Take Your Bow - Units of Work
Aboriginal Festivals through Traditional Symbols (Arts)
Aboriginal hollow log tombs, National Gallery Canberra
The site of the Festival Centre is on Kaurna land. The Tandanya Clan Group, part of the Kaurna nation, have lived there for thousands of years. Their Dreamtime Symbol for this place is Tandanya - the Red Kangaroo. The Tandanya Dreaming comes to life on the banks of the River Torrens. Karra, the River Red Gums were the dominant trees of this area and were regularly used as a source of food and shelter.
The Festival Centre stands at a significant site for the Kaurna people. That location was chosen for the Festival Centre because of it's beautiful surroundings of the Torrens, much the same reason that the Kaurna people chose the same place for their celebrations.
Students are to learn about the symbols used in Australian art. The Aboriginal Art Store and also the Kate Owen Gallery websites are good resources that explain many traditional Aboriginal art symbols.
Once they are familiar with these symbols, you can get them to create a drawing/painting depicting a celebration on the Festival Centre grounds, either before or after the settlement of Adelaide. They may choose to include landmarks and building structures in their artworks as well as the traditional Aboriginal art symbols.
The Festival Centre stands at a significant site for the Kaurna people. That location was chosen for the Festival Centre because of it's beautiful surroundings of the Torrens, much the same reason that the Kaurna people chose the same place for their celebrations.
Students are to learn about the symbols used in Australian art. The Aboriginal Art Store and also the Kate Owen Gallery websites are good resources that explain many traditional Aboriginal art symbols.
Once they are familiar with these symbols, you can get them to create a drawing/painting depicting a celebration on the Festival Centre grounds, either before or after the settlement of Adelaide. They may choose to include landmarks and building structures in their artworks as well as the traditional Aboriginal art symbols.
Key Idea 3.1 : Students draw from thought, imagination, data and research, and the examination of social and cultural issues, to demonstrate personal aesthetic preference, and provide imaginative solutions and artistic responses to ideas and issues.
Key Idea 3.2 : Students develop knowledge of the styles, forms and conventions of each arts form; refine arts skills; apply appropriate techniques; explore, plan, organise and employ both creative and abstract thought in the production of arts works.
Key Idea 3.5 : Students examine and analyse their knowledge of a wide range of arts works, the arts industry and social influences to understand the impact of these on their own and their peers’ work, and that of Australian contemporary artists.
Key Idea 3.6 : Students investigate the arts practices of a number of cultures across time to develop an understanding and appreciation of the cultural and global connections which are emerging as a result of social and technological change.
Festival Centre Model
The Festival Centre has many examples of original design through architecture and sculptures surrounding the building. Students will create a 3D model of one of the following:
Of course, feel free to add your own ideas to this list!
Students will need to start by choosing one aspect to create and then research images to help them plan their model.
Use of a diorama would be appropriate for many of these models (e.g. a sculpture - you could create the sculpture on the ground, then draw in the background of what you could see behind that particular sculpture, with the top of the box cut off - or the seating plan could be done in the box to help with structural integrity, students who need extending could create a circuit to add lighting to their work). However, some choices (e.g. the proposed bridge) would lend themselves better to being built from a flat surface.
- A sculpture from the surrounding area (e.g. Kaurna meyunna, Kaurna yerta tampendi, Navigator's Memory, Sir John Glower Memorial Fountain, The Hajek or Vertical Carpet)
- Tthe proposed bridge over the Torrens that include the native trees (and perhaps Popeye)
- The buildings that make up the Festival Centre (the Festival Theatre and the Playhouse)
- The natural landscape might have looked like before the Festival Centre was built, when it was used as a significant place of celebration for the Kaurna people
- The Festival Theatre stage and/or seating
Of course, feel free to add your own ideas to this list!
Students will need to start by choosing one aspect to create and then research images to help them plan their model.
Use of a diorama would be appropriate for many of these models (e.g. a sculpture - you could create the sculpture on the ground, then draw in the background of what you could see behind that particular sculpture, with the top of the box cut off - or the seating plan could be done in the box to help with structural integrity, students who need extending could create a circuit to add lighting to their work). However, some choices (e.g. the proposed bridge) would lend themselves better to being built from a flat surface.
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Theatrical Superstitions (English)
Theatres have many superstitions (a cause and effect relationship with supernatural undertones). Two of the most famous theatrical superstitions include:
You can never say “Good Luck” before a performance! Instead, it would be very English of you to say “break a leg” - in Shakespeare’s time, ‘break’ meant to ‘bend’ and to “bend your legs” translated roughly to “take lots of bows”. It would be very Australian of you to say “Chookas” instead of “Good Luck”.
All theatres are reputed to have ghosts, so the superstition follows that all theatres should be closed one night a week (traditionally on Monday) to give the ghosts a chance to perform their own plays. A light should always be left burning in an empty theatre to ward off ghosts.
Students are to write a narrative text that includes one of these superstitions (or perhaps they can make up one of their own, or research other theatrical superstitions) and elaborates on the consequences in a dramatic and detailed way.
Explore Festival Centre Artwork and Buildings
I have taken these pictures to give students the opportunity to explore the spaces and artworks around the Festival Centre. Click on an image to get a larger version along with a caption describing the picture.
If you enjoyed the Georama 360 degree panoramics for Thukeri, you'll love these ones of the Festival Centre.
If you enjoyed the Georama 360 degree panoramics for Thukeri, you'll love these ones of the Festival Centre.
Production Poster Design (Arts)
The Festival Centre hosts some amazing annual events and has also hosted some of the most famous Broadway hits. Your job is to design a poster advertisement for one of the events that have been held at the Festival Theatre.
Some of the biggest hits to have been produced at the centre include The Sound of Music in 1983, Cats in 1985, Oliver in 1984, The King and I in 1991 and this year Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that is performing in April. Every year it hosts the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, the Oz Asia Festival and, of course, the Festival of Music.
Below are two videos produced by the Festival Centre that you can show your class - on the left is for the upcoming Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and on the right is for the Moon Lantern Festival.
The films for Sound of Music, Cats, Oliver, The King and I and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang all have film adaptions that are rated G so you can show your class.
Some of the biggest hits to have been produced at the centre include The Sound of Music in 1983, Cats in 1985, Oliver in 1984, The King and I in 1991 and this year Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that is performing in April. Every year it hosts the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, the Oz Asia Festival and, of course, the Festival of Music.
Below are two videos produced by the Festival Centre that you can show your class - on the left is for the upcoming Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and on the right is for the Moon Lantern Festival.
The films for Sound of Music, Cats, Oliver, The King and I and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang all have film adaptions that are rated G so you can show your class.
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