Australian High Commission
New Delhi
India, Bhutan

Giant ants from Australia’s Polyglot Theatre to land in India

PA/21/18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       15 November 2018

                                                                                Giant ants from Australia’s Polyglot Theatre to land in India

Polyglot Theatre is bringing their Play Space production Ants to delight Indian children as part of Australia Fest.  

Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Her Excellency Ms Harinder Sidhu, said “Polyglot Theatre is Australia’s leading creator of experiential, interactive and installation theatre for children and families, encouraging kids to turn the simplest things into extraordinary creations. We are thrilled to present this unique performance, which will delight people of all ages.”

Polyglot Theatre will deliver a number of interactive roving performances in Kolkata and Chennai this month, bringing children and giant ants together in a gentle and intriguing landscaping project.

Faced with hundreds of giant breadcrumbs and three big insects, children are irresistibly drawn in to discover what the ants want them to do. Gradually a world of meaning unfolds, illustrating the human desire for order by transforming any public space with wavering lines and patterns.

On their first tour to the region, Polyglot Theatre’s Executive Director, Ms Viv Rosman, said “India and Australia have an increasingly important relationship and it’s a privilege to be invited to connect with Indian children and their families in Kolkata and Chennai. Polyglot is pleased to contribute to the special friendship between our countries by offering our distinctive brand of Australian innovation, creativity and fun, and as ambassadors for our wonderful home of Melbourne.”

Polyglot Theatre Artistic Director, Ms Sue Giles is looking forward to the work being presented in India. “Ants creates a focused and intent imaginative world that needs cooperation and kindness to exist. It is exciting to think of this work going to India and what adventures might happen in another culture, in a large city, with children who might not have experienced participatory theatre before, where ways of being and expectations will differ. This sort of encounter is where the evolution of our work happens – new learning, new audiences and new relationships with children through performance.”

Polyglot’s tour to India is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

Ants will be performed in Kolkata at the Victoria Memorial Hall Grounds on 20-21 November and in Chennai at the Central Atrium, Phoenix Marketcity on 23-24 November. So bring your children along!

About Australia Fest:

On 18 September 2018 Australia’s High Commissioner to India Her Excellency Ms Harinder Sidhu, launched Australia Fest, a six month long celebration of Australian culture and creativity. Australia Fest has been made possible with the generous support of our partners in three major categories: Platinum: State Governments of Victoria and New South Wales; Gold: Deakin University; Silver: ANZ Banking Group, Ashok & Mariam Jacob, CQ University Australia, FCM Travel SolutionsMahindra, Northern Territory Government, Tata BlueScope Steel, Telstra, Tourism Australia and Woodside Energy. Australia Fest’s hotel partner is the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), airline partner is Singapore Airlines, wine partner is Jacob’s Creek, and promotion partner is BookMyShow.

                                                                                                      Follow us for updates – www.australiafest.com

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