Overview

We know it’s been a challenging time for artists locally and around the world. This is an opportunity to reignite your creative practice, reconnect with your art form, develop new skills and remember the joy of being in a physical space with other artists and creatives.

 

What is Young Punk?

Young Punk is a non-conformist, post modern fairytale told through the language of circus & cinema, created by Carita Farrer Spencer & Hayden Spencer in association with Princess Pictures.

 

What is the Young Punk Creative Lab?

Facilitated by Circus Oz, the Young Punk Creative Lab is a free masterclass workshop for circus, variety and physical artists to enhance their existing skillset to translate onto screen and engage with creation strategies for narrative-based circus.     

Participants will create their own narrative-based physical routine that can be translated to various media platforms (social media, film & television) by passing through a structured schedule of small group workshops led by experts with a background in live performance, theatre, circus, film, television and media.

You can meet the facilitators here!

 

What can I expect to get out of the lab?

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be invited to submit their work to be considered for involvement in the larger feature film project being developed by the teaching team with selected works being professionally filmed after the workshop.

Places in the program are incredibly limited and participants are expected to submit an application by 18 August  to be considered for a position in the program. For more information contact us by emailing spenserinwood@circusoz.com.au

Meet your Teacher

Carita Farrer Spenser

Writer, Singer, Actor, Cabaret Performer, Director and Visual Artist. Carita has been a long term Director and Coach at the National Institute of Circus Arts – NICA. Together with her husband Hayden, she has produced and directed a number of innovative productions for this institution including: PESCADO – a cabaret circus fusion; Flight; and Graduation Showcase performances.

Carita was an original cast member of the smash-hit Australian musical LADIES IN BLACK, directed by Simon Phillips with original music by Tim Finn and was the winner of the 2016 Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work. Carita’s one-woman cabaret show LARRY & THE DAME (a double bill, with herself), received an Arts Review TOP 10 PICKS at the 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and has since gone on to tour extensively to various venues and festivals. She has also performed countless time in the WOMEN IN VOICE Cabaret Series.

Carita was most recently seen on our TV screens as Mrs Judd in MS FISHER’S MODERN MURDER MYSTERIES for Channel 7, and Barbara Collins in the ABC TV series SEVEN TYPES of AMBIGUITY.

FAQs

We mean circus artist in the broadest sense of the word. It doesn’t matter if you have formal training or years of experience in the industry, but you must have an existing physical practice, an act (or the beginning of) that you can develop and build on throughout the week.

The Creative Lab is a fully scheduled week long commitment which goes a bit like this…

Each day begins at 10am with Hayden Spencer’s performance masterclasses which are purpose-built for physical performers where you will encounter a world class actor training program to guide you toward screen performance. You won’t want to miss these!

After this, you will receive creative provocations that will get your creative juices flowing and ready for self-devised narrative routines that you will explore after lunch (lunch being 1 – 2pm)

After a well earned break you and your small group of fellow participants will assist each other between 2 – 4.30pm in developing narrative circus scenes, supported by our Young Punk team of professionals from the worlds of circus, theatre, film & television AND the Circus Oz creative technicians will also be on the floor to assist.

Each day will finish with a 4.30 – 5.30pm (optional) session where you will learn technical skills from our professional film crew & producers to make sure you know the ins and outs of filming and editing your own work.

If you are unable to attend this week because of things out of your control, but you are interested to stay in the loop with the future of this project, please complete the video application anyway! We would love to meet you and find out about your artistry. Please just make sure tell us the details of why you cannot attend this time around in the notes section of the application.

This creative lab is not designed to teach you new circus skills, but it is designed to up-skill you as a performer and a storyteller in the medium of film & television. We are very keen to support you and your unique talents and practise.

From this workshop we hope to find participants who are able to work with us on the next phase of development which may involve professionally filming some routines on location.

Beyond that, there will be many opportunities for artists to contribute to the journey of making Young Punk, the feature film.

If you can’t attend this workshop but have made an application anyway, we will make sure to consider you for any future developments. Our dream is for Young Punk to be part of an artistic revolution! We aim to work with as many artists as possible.

The workshops led by experts with a background in live performance, theatre, circus, film, television and media.

You can meet the facilitators here!

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Workshop details

Date: 30 August 2021 - 3 September 2021
Time: 10:00am - 5:30pm
Location: Circus Oz, Collingwood Yards
Cost: Free (the workshop fee is covered by Circus Oz)
Applications close: 18 August 2021