‘Every empty seat is a missed opportunity’: QPAC’s new boss brings back kids’ festival Out of the Box
By Nick Dent
Rachel Healy has strong views on the role of theatre on impressionable young minds.
At the age of eight she was taken by her parents to see the musical Annie at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Her mind was blown.
“I wanted to be on stage with those orphans,” she admits.
Rachel Healy is the Chief Executive of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). She took over in December 2024.Credit: Lyndon Mecheilsen
Healy’s first job out of the University of South Australia was assistant editor at youth arts magazine Lowdown, where one of her earliest topics was QPAC’s brand new biennial children’s festival, Out of the Box.
Some 33 years later, Healy is now QPAC’s chief executive, and one of her tasks has been completing the process of bringing back Out of the Box after a seven-year hiatus.
“It probably should have come back in ’23 or ’24, but every organisation was rebuilding after COVID, including QPAC,” Healy says.
Out of the Box is a six-day event (Tuesday to Sunday, June 17-22) showcasing seven mainstage shows for kids, plus over a dozen workshops and activities, held in QPAC’s theatres, event spaces, and at the State Library and QAGOMA.
Wonderbox is an interactive experience in the Out of the Box festival suitable for children with a disability.Credit: Jessica Wyld
Shows include adaptations of kids’ books The Gruffalo and Gurril Storm Bird, while workshops cover mindfulness, dance, a Bluey Puppetry Workshop and a cooking workshop in the kitchens of QPAC’s fancy restaurant, Lyrebird.
The theme of the festival is ‘hope’.
“We’ve gone into communities all over Queensland to ask children a question: if you could wish or hope for one special thing in the future, what would you hope it to be? The answers are heartbreaking,” Healy says.
Responses ranged from the wish the rain in flooded areas would go away to the Lions winning the premiership. The results will be collected in an installation across the precinct called the Tree of Hope.
Theatremaker Eva di Cesare of Sydney’s Monkey Baa Theatre Company is premiering her adaptation of children’s book Where Is the Green Sheep? at the festival.
Di Cesare says Out of the Box was “a beacon” for theatre and creative experiences for kids.
“Its return after seven years is very exciting for those of us who have made theatre for the very young our life’s work.”
The Circa team rehearsing 2025 kids’ show Wolfgang in the Stars.Credit: Peter Wallis
Yaron Lifschitz, head of Brisbane-based circus company Circa, agrees. “Out of the Box has proven its ability to connect with young audiences and to build work of lasting value,” he says.
Circa is premiering an ambitious show about Mozart in space, titled Wolfgang in the Stars, at the festival.
“I get bored easily so I love making work for young audiences – I need to make sure it is snappy and energetic. Ultimately, the theatre is a place of wonder, filled with big ideas and emotions.”
Healy says that Out of the Box takes place not in school holidays but in a normal term week to take advantage of block school bookings.
“For lots of kids, their first experience of live performance is with their school. My parents took me to the theatre, but lots of my friends didn’t have families who did that.”
She says state arts venues have an obligation to support children’s education and cultural literacy.
“Every seat in an arts centre is an asset in the sense that if someone’s not sitting in it, then that’s a lost opportunity.”
Healy, who was co-artistic director of the Adelaide Festival and has worked at the Sydney Opera House, took over from longtime chief executive John Kotzas in December last year, in time to celebrate QPAC’s 40th anniversary in 2025.
She says QPAC differs from other theatre centres in Australia because of its strong support for local arts companies and its ability to attract diverse audiences. For evidence, you only had to glance into the venue’s foyer during its recent, record-breaking summer.
“It looked like the traffic in Queen Street Mall had just walked into our foyer. In so many art centres and theatres around the country, your foyer does not look like that.”
Out of the Box 2025 theatre program
The Gruffalo
Lyric Theatre, June 17-22, $39
There’s no such thing as a gruffalo, or is there? Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s hugely popular picture book is now a children’s theatre classic and makes a welcome return for Out of the Box. Ages 3+
Wolfgang in the Stars
Concert Hall, June 18-22, $39
Boy genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart goes on an interstellar journey to seek inspiration for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Circa’s world premiere production combines music, acrobatics and video projections. Ages 3+
Where Is the Green Sheep?
Playhouse, June 17-22, $39
Another picture book classic (by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek) has been adapted for the stage by Monkey Baa Theatre Company, with puppetry, animation, and Horacek herself contributing new illustrations. Ages 1-6
Gurril Storm Bird
Cremorne Theatre, June 18-21, $39
Adapted from the prize-winning children’s picture book by Trevor (Bumi) Fourmile, this production tells the story of a young boy who came face to face with the rainbow serpent. Ages 5+
Club Origami
Tony Gould Gallery, June 18-22, $39
Children can scrunch and draw on paper as dancers make paper penguins and copy them with their bodies in a unique show from Sydney Dance Company and the UK’s Seven Circles. Ages 1-5
The Lost Lending Library
Playhouse Bandroom, June 17-22, $39
UK company Punchdrunk Enrichment creates immersive experiences for children that unlock their creativity. The Lost Lending Library is a magical world that celebrates books and stories. Ages 5+
Wonderbox
Playhouse Studio 1, June 18-21, $39
Inside a giant puzzle box of illusions, children with disability can find a wonderland of fantastical projects, strange tiny delights, and music. All performances are relaxed and fully accessible. Ages 6+