The City of Sydney has generously put forward a monetary pledge for the relocation of a leading theatre company, Monkey Baa, to the new Darling Quarter development.
Monkey Baa is a theatre company devoted to adapting Australia’s favourite storybooks for the stage and providing workshops for young lovers of the theatre arts. Three actors came together in 1997 to construct a company that would bring theatre down from adults to children, to enrich their creativity and usher future generations into the industry.
The innovative theatre has adapted all kinds of children’s literature, creating stage productions from books of famous Australian authors such as Morris Gleitzman, Gillian Rubinstein and Jackie French with especially notable titles like Tim Winton’s The Bugalugs Bum Thief.
The Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP sang praises of the theatre; “Monkey Baa Theatre Company is one of Australia’s flagship theatre companies and has long played an important role in promoting the arts and cultural industries to young people in Sydney and beyond.”
The theatre will relocate to a Darling Quarter as part of a $560 million dollar redevelopment of a 1.5 hectare location that is part of the hallmark of Sydney. The new performance space has been granted all the trimmings with a 235-seat theatre and the company will have access to public outdoor spaces for further projects.
For the move to the exclusive building in where the company can develop, rehearse and present touring productions in one spot, the City of Sydney will grant $45,000 to ensure smooth proceedings so the company can return to their young fans in April. Four productions are slated to be developed for the 2012 season, with up to 86 performances inviting 15,000 youngsters and their families to be awed.
“Moving into a first-class new venue at Darling Harbour will allow the company to reach an even wider audience with their engaging performances and workshops, which will deliver significant benefits to Sydney’s growing cultural community.
“The City has a proud history of supporting Sydney’s cultural institutions, both large and small, and this new grant for Monkey Baa demonstrates our long-term commitment to nurturing and celebrating our city’s cultural life,” said Lord Mayor.
The purpose an established headquarters for Monkey Baa is to develop a cultural hub for younger peers, with plans including introducing pop-up libraries, inviting authors for talks and storytelling sessions within the building on top of turning out sterling productions that celebrates Australian creativity in literature and stage.
