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Access All Areas: Regional Schools

About

Join Victorian Opera in a series of four online workshops in the lead-up to our education opera.

Ideal for Primary School students in Years Foundation to 6. Aligns with Australian Curriculum General Capabilities and Learning Areas in:

  • The Arts – Music, Drama and Visual Arts
  • English

Supported by a downloadable Education Resource with curriculum-aligned classroom activities tailored to each workshop (available mid-March 2023).

Program cost

  • For Access All Areas livestream, the cost is $1 per student with no extra charge to teacher.
  • For Schools attending the performance in Ballarat, cost is $16 per student and Access All Areas is then free.

Workshop Details

All four workshops will be live streamed directly into your classroom on the dates listed below. All content is available on-demand for up to six (6) months from the livestream date, giving you and your students three extra views. Each workshop is easily accessed online using the unique log-in details sent to schools in the week before the first workshop begins.

Workshops run for approximately 30 minutes each and will include a variety of interactive activities. Please note, workshop content is subject to change.

Workshop 1: What is opera?

Begin your journey into the world of opera and be serenaded by opera singers as they demonstrate a range of voice types unique to the art form.

Workshop 2: Directing a scene

Follow along as the director stages a scene with members of the cast.

Workshop 3: Creating the world of the education opera

The world of the education opera comes alive as we meet the set, costume and lighting designers and explore the designs that bring this production to life on stage.

Workshop 4: The Orchestra

Join the orchestra in rehearsal as the production moves into the theatre. Meet the conductor and musicians and learn about the instruments they play.

Performance

See all of the elements from the workshops combine when you attend Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse Theatre in person to watch a performance live on stage.

The 2024 Show

Parrwang Lifts the Sky

Did you know that magpies created the first dawn?

Victorian Opera is pleased to restage this adaption of the Wadawurrung creation story Parrwang Lifts the Sky. Written by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, this family and education production follows the story of how Parrwang (the magpie) helps her human friends Tjatarrang (Big Sister) and Koki (Brother) create the first dawn. Lifting the blanket of darkness from the world is only possible by convincing The Great Council of Birds led by Bunjil (Eagle).

  • A Livestream of the performance will be aired on Friday 17 May 10.30 am from Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre.
  • As part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival, schools in the Ballarat area can see the performance live at the Ballarat Civic Hall on Friday 24 May 1.00 pm.

The 2023 Show

The Grumpiest Boy in the World

Our hero, Zachary, questions his own ordinariness as he discovers an imaginary world of giants, hairy creatures, and flying things in this eye-opening opera for children. Featuring a score from Joseph Twist, known for his stellar musical direction on hit children’s TV show, Bluey, alongside Sidney Myer Fellowship librettist and much-loved children’s author, Finegan Kruckemeyer, this opera will be an enriching tale for children and adults alike.

To get an idea of how Access All Areas works, check out the education resources in the button below. Here you will find the Visual Story resource and Access All Areas workshop resource which includes interactive pdf documents to use on the classroom projector and printable worksheets.

How to book

Regional Schools outside of Ballarat

  • Click on the ‘Regional Schools’ button below and follow the prompts to register your school to participate in the program.
  • An order confirmation will be sent to your email address upon successfully completing the registration and an invoice for payment will follow shortly after.
  • We’ll send you the log-in details to access the program in the week before the first workshop.
  • Log on to Access All Areas of Parrwang Lifts the Sky.

Ballarat Schools

  • Click on the ‘Ballarat Schools’ button below and follow the prompts to register your school to participate in the program.
  • An order confirmation will be sent to your email address upon successfully completing the registration and an invoice for payment will follow shortly after.
  • We’ll send you the log-in details to access the program in the week before the first workshop.

Sponsors