World premiere: ARC by Erth

Sydney – Monday 21 March, 2022. A new large-scale participatory work by award-winning physical theatre and puppetry company Erth will have its world premiere as part of the Opera House’s 2022 Children, Families and Creative Learning program in September. ARC will invite children and families to get up-close-and-personal with extinct and critically endangered animals such as snow leopards, hammerhead sharks, microbats, and elephants, brought to life by Erth’s awe-inspiring and lifelike puppets.

A timely artistic response to climate change and the crisis of species extinction, the thought-provoking work is commissioned by Sydney Opera House as part of New Work Now, an initiative established during the pandemic to support Australian artists to create and present bold new works.

“While ARC is a confrontation with the reality of species extinction, it is also a provocation of hope, reminding us of the resilience of nature, our power as individuals to both protect and preserve, and the inherent hope and creative genius of children,” said Artistic Director of Erth, Scott Wright.

Another highlight of the annual program is Dorr-e Dari by Western Sydney’s PYT Fairfield – a performance in September for teenagers that provides a sneak peek into the language of love by three young Western Sydney Afghani artists. Inspired by the tradition of ‘curtain shows’ performed all through the Persian-speaking world, and the thousand-year-strong tradition of courtly Persian love poetry, this rich and tender work will guide teens on the path to love via intimate storytelling and epic ballads from the streets of Kabul, Tehran and Quetta.

“As young people continue to speak up about the matters that affect their world, our 2022 program is all about kids taking back the House, and placing young people truly at the heart of everything we do. From environmental sustainability, over-consumption and the big sprawling questions of the universe, to burgeoning young love, these inspiring and thought-provoking works will allow the next generation to engage with pertinent issues that matter most to them,” said Sydney Opera House Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison.

Rounding out the 2022 program is:

• Creation Creation by Adelaide’s Windmill Theatre Company (Bluey’s Big Play), a playful new theatre performance exploring life’s biggest mysteries;
• Tempo by the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, a musical variety show comprising an ensemble of teenage performers, with a backstage Inside the Circus experience available;
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, an adaptation of Eric Carle’s famous children’s picture book;
• The Twits, a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic story of the two nastiest people on earth, brought to life on by Shake and Stir Theatre Co; and
• Zooom by Adelaide’s Patch Theatre, merging heart-warming storytelling with cutting-edge laser light technology.

ARC, Dorr-e Dari and Creation Creation are also available as part of the Opera House’s Creative Learning program of enriching, curriculum-linked experiences for primary and secondary students.

For kids with a taste for adventure, the Junior Adventure Tour takes little explorers on a one-hour journey to see behind the scenes and quench their thirst for discovery while learning interesting facts and playing interactive games. Need a whole day out? The Junior Day Pack combines a show ticket to Edward the Emu (April), The Twits (July) or Zooom (Sept) with a harbourside lunch to ensure your little one gets the best out of their visit to the Opera House.

ARC is commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as part of New Work Now, enabled by Jillian Segal AO & John Roth on behalf of Yarranabbe Foundation.