HOMUNCULUS:
Homunculus Theatre Company have 15 years experience delighting and inspiring audiences across Australia and New Zealand. We offer a wide range of In-Schools Workshops & Performances, Artist In Residence Programs, Professional Development for Teachers, Roving Acts and Regional Community Projects. WE SPECIALISE IN:
Commedia Dell’Arte
Traditional & Contemporary Clowning
Mask Theatre
Phy
sical Comedy
Non Verbal Communication & Mime
Slapstick & Stage Combat
Absurdism
Physical Theatre & Circus
Melodrama
Brecht
Political Satire
Clowns In Shakespeare
Our mission is to share the human beauty, humor and power of these theatrical styles with young people worldwide. Drama particularly, has a vital place in the lives of young people in the 21st Century. In an age when people are increasingly interacting and indeed living via and inside of technology, it is the subject and practice of comedy that offers what otherwise can so easily be lost from our lives. The opportunity to play, express, be physical, relate and discover in real time and space. Our approach is underpinned by the assumption that everyone has something to offer and that comedy is a unique and powerful engager that has the capacity to inspire students who might otherwise hang back. COMEDY OF LIFE:
Comedy conceals, gives permission to play, allows expression, liberates and reveals. Our students and audiences alike are continually amazed by their own, their peers, and our performers transformations. These particular styles we specialize in have the capacity to instill a sense of joy, vulnerability, physical discipline and freedom of expression in the performer and our audiences alike. Comedy teaches that nothing and none of us can truly be taken too seriously. Being able to laugh, to see the funny side, is in itself, a vital life skill. CONFIDENCE BUILDS STRENGTH. STRENGTH BUILDS ABILITY. ABILITY GIVES FLOW.
“At Flying Fish Point State School, we are committed to teaching our students a growth-mindset embodied within a pedagogy of Mind, Body and Spirit in both academic, personal and community mindedness. Regional and Remote Queensland schools often provide a unique contrast to our SEQ peers in terms of remoteness, access to resources and facilities, and access to employment and further education opportunities. Many of our students live within these confines, and are often coupled with low-socioeconomic living situations and legacies of family unrest and trauma. Homunculus Theatre Company, in particular their delivery and teaching of Commedia del Arte, transcends daily poverties and gives life to a passion for the English language, Literature, the Arts, and creation and innovation. Through Humour, our Mind falls in love with the idiosyncrasies of the English language, of classical literature, of a realisation that understanding and context of the world we live in can shape our own destinies. We are encouraged to learn, to write, to create and to innovate. Through Physicality, our Body moves in rhythm with our verse. Students are taught control and discipline while developing core strength and physical fitness. As a ‘sit-down’ nation, exercise and discipline have shown to increase brain activity and functionality which ultimately transforms to engagement in our classrooms. Through Emotion, our Spirit grows as we battle trauma and past heartache. Laughter triggers our motor-neurons as new links are made in brain development. Positive self-esteem is promoted as we work together through an influx of positive emotions and feel-good moments. Communication, teamwork and focus rise amongst this strong spirit to develop students with positivity and hope. Finding something that delivers this Pedagogy while integrating areas of the National Curriculum in such an engaging way is exciting for our school and all schools across Regional and Remote Queensland. Homunculus Theatre Co. is this whole package.”
Amelia Jenkins, Principal, Flying Fish Point State School, QLD
WHY COMEDY?
“The history of Comedy and the purposefulness to society and community it has fulfilled and having been a focus of laughter, empowerment can be seen to embody the clear purposefulness of the Arts in the education realm. Clint Bolster and Homunculus continue to embody this, to this day; here, now in our twenty-first century, keeping alive the laughter, empowering school students of all ages within remote communities that are just as much a part of the fabric of the whole embodiment of the greater Australian community in being able to access the Arts, just as the city counterparts are able to do. Serving the traditions away from the digital screens, bringing people together in a ‘live’ setting particularly school children need the traditions of coming together as a student body, an audience and are able to participate and create as part of the Arts – this IS Homunculus. Involvement in the Arts and the skills and focus involved by artist like Clint creates for our students, in the twenty-first century the society that is dynamically now emerging, all around us. Participation in the Arts requires us to perceive, challenge and be a part through shifts and small emergent moments. Homunculus provides through laughter, transformation to perceive, challenge and focus in on shifts and emergent moments. Clint creates joy where there is little, celebration and success for the otherwise- less academic and yet there is an emergence of confidence for ALL students. Students that may not otherwise have their won emotional burdens – self created or through home lives. Some have burdens of social isolation shells. Arts fosters change, edges towards joy and seeing possibility. Real practical skills of working together, purposefulness and prowess. Motivation has also been the gift that Homunculus has given us, here at Cooktown State School. From year 5 girls putting on their own routine to share with me and Homunculus, year 11 girls saying they would save up their own money to get Clint back to re-share the joys and fun of the workshops and the performance. Further the below was shared testimony, unchanged spelling with a clear message of continuance, reward, skills gained and desire for more of this focus of education from our year 5 and 6 students –
“The performance was astonishing..i gained how to teamwork. Getting along with others. They were awesome and funny..please bring them back..I couldn’t stop laughing..i nearly wet myself”“It will good to have them back”
“I really enjoyed how they got everyone involved…they made everyone laugh..its important…my wish is to learn more about being on a stage..”
“The noses were just amazing..a lot of fun…it was pretty exciting…thank you for inviting them..it was an amazing experience for all of us”
“I learned just to get into it and have fun..it doesn’t matter what other people see (in you)..laughter is good mediciane…they were the funniest I have ever seen”
“..you are never to old to laugh..I thought the show was outstand(ing)”
“..you do not have to join the sarcis (circus) to be funny”
So from student’s testimonials the; joy, fun, laughter and student’s own recognition they are working with others, getting along iS priority in our twenty-first century age of emerging dissonance with one another, life bogged down without joy and cyclic ,mechanised routines. The escape and light spot-lighted onto the significance and importance – laughter; this changes lives through joy and skills the students recognise themselves. Education of change is the fundamental precedence all educators strive for. Here Homunculus brings the joys of theatre, performance and their workshops into the lives of students were I have seen new motivations, joy and a ‘renewal’ in themselves in their approach to schooling and within their own lives. Let the banner of the arts in all our lives fly high in the sky. Let Homunculus continue to be supported and provide equity of the arts to all; bringing joy, laughter and skills to our students lives.”
PaulFraser, Head OF Drama, Cooktown State School, Far North Queensland
