Trash Magic
by Luminous Productions
Luminous is an all-abilities theatre company that creates professional productions with artists with disabilities.
Trash Magic takes families on a fluorescent journey through the bush with magical friends through blacklight theatre puppetry. Presented in Auslan with English voice-over and underscored by a timeless musical soundtrack, children journey through the bush with Ruby and her family who learn important lessons in land conservation.
We’ll see you at the Australian Performing Arts Market in Melbourne, 14-19 June 2023
Artistic Director Tania Lieman
Performers Omri Mason, Kyle Adams, Elshiela Ibo, Bryn Whackett, Thomas Midena
Collaborators Rebecca Hell; Gail Evans
Sound Design & Tour Manager Matt Cunliffe
Production Manager + Maker Elizabeth Rogers
Auslan Guide Clayton Hansen, Deaf Connect
Trash Magic by newly formed theatre company Luminous is a strategic initiative that emerged out of Darwin Community Arts Inc.’s theatre program CemeNTstars Theatre Group for people with disability.
Touring through the Northern Territory in 2022, the production attracted diverse demographics living in regional and remote parts of the Territory such as general audiences, families, people living with disabilities, schools and Indigenous communities. From young to old the performance delighted all-ages with its upbeat, retro music, mesmerising blacklight puppetry and clear messaging ‘look after the environment’.
Auslan, woven through the work is used as a performance and communication tool. A voiceover in English translated the dialogue for audiences. The decision to build an accessibility element into the performance brought Auslan to the forefront of the Luminous team, and made every performance easily experienced by the Deaf community.
With accessibility being at the core of the project the work was able to be experienced by the widest possible audience - for all ages and as many language groups as wished to be involved around the Northern Territory. Trash Magic was a project partnership with Artback NT and Tania Lieman of Luminous. The project is not billed as a disability show, but as a show for children with an all-abilities cast.
