NZ Theatre Company Raising Awareness For the World’s Oceans

Award Winning NZ Theatre Company Raising Awareness For the World’s Oceans

Auckland based Red Leap Theatre Charitable Trust is renowned for raising awareness of global issues through performance. Dubbed as restlessly creative, endlessly inventive the company combine imagery and movement to tell stories accessible by all ages and backgrounds. Their Auckland Arts Festival commission The Arrival by Shaun Tan dealt with themes of migrancy and refugees. It has now played to over 20,000 people in six countries including children in 48 New Zealand schools.

Red Leap’s new work is inspired by concern for the sustainability of the sea. It tells the fantastical story of a baby dropped into the ocean and who not only survives but thrives beneath the water. In his teens the boy is washed ashore bringing with him an abundant catch for local fishermen. Later he disappears from the village and so the fish disappear from the sea.

As an island nation the sea is of particular relevance to New Zealanders. It is also of global concern as the sea is literally the blue heart of our planet. The Sea Show (working title) will play a development season at CEAC in Henderson from 20 – 22 September followed by a world premiere in 2014, hopefully to coincide with Sea Week. Red Leap Theatre Charitable Trust are raising funds towards the development of this work via the Arts Foundation of New Zealand’s new crowd funding platform http://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/the-sea-story Donations from $5 and above will contribute to the $6000 target. If the company fails to attract all $6,000 they will lose all pledges.

This production is a massive undertaking requiring a cast of 10, creative team of 8, two year development period and a total budget in excess of $200,000. The long term vision of the project is to tour the work nationally and internationally building on the audiences established by The Arrival. Theatre is a powerful medium and this is a worthy investment for anyone passionate about great art and/or the taonga that is the sea.

For more information please contact Helaina Keeley, General Manager on 09 837 2418 / helaina@redleaptheatre.co.nz / www.facebook.com/redleaptheatre

  http://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/the-sea-story

ENDS

© Scoop Media