BARKING GECKO'S INSPIRE
Photo by Michael Mclean
Barking Gecko are one of Australia’s most beloved theatre companies, having entertained and inspired audiences of all ages for more than 30 years.
As well as crafting and presenting their world-class productions, the team at Barking Gecko are passionate about bringing the joys of live performance to a wider audience, especially kids who might otherwise miss out on seeing live theatre.
Barking Gecko’s INSPIRE program is catered to children attending primary school in Perth’s outer metropolitan areas.
Participating schools receive tickets to one of Barking Gecko’s theatre productions, along with fully subsidised bus transport to their theatre in Northbridge.
As well as attending the show, students are invited to take part in a special workshop run by one of the company’s Teaching Artists.
Teachers are provided with a package of learning materials to incorporate the show into their curriculum and are also able to take part in Barking Gecko’s School Drama mentoring program.
During this professional development program, team members from the theatre work with teachers to help them incorporate drama strategies into the classroom — a unique and impactful way of keeping kids engaged while improving their literacy outcomes.
Having launched in 2020, the INSPIRE program is already receiving rave reviews. One teacher from a participating school said: “The whole experience was incredible. A lot of our students would never have the opportunity to immerse themselves into a show like this in their life.”
Through its community grants program, the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation is proud to be supporting Barking Gecko as they work to bring INSPIRE to a wider audience in years ahead.
“The grant from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation will allow us to expand Barking Gecko’s creative learning programs for children whose lives are more complicated than most – we’re very proud of what will be achieved together,” said Helen Hirstofski, Barking Gecko’s Executive Producer and CEO.
To find out more about Barking Gecko’s productions and the INSPIRE program, visit their website at Barking Gecko.
Published: 14 October 2021