Darwin’s young people to lead Fringe audiences on Botanic Gardens ode to our planet

The George Brown Botanic Gardens will be the setting for Darwin’s young people to lead Darwin Fringe audiences on an interactive performance that is an ode to the planet.

An ode to the planet, a call to attention, Darwin’s young people lead Darwin Fringe audiences on an interactive performance adventure through the George Brown Botanic Gardens.

The George Brown Botanic Gardens will be the setting for Darwin’s young people to lead Darwin Fringe audiences on an interactive performance that is an ode to the planet.

Following an award-winning premiere season in Melbourne, Gene Tree: Listen. Now will come to life in our Botanic Gardens in a collaboration between two of Australia’s leading youth theatre companies - St Martins and Darwin’s Corrugated Iron Youth Arts.

More than 50 of Darwin’s children, young people, and artists will feature in this hive-like convergence of music, evolutionary biology and storytelling.

St Martins is a Melbourne-based youth arts company with a national reputation for its works with children aged 5-18.

Corrugated Iron is the Northern Territory’s leading youth arts company.

In Gene Tree, young people ask “impossible questions” about evolution, adaptation and hope.

Audiences will be invited into small moments such as “feet on the grass”, “back against a tree” and “face in the wind”.

Organisers say music, rhythm and projections interlace with children’s stories of connection to nature, adaptation and change.

An ode to the planet, a call to attention, Darwin’s young people lead Darwin Fringe audiences on an interactive performance adventure through the George Brown Botanic Gardens.

Gene Tree Features Corrugated Iron’s Company C, students from Ludmilla Primary School, and Darwin Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists.

Audiences will be immersed inside a chorus of children’s voices, dreaming futures together within the nooks and crannies of the Gardens.

Darwin Fringe is the first stop on St Martins’ concept tour for Gene Tree, which enables young people to adapt and evolve the show with their own words, stories, melodies, rhythms and ideas and share it with their own communities, in their own place of nature — a living, growing performance experience tracing pathways of care and connection across our planet.

Zoe Scroggings, Corrugated Iron Youth Arts CEO and Executive Producer says Bringing Gene Tree to life in the Top End has been a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.

“This work places young people at the centre, not just as performers, but as thinkers, creators and truth-tellers,” she said.

“It’s been a joy to see Darwin’s children and teenagers bring their own lived experiences of Country, climate, and connection to this unique collaboration.

“The work speaks urgently and beautifully to our collective future.”

Performances will be July 17, July 18, Mon 21, 5.30pm - 7.00pm

Originally published as Darwin’s young people to lead Fringe audiences on Botanic Gardens ode to our planet