TEACHING ARTIST 

Artist and a Teaching Artist, Curly specialises in tutoring young people with Refugee status, English as a second language, Aboriginal youth and at risk groups. Mixing clown techniques with contemporary hybrid techniques of drama, art and literacy 

Whether you want collaboration on a workshop with an injection of clown, or to lead / deliver, mixing Drama with Literacy or Drama with Visual Arts for young people Curly can create a workshop, or a project for your needs

Resident tutor for Australian Theatre for Young People
  • Clown 
  • Showcase students and Ensemble Classes
  • Workshops in Clown Physicality, Devising, Le Coq Introduction, Brecht, Emotional Transitions, Slapstick, Short stories into Dramatic Playing Structure through devising, Absurdist Theatre, Given Circumstances, Elements of Drama, Beginners Shakespeare and GP Devising. Metropolitan and Regional. 
  • OnStage 2015- 16 classes in HSC, Yr 11 and Yr 10 Drama curriculum 
  • Professional Development Days for Teachers and Small Business owners


Creations for Sydney Opera Hous
  • Artistic Collaborator and Performative Technician on the Public Creative Play Activities and Artworks
  • Artistic Collaborator for Digital Incursions into school system. Curriculum Links are Aboriginal History, Significant Australian Places, and Creative English including Drama
  • Creative Leadership In Learning [CLIL] Campsie Public School, Holy Spirit High School Lakemba and Liverpool Boys High School  - Lead Artist
  • Co created with MCA and Sydney Opera House the Bella in the House program where special needs students have a day of architecture and art as well as leading the Bella Forum in 2018 and workshop facilitator previous years
  • Member of the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group
  • Creative Leadership for Teachers 2019 - using Drama Practices and artistic Signatures in the classroom, currently Artist in Residence for Campsie Public School.
  • MC & Post Show Q + A for the Creative Learning Stream - 2015 - 2019
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For The Arts Unit 
  • School Spectacular 2019 Romeo and Juliet O Verona
  • The Multicultural Playwrights Course 2014 and 2015. This program supports refugee students and students from a non-English speaking background in Years 7-11 from NSW Public Schools. Students share their life stories whilst building self-esteem, social interaction and skills in Literacy and Drama. During the 2015 program students participated in six workshops where they were involved in a series of activities to develop their English Literacy, expression and performance skills.  Additionally we bought the SOH for an workshop for Reverse Storytelling. Combining Oral Language, Play, Sculpture and Video. We went to a local community car wreckers yard and created a story from looking at live wrecked automobiles. Built scenes and then made a simple stop motion of the story. 
  • Clown / Physical Comedy 
  • Ensemble Class in Physicality and Play
  • State Drama Camp and Festival
  • Movement Consultation / 
  • Artistic Creative Team School Spectacular 2019

For the University of Western Sydney
  • Lecture on Re thinking Creativity in the Classroom for Multicultural and Non English Speaking Students. Techniques in Drama Practice for Literacy 

For The McDonald College 
  • Clown 
  • Course Manager and Acting Coach of the Weekend Musical Theatre Course and Musical Mini Course. 
  • Term Showings 
  • AD for Yearly Production 

For the Powerhouse Museum
  • Artistic Collaborator with the Education Team for Interactive Junior Tour Experiences incorporating STEM 2 STEAM

For the NSW Public Education Public Schools 
  • MC for the Public Education Scholarships 2016 - now

For the Casula Powerhouse
  • Workshops incorporating visual arts and performance
  • Anti bullying workshops
  • Introduction Drama workshops 
  • Beginners Drama Course 
  • Accessible Needs Drama Course  - Adults


Other Clowna, Drama and Literacy workshops include for : Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Performance Academy, Marian Street Theatre, DramaRama!, Poetry In Action, The Sydney Opera House in conjunction UNSW, Department of Education and Communities,, Sydney Region Aboriginal Education, The House that Dan Built, Action Atelier, Inner West Sydney Council, Casula Powerhouse and various primary and secondary schools in NSW and Victoria including Intensive English Centres NSW.​

TESTIMONIALS

“A massive THANK YOU to Curly and atyp for a wonderful two days! Curly was amazing, so engaging and related fabulously to the kids.”  
Act Now Newcastle

"Really beautiful Curly. You are growing this program into a remarkable offering." 
Frank Newman Creative Learning Specialist Sydney Opera House

"He's a mad genius!"
St. Michael's Grammar

"He's completely stupid "
Marcus 7 years old

"Ridiculous"
Ariel  4 years old

"Curly's sensitive nature allows him an unfiltered potential to connect with the world around him. He is able to speak with the child within people of all ages. The creativity he projects is intelligently considered."
Peter Djordjevic - Clown 

"Curly's capacity to develop and maintain positive rapport with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who come from diverse backgrounds, speaks volumes about his ability to connect with an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities"
Tianna Fatnowna Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer

"Curly is a remarkable performer who creates instant chemistry with young audiences"
Ali Gordon -Gillespie Education Program Producer MAAS

"Curly has a rare talent with young people. He has a unique ability to make students feel incredibly safe and challenged at the same time"
Rob Jago Workshops Manager ATYP

"It's a pleasure working with the King of the Kids!"
Alex Hazelbrook Program Assistant Sydney Opera House

"I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful workshop yesterday. The students absolutely loved it and haven't stopped talking about it! They only wish it could have been longer! Thank you so much."
Marian Catholic College 

"He enters with a giant invisible cape bringing the whole world"
Alison Benett AD Hurrah Hurrah 

"Curly  is a benign Pied Piper for students -- leading forth and inspiring students regardless of whether they are experienced and enthusiastic or shy and unconfident. He bridges with care and seemingly effortlessly between the students interests and cultures and their educational / theatrical task / needs. Students adore him and so they grow and learn a great deal under his tutelage."
Kate Clarkson Intensive English Centre (IEC) Lurnea

"WOW! Curly and I have just had an amazing week in the classroom working with my Indigenous students. We're here in remote Australia preparing my students to deliver their first play in front of an audience.  With the process that Curly lead the students through, there has been a dramatic increase in the children's confidence to express their ideas, their thoughts and feelings in front of the class.  The response of the students to this program has gone beyond my expectations, and we're all now excited about their upcoming successful presentation.
Christine Munro Teaching Principal Warrtaka School NT
May 24, 2018


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This is the feedback that Curly often generates from participants and teachers in his workshops. He spans the divide between professional theatre practitioner and student with ease and creates an environment in which creative risks are encouraged and supported.

​CONTACT 

ABORIGINAL PROGRAMS
  • Created and delivered The Sydney Opera House Indigenous Work Experience Program, 2014 - 18. Taking Young Indigenous students from urban and regional Sydney, and giving the the opportunity for hands on arts vocation including technical  production culminating in an a artwork and short presentation​ at the House.  The included training and mentoring young Indigenous youth to take over and deliver the current program. As well as collaborating on Aboriginal Careers Day for 5 years and in 2019 creatively leading and delivering  First Nations Career's Day for Sydney Opera House.
  • Developed with a team of artists the Guywani Walama Digital Incursion, an in classroom tv presentation delivered to primary schools nationally from the Sydney Oper aHouse - it has streamed live to the Kimberlies, Northern Teritory, India and Korea.
  • Member of the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, 2016 - 17​
  • Djurali  Project, 2012- 16 and current consultant. Transitioning Young Indigenous students through art into High school. Djurali (grow) is a program developed in partnership with the Sydney Region Department of Education & Communities Aboriginal Education to assist students with the transition between Primary and High school as they move from year 6 to year 7. Now in its 6th year, it is a unique experience for young students to connect with their cultural identity, collaborate with similar students from other schools and develop their strength and resilience in an environment tailored specifically to their needs. Each year previous participants take on mentoring roles to guide the new, younger participants. Originally a one-off camp, the program has now grown to provide workshops throughout the year both in feeder primary and high schools to strengthen the relationships between peers and arts workers and highlight the pathways in to further education. It includes a community performance at the culmination of the camp and a mentoring program for past participants.
  • ​Aboriginal Liaisons Office & Wellbeing 2017 - 19, Drama Workshops for preparation for NAIDOC public speaking competition YARN UP, SPEAK UP & THE GREAT DEBATE 
  • For Poetry In Action, Project Manager Lilla Community and Watarrka School, 2016 - 2019. Watarrka is remote NT, Central Desert Lutrija country. Outcome Have the play in a position where students are confident to perform a local story in front of their peers, community and festival audience in a designed script format combining their local language. Using these skills help place the students into local possible apprenticeships of their choosing. The Program created and delivered involves Theatre making, supporting simple drama techniques, public  speaking and how to read script, including layering with literacy, storytelling, and liaising with the curriculum.  What we are doing through Drama is the basic foundational skills these students will need to acquire local available apprenticeships and flourish and to break the current cycle the community is in. Concepts such as eye contact, speaking English - which they are not anatomically and muscularly naturally and culturally speak, projection of voice, expressing their needs, body language, presenting to large groups of people and mixing with both sexes. Through this program the children have learnt to trust these Western structures and play within them. Leading, Creatively taking control, gaining confidence, overcoming shame and breaking tribal barriers.  Creative Leadership and Mentoring -  Christine Munroe (and her Assistant) techniques of Drama and theatre making for her to lead further projects. This includes making and artistic mentoring.