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 the term, participants will collaborate, experiment and problem-solve together as they develop original ideas towards an in-studio showing.

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 - SOLD OUT
This group is now fully booked for Term 3. Please fill out the form on this page to join the waitlist.

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 2 UNDERARTS workshops are led by Allison Wiltshire and Noemie Huttner-Koros — two performance-makers, dramaturgs and facilitators with extensive experience across Australian and international arts contexts. Allison leads the 11–15s and Noemie leads the 8–10s, together bringing backgrounds in theatre, writing, experimental performance, dramaturgy and community arts practice. Their work spans major festivals, independent performance scenes and youth arts contexts in Australia and overseas, including Next Wave, Arts House, Melbourne Fringe, HAU Hebbel am Ufer and Berliner Festspiele.

Their workshops are collaborative, imaginative and inclusive, inviting young people to create original performance work through theatre, movement, writing, design, puppetry and play. Together, Allison and Noemie create a space where participants can build confidence, form friendships, take creative risks and contribute to something entirely their own.

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 2 Fees
8 workshops

Full fee: $280
Concession: $200
Sibling discount: 10% off the total booking

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.

FAQs

What age group are the workshops for?

We offer two weekly workshop groups:

7–10 years — Brunswick, Thursdays 4.00–6.00 pm
11–15 years — Brunswick, Thursdays 4.00–6.00 pm

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, 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. Please get in touch with us at hello@underarts.com.au and we will 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 fees must be paid by Monday 27 July, before the first workshop begins.

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.

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.

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 3 will culminate in an in-studio showing for families and friends at Balam Balam Place. Participants will share some of the original ideas, characters and worlds developed by the ensemble throughout the term.

The material created in Term 3 will then be expanded in Term 4, building towards a larger immersive experience at a venue to be announced.

Does my child need to enrol in both Terms 3 and 4?

No. Families are welcome to enrol in Term 3 as a standalone program. The term has its own creative arc and culminates in an in-studio showing.

Participants who return in Term 4 will have the opportunity to further develop the ideas created during Term 3 as the ensembles work towards an immersive 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.