Our workshops are supportive, collaborative and trusting spaces where young people can take creative risks, follow their imaginations and make work they feel proud of.

In our workshops, we:

• improvise, play theatre games and devise scenes

• write stories, invent characters and build new worlds

• experiment with movement, composition and dance

• create atmosphere through music, voice, rhythm and sound

• make puppets, props, costumes and set pieces

• explore projection, animation and other ways of bringing imagined worlds to life

Young people can contribute in the ways that feel most natural to them — performing, writing, drawing, designing, building, composing, or helping to shape the ensemble's ideas.

Throughout Term 4, participants will collaborate, experiment and problem-solve together as they develop their original ideas into an immersive performance. Working as an ensemble, they will discover how their individual creative contributions can become part of a larger, shared performance world.

Above all, this is their space: a place to have fun, laugh, make new friends, grow in confidence and feel supported as part of an ensemble.

All groups share the same UNDERARTS approach — collaborative performance-making — but the structure and level of independence is tailored to each age range.

7–10 year olds - LIMITED PLACES REMAINING

Thursdays, 4.00–6.00 pm
Balam Balam Place, Brunswick

A high-imagination, high-support space. Lots of theatre games, fast improv, story-building and hands-on making — with clear frameworks that help young artists transform wild ideas into characters, scenes and imagined worlds.

11–15 year olds - LIMITED PLACES REMAINING

Thursdays, 4.00–6.00 pm
Balam Balam Place, Brunswick

More autonomy, more experimentation and more refinement. We play too — but we also edit, shape and compose, working with structure, atmosphere, sound, movement, text, objects and design. A great fit for young people who want to make work that feels original and genuinely their own.

Confident ten-year-olds in Grade 5 or 6 may also be a good fit for this group. Please get in touch to discuss whether the program would suit your child.

The two Brunswick workshops run simultaneously in separate rooms with different facilitators.

The Term 4 UNDERARTS workshops are facilitated by a team of professional artists, including Allison Wiltshire, Noemie Huttner-Koros, Opal from Golden Scissor Puppets and Oriana Morris-Johnson. Together, they bring extensive experience in theatre, puppetry, writing, dramaturgy, acting, experimental performance and community arts practice.

Allison is the Artistic Director of UNDERARTS, with a career spanning Australian and international performance scenes, including Next Wave, Arts House, HAU Hebbel am Ufer and Berliner Festspiele. Noemie is a performance-maker, writer and dramaturg whose work spans contemporary theatre, youth arts and community-engaged performance, including projects with Mammalian Diving Reflex. Opal brings specialist expertise in puppetry and visual storytelling, while Oriana is a performer and theatre-maker with experience across stage and screen, including Melbourne Fringe, TheatreWorks and the Australian Shakespeare Company.

Together, the team creates collaborative, imaginative and inclusive workshops where young people can explore different artforms, develop their own creative voices and contribute to original performance work. Through theatre, movement, storytelling, design, puppetry and play, participants are encouraged to build confidence, form friendships, take creative risks and experience the excitement of making something together.

UNDERARTS is for creative and curious young people who love stories, characters, making, performing, and imagining new worlds.

It’s for those who enjoy drawing, acting, writing, crafting — or simply want to try something different. Our workshops are designed to support a wide range of creative strengths, and no prior theatre experience is needed.

We welcome young people of all abilities, identities, and backgrounds, and are committed to creating a space where disabled and/or neurodivergent participants, LGBTQIA+ young people, and those from culturally diverse communities feel safe, seen, and supported.

Just bring imagination, curiosity, and a willingness to have a go.

Term 4 Fees

10 workshops + end-of-year performance

Full fee: $350 per participant

Concession: $250 per participant

Sibling discount: 10% off the total booking ($630 for two siblings)

The fee includes ten two-hour workshops, all workshop materials and participation in our end-of-year performance on Thursday 10 December.

We want UNDERARTS to be accessible to as many young people as possible. If cost is a barrier, please contact us at hello@underarts.com.au.

What age group are the workshops for?

We offer two weekly workshop groups:

7–10 years — Brunswick, Thursdays 4.00–6.00pm

11–15 years — Brunswick, Thursdays 4.00–6.00pm

Each group is facilitated in an age-appropriate way, while keeping the same UNDERARTS approach: collaborative performance-making with many different ways to contribute.

Do participants need any theatre experience?

Not at all. UNDERARTS is designed for all experience levels. Whether your child loves acting, drawing, writing, crafting, sound, puppetry or simply imagining new worlds, there is a place for them.

Can my child try a class before enrolling?

Yes. We offer a free trial class for new families where places are available. As we have limited places remaining in Term 4, please get in touch with us at hello@underarts.com.au to discuss availability and arrange a suitable session.

When are fees due?

You do not need to pay at the time of registration. Once your child's place is confirmed, you will have 14 days to complete payment.

If payment has not been received within 14 days, the place may be offered to another family. If you need a little more time, please get in touch with us at hello@underarts.com.au.

All Term 4 fees must be paid by Thursday 1 October 2026, before the first workshop begins, unless otherwise arranged.

What do participants need to bring each week?

A water bottle and comfortable clothes they can move and create in, including clothes that can get a little messy. We will let families know if there is ever an optional costume, prop or object to bring from home.

What about food?

We provide light snacks each workshop, usually fruit and bread, and sometimes a sweet treat. During registration, we ask about allergies and dietary requirements and plan snacks with this in mind.

What do you provide?

We provide the core materials for devising and making, including craft and prop-making supplies, puppetry materials, and basic costume and set elements.

In Term 4, participants will work with a range of materials to create the characters, puppets, props, costumes and environments that will bring their immersive performance to life.

What are the facilities like?

Our workshops take place at Balam Balam Place, a welcoming and well-equipped community arts space with modern facilities, including heating, cooling and accessible amenities.

During Term 4, participants will also explore the building and its surrounds as they develop an immersive performance incorporating both indoor and outdoor spaces.

How big are the groups?

We cap each group at 16 participants, with two facilitators and a maximum adult-to-child ratio of 1:8. This helps us maintain a safe, connected ensemble and offer strong creative support.

Is there a performance outcome? Can families attend?

Yes! Term 4 will culminate in our immersive end-of-year performance on Thursday 10 December at Balam Balam Place.

Throughout the term, participants will develop their original ideas, characters and stories into a collaborative performance incorporating theatre, puppetry, sound design, visual art and experimental performance-making.

Families and friends will be invited to journey through the indoor and outdoor spaces of Balam Balam Place and experience the imaginative worlds created by our young artists.

The performance will begin at approximately 6.00–6.30pm, following our final workshop of the term. The exact performance time and further details will be confirmed during Term 4.

Does my child need to have participated in Term 3 to join Term 4?

No. While Term 4 builds upon the creative ideas and performance material developed in Term 3, new participants are very welcome to join.

Our workshops are collaborative and responsive to the interests and creative contributions of the young people involved. New participants will have plenty of opportunities to introduce their own ideas, develop characters, create original material and help shape the final performance.

What is your approach to child safety?

UNDERARTS is a Child Safe Organisation committed to providing a secure, respectful and inclusive environment. All facilitators hold current Working With Children Checks and follow child-safety and duty-of-care procedures, including risk management, supervision and consent protocols.

My child has access needs — can they take part?

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment, and we will do everything within our capacity to make UNDERARTS accessible to young people with a range of access needs.

We ask families and caregivers to contact us before enrolling so we can discuss your child's needs and work out together whether we can provide the right support for them to participate safely and meaningfully.