Thu 4Sat 6 Dec p20
The Wiggles Australia presents
Experience the magic of this interactive and engaging live show experience set to spark creativity, curiosity and a love of learning through The Wiggles’ signature mix of entertainment and education.
Featuring all eight Wiggles including OG Blue Wiggle Anthony, Simon, Lachy, Tsehay, John, Lucia, Caterina and Evie, plus Wiggly friends Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, Captain Feathersword and TikTok sensation The Tree of Wisdom!
Set to leave you smiling from ear-to-ear as the stage transforms into a dazzling playground of bouncing balls. Memories will last a lifetime with sing-along moments from all the favourite Wiggly hits including ‘Rock-A-Bye Your Bear’, ‘Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy’ and ‘Hot Potato’! A joyous celebration of music, dancing, laughter and fun!
Genre Music
Curriculum Health & Wellbeing
Suitability 12+ months
Date & Time Sat 29 Mar 10am, 12.30pm, 3pm Sun 30 Mar 10am, 12.30pm, 3pm
Duration 55 minutes
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$39.50 All tickets
Performance Warning
Children under 12 months old will not require a ticket for entry but will be required to sit on the lap of a parent or guardian.
Primary School
DEC Presents
Darwin Comedy Festival presents A Circus Trick Tease Production
Dream-team circus performers Sam Aldham and Josie Wardrope combine a rocking soundtrack, innovative stagecraft, high-skilled acrobatics and mischievous fun to wow audiences with a fun and accessible performance designed for kids aged 3-12.
Set in the 1990s with plenty of in-jokes, teachers and parents will be taken for a rollicking trip down memory lane, while children are encouraged to step on stage and prove themselves worthy, smart, coordinated, and imaginative against these ridiculous circus performers.
Rated five stars across the globe, as well as holding several accolades for best Fringe Children’s Performance and Best Children’s Choice Award, this show is not to be missed!
Genre Circus/Comedy
Classroom Connection
Health & Wellbeing
Suitability
Ages 3-12
Date & Time Sat 8 March 10am
Duration 50 minutes
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
In this show The Listies perform a miracle! 110% Ready sees Rich and Matt do something no family in Australia has ever done before: LEAVE THE HOUSE ON TIME!
Well, that’s what Rich thinks anyway. Matt on the other hand has a different plan. He may or may not have accidentally flushed the car keys down the toilet.
Featuring a pocketful of puns, silly slapstick sight gags, and a splash of improvisational idiocy, 110% Ready is all about the joys of the average morning routine: sleeping through the alarm, not having any milk, fishing dirty clothes out of the hamper, burning the toast, and then finding the front door is glued shut, the shower won’t switch off, and the house is filling with water!
Genre Theatre/Comedy
Classroom Connection Science/Literacy/Numeracy
Suitability
Ages 4+
Date & Time
Fri 26 September 5.30pm Sat 27 September 10am
Duration
55 minutes
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning
Some sudden loud noises, lasers, smoke effects and Dad dancing.
By Jolyon James based on the book
by Alison Lester
Magical and meaningful, IMAGINE LIVE is a celebration of creativity, friendship and our precious natural world. With the help of the audience, performers play and sing their way through the pages of Alison Lester’s iconic best-selling book, and quickly discover there is WAY more to these pages than they first thought.
Spot a leopard, dive with a dolphin or dig up a dinosaur as this iconic book springs into life before your eyes.
IMAGINE LIVE combines live action and animation with digital puppetry in a large-scale, multi-screen performance. Underscored by original music, characters and objects travel between real and animated worlds, responding in real time to audience input. Beautiful and meaningful, IMAGINE LIVE is a celebration of the transformative power of creativity. Early Learning
Genre
Musical Theatre
Classroom Connection
Literacy/Environment/Social Sciences
Suitability
Ages 4-12
Date & Time
Wed 8 October 5pm Thu 9 October 9.30am & 11.30am
Duration 1 hour + Q&A
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Produced by Jolyon James and NCM
A play by Maryam Master based on the bestselling novel by David Walliams, directed by Liesel Badorrek
From the creative mind of bestselling children’s author David Walliams (The World’s Worst Children, Gangsta Granny), don’t miss the screamingly funny Ratburger when it comes to life on stage, with visually stunning sets and charming puppetry!
Zoe lives with her dad and a stepmother who ignores her, the school bully makes her life a misery, and now, her pet hamster has died! When she befriends a loveable dancing rat named Dapper, things start looking up – but the evil Burt from Burt’s Burgers is cooking up an awful plan…
From the team behind the Australian tours of The 13-, 26-, 52-, 78- and 91-Storey Treehouses, don’t miss this hilarious, action-packed and touching play about kindness, bravery, (and of course) burgers.
Genre Theatre
Classroom Connection
Literacy/Numeracy/Performing Arts/ Health & Wellbeing
Suitability Ages 6+
Date & Time Thu 22 May 5.30pm Fri 23 May 9.30am & 12pm
Duration 1 hour
Venue The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning Smoke and haze effects, cartoon violence
Primary School
A biological-musical-comedy-adventure!
Join biology teachers Oesoph A. Gus and Dewey Dean for a brilliantly grosstacular tour of the human digestive system — with sketches, songs, and sensational science.
Along the way you’ll encounter a frenzy of enzyme-powered ping pong balls, sing along with a rainbow collection of poop puppets, and witness the weirdest poetry performance you’ve ever seen.
It’s a fast-paced variety hour, with each new digestive destination inspiring a wonderfully unusual performance.
From the creators of 2024’s The Alphabet of Awesome Science
Genre Theatre/Musical/Comedy
Classroom Connection Science/Biology/Nutrition
Suitability Ages 5-12
Date & Time
Mon 16 June 5.30pm Tue 17 June 9.30am & 12pm
Duration 1 hour
Venue Studio Theatre
Tickets $20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning
Some loud noises, flashing lights and haze effects
Primary School
Robots and magic and slapstick… oh my!
Contagiously upbeat and full of heart, the ever-endearing Mario will lead audiences through a romping explosion of energy and belly laughs punctuated with surprising moments of heart and emotion. Weaving through a world of vaudeville and magic, cardboard and robots, science and innovation, Mario instils a positive message that will last in the minds and hearts of all.
Seen on Sesame Street, Universal Kids and described by magician David Blaine as “the best kids’ magician in the world!”, Mario the Maker Magician has toured across the USA, Australia, and the UK shaping this show into the beautifully passionate expression of all-ages theatre that it is today.
Genre
Magic/Robotics/Storytelling
Classroom Connection Science/Literacy/Numeracy/ Environment
Suitability Ages 5+
Date & Time
Wed 22 October 5.30pm Thu 23 October 9.30am & 12pm
Duration 1 hour
Venue
Studio Theatre
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Primary School
Middle School
Even the smallest voices matter
An instant Australian classic, Beetle tells the story of a child who finds a friend in her backyard; together they embark on an adventure to search for his Family, the now elusive Christmas Beetle.
The magic of the bush habitat is brought to life through Legs On The Wall’s trademark physical storytelling, and animation created from original artworks by beloved children’s author and illustrator Freya Blackwood. A tale of resilience and hope, Beetle reminds young audiences that there’s an important place in the world for all of us. Reminding us of the delicate balance of the natural world and that all things are connected.
This charming, nostalgic and uniquely Australian show invites children to join the adventure, encountering larger than life beetles, stick insects, and other bush critters while finding out about the uncanny nature and delicate balance of the bush environment.
Genre
Theatre
Classroom Connection
Sustainability/Aboriginal & Torres Strait
Islander History & Culture/Literacy/ Performing Arts/Science
Suitability
Ages 6-14
Date & Time
Wed 30 July 10.30am & 5.30pm
Duration
50 min + 15 min Q&A at 10.30am perf
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning Flashing lights and haze effects
Senior School Middle School
Darwin Comedy Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival present
For over 25 years, the Class Clowns program has helped hundreds of young people develop their comedy potential.
Past Class Clowns participants including Joel Creasey, Annie Louey, Rhys Nicholson, Aaron Chen and William McKenna have all gone on to have a career in showbiz.
In addition to workshop and performance opportunities, all registered Class Clowns participants are provided with access to expert advice through an exclusive series of videos from some of Australia’s funniest folk filled with tips and tricks to help budding performers get started on their comedy journey.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival supports our next generation of comedic voices, and there’s never been a better time to encourage the confidence, creativity and talent of young Australians!
Genre Comedy
Classroom Connection
Performing Arts
Participation includes workshop
Suitability
Ages 14+
Date & Time
Public performance Sat 8 March 12pm
Participant workshop 10am - 11.30am
Duration 1 hour
Venue
Studio Theatre
Tickets
$15 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Senior School Middle School
Darwin Entertainment Centre and SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre present
The first year of unsupervised driving is the most risky.
TIME, created in 2011, is a unique and thought-provoking work from the SLIDE Awareness Trilogy. Created as a passionate response to the harrowing escalation of teenage road deaths here in the Territory, SLIDE’s powerful, bold and fiercely proactive Company artists deliver a performance with an honesty that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
TIME was created with the ardent hope that youth who view the performance are irrevocably moved to understand the repercussions of risk-taking on our roads and remember that we need them here, enjoying a full life, with us.
TIME is in its’ fifth season, following unprecedented demand for the show after its 2024 season. To date, approximately 7,000 people have viewed this important and impactful work. It is essential viewing for all young people who are, or one day will be, behind the wheel.
Image: Jacob Scott
Genre Dance/Theatre
Classroom Connection Health & Wellbeing
Suitability
Ages 12+
Date & Time
Wed 7 May 10.30am & 7pm
Thu 8 May 10.30am & 7pm
Fri 9 May 10.30am
Duration
1 hour 15 minutes
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning Distressing content, references to underage drinking and death. Contains haze, strobe, loud music and some coarse language.
Senior School Middle School
Darwin Entertainment Centre and Bangarra Dance Theatre in association with Darwin Festival present
Step out of the shadows and into the phenomena of light – the central life force of our planet. Illume is an iridescent new theatrical experience, drawing together music, visual arts and dance to explore the ways light has captivated and sustained Indigenous cultural existence for millenia. Today, artificial light pollution disrupts ecosystems and obscures the dark night sky, devastating First Nations people’s connections to sky country and limiting their ability to share celestial knowledge and skylore. First Nations people stand on the precipice of the world under threat.
Illume explores the awe of light, a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. It charts the impacts of light pollution in a climate emergency and asks the urgent question: is the deep wisdom passed down from elders enough to illuminate a path forward from the shadows of a dark future?
Genre
Dance/Theatre
Classroom Connection
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
History & Culture, Social Sciences, Performing Arts
Suitability 12+
Date & Time Fri 15 & Sat 16 August 7.30pm
Duration 1 hour 10 minutes
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning
Elevated sound levels, flashing lights, haze, smoke effects and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed.
Senior School Middle School
Darwin Entertainment Centre and SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre present
“I think there is a difference between being ‘alone’ and being ‘lonely’. I mean, I’m not exactly an expert at life given I’m 15, but if you think about it, sometimes being alone is when you can be most happy, lost in your thoughts, dreaming, making plans, smiling at memories without looking like a weirdo. But with lonely, there is no way around that state of existence. Lonely is singular. And apart, and without, and silent. Lonely is loud and white noise and isolated. Lonely is invisible.”
Inspired by song lyrics that resonate with the cast, LIFE follows the lives of teenagers whose safe place is ‘where the music is’.
Song lyrics are the barometer of a generation, they speak for broken hearts, moments of pure celebration and days where the whole world seems troubled and confused. Songs are the soundtrack to our life.
Following a successful first season in 2023, LIFE focuses on lyrics, sign language communication and symbolism, and is a contemplative performance that uniquely speaks to our young generation.
Genre Dance/Theatre
Classroom Connection Society & Culture/Health & Wellbeing/ Performing Arts
Suitability
Ages 13+
Date & Time
Wed 10 September 10.30am & 7pm Thu 11 September 10.30am & 7pm Fri 12 September 10.30am & 7pm
Duration 1 hour 15 minutes + Q&A
Venue
Studio Theatre
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Performance Warning Contains strobe, haze, smoke effects and themes of isolation, bullying and loneliness.
Senior School Middle School
Darwin Entertainment Centre and SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre present
A heartwarming exploration of the most essential connection we all crave – love – and how our young people can develop and enhance respectful relationships in the modern world.
Tonight is the graduation dance. Both Frankie and Brian are dreading it, but their mums insist they go.
“What if it’s super awkward? What if my dress malfunctions? Worse, what if I throw up?” Frankie pleads with her mother.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Frankie. This is a rite of passage! I loved my graduation,” her mum replies.
Brian shouts from the comfort of his bedroom floor, “What if I…?”
“I’m stopping you right there, sunshine,” his mum interjects.
“Here’s a thought—what if you fall in love?”
Brian pauses, considering her words.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Genre Dance/Theatre
Classroom Connection
Performing Arts/Health & Wellbeing/ Society & Culture
Suitability Ages 13+
Date & Time
Thu 4 December 10.30am & 7pm
Fri 5 December 10.30am & 7pm Sat 6 December 12.30pm & 7pm
Duration 1 hour 15 minutes + Q&A
Venue
Studio Theatre
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Darwin Entertainment Centre presents a Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Brisbane Festival production
Adapted for the stage by Tim McGarry. Additional writing and story by Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann. Directed by Sam Strong.
From the team behind the smash-hit stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe comes another breathtaking production –Love Stories , based on the beloved bestselling book by Australian author and journalist Trent Dalton.
Inspired by a personal moment of profound love and generosity, Trent Dalton spent two months in 2021 gathering stories on his sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, on a prominent street corner in Brisbane’s CBD. Speaking to Australians from all walks of life, he asked them one simple thing: ‘Can you please tell me a love story?’
Now, their real-life tales come alive on stage.
Genre
Theatre
Classroom Connection
Performing Arts/Society & Culture
Suitability
Ages 15+
Date & Time
Thu 2 October 10.30am
Fri 3 October 7.30pm Sat 4 October 2pm & 7.30pm
Duration
1 hour 40 minutes
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$20 (one teacher free per 15 students)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
Superstar Productions presents
One of the most popular Disney movies of all time has been capturing hearts and dazzling millions of people all over the world in a whole new way: as a hit Broadway musical!
Darwin now has the chance to come and experience the enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stagecraft that makes this the musical that soars high above the rest.
Proudly supported by the Darwin Chorale.
Genre
Musical Theatre
Classroom Connection
Literacy/Performing Arts
Suitability
Ages 7+
Date & Time
Fri 14 February 7pm
Sat 15 February 12.30pm
Fri 21 February 7pm Sat 22 February 12.30pm
Duration 2 hours including interval
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$45 Child (under 18)
$80 Full Price
$78 Member
Performance Warning Contains strobe lighting, smoke effects, pyrotechnics and loud noises.
Come and join Darwin Symphony Orchestra for another year of magical music making!
DSO are thrilled to present a season of diverse and exciting performances highlighting the exceptional skills of their talented musicians. The 2025 program is filled with captivating performances sure to inspire the next generation of musicians and music lovers.
Passion and power ignite the night with Romance and Revolution in March, with the music of Prokofiev, Brahm and John Adams.
Heaven and Earth premieres a new Territory work and takes us on a musical journey through beautiful visions and earthly spirits, as part of Darwin Festival.
And in December the Symphony farewells Artistic Director/Chief Conductor Jonathon Tooby in Symphony of the Soul with a program including Tchaikovsky and Bernstein.
Discover the full program at DEC at yourcentre.com.au
Genre
Classical Music
Classroom Connection
Music
Suitability
All ages
Date & Time
See yourcentre.com.au
Venue
The Playhouse
Tickets
$22 (under 18)
General public tickets at yourcentre.com.au
All young Territorians deserve the opportunity to be transformed by the power of arts and culture.
In a country where 1 in 6 children live in poverty, DEC alongside The Smith Family, have identified the need to break down the barriers that prevent our young people from participating in the transformative power of the arts.
DEC has secured matched funding from the Federal Government through Creative Australia where every contribution towards this cause, up to a total of $10,000, is doubled. All donations are fully tax deductible.
DEC and The Smith Family will work together to identify the barriers to attendance and the students and schools most in need of support.
But we need your help. By spreading the word, advocating for your students, and participating in this initiative, you can play a vital role in shaping young minds and fostering a lifelong love of the arts. Let’s work together to ensure that every student has a seat in our theatres and a chance to dream big.
Donations are already underway.
DEC thanks Karma Mayfield and Geoff Nourse of Adept Business Accountants for their generous support.
DONATE NOW
Finance Department Contact Details
Total number of attendees:
Student numbers:
Teacher & other adult numbers:
Please provide details of any accessibility requirements:
Office use only
Date received
Reservation number
Invoice sent
Payment received
Email your completed form to boxoffice@yourcentre.com.au Bookings are processed in the order in which they are received. Please notify Box Office of any changes to your booking as soon as possible on (08) 8980 3333.
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The following terms and conditions apply to all schools and institutions making bookings with Darwin Entertainment Centre for all performances and workshops. Bookings are made on behalf of your school/institution. By making a booking, your school/institution accepts these terms and conditions.
1) Bookings are to be made on the booking form and submitted to Darwin Entertainment Centre by email to boxoffice@yourcentre.com.au. Please request a realistic number of tickets as refunds may not be issued when numbers are decreased without sufficient notice.
2) Your booking will be processed upon receipt of the booking form and in the order in which they are received. Bookings are subject to availability.
3) You will receive a booking confirmation from Darwin Entertainment Centre via email within one (1) business day.
4) Eight (8) weeks before the performance date you will be contacted and given two (2) weeks to confirm your final numbers.
5) Six (6) weeks before the performance date you will be issued a final invoice with payment terms of 30 days.
6) Should your requirements change, please contact the Box Office with your request as soon as possible. Tickets will be allocated subject to availability and an invoice or invoice adjustment will be issued within 24 hours of this request.
7) Should you require to decrease your booking please email box office at least eight (8) weeks prior to the event. There are no refunds after your invoice has been paid. Should you need to decrease your booking less than Thirty (30) days prior to the event, please contact Box Office by phone on (08) 8980 3333.
8) Regional schools requiring support should contact boxoffice@yourcentre.com.au
9) The teacher leading the excursion will be required to give a confirmed attendance number when arriving for the show.
10) There will be no hard tickets provided.
With the support of CDC Northern Territory and the Community Benefit Fund, DEC is able to offer a limited number of free bus transfers for school groups attending Creative Learning performances.
Schools receiving financial assistance may be requested to acknowledge CDC Northern Territory in their school newsletters including the CDC Northern Territory logo.
A copy of your school newsletter will need to be sent to Darwin Entertainment Centre and CDC Northern Territory (boxoffice@yourcentre.com.au).
*Please apply for bus assistance a minimum of four (4) weeks prior to the performance date.
School Name
Contact Name
Telephone
Event Name
Date
Time
Pick up Location
No. of Passengers
School Year Level
Please return completed form via email to boxoffice@yourcentre.com.au
Once your application is received we will be in touch regarding your eligibility.
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