PROGRAMS

Jopuka offers opportunities for young people to expand their theatre knowledge through a range of mentoring and training and development opportunities.

 

Director Mentoring
Interested young people are mentored to develop skills as Assistant Director and Director where they work towards directing one of Jopuka’s shows.  Throughout this process they are supported and mentored by qualified teaching artists, and given advice and support to develop their craft.

Lighting and Sound
No show would be complete without lighting and sound to help create atmosphere and mood. It is one of the cornerstones of good theatre. So it is important for young people to get grounding in this skill. We teach young people to manage lighting and sound so that they can comfortably manage it during performances.

Writing
Writing workshops give participants confidence to explore their writing creatively, in a comfortable and fun space.

Jopuka’s writing group has been running for six years. During this time we have mentored and nurtured writing for stage.

This has resulted in a number of young people written plays being produced and performed. These include The Mortality Project performed at the Launch Pad in 2023, Mirror Mirror which was performed at the Red Tree Theatre in 2023 and Newcastle Fringe in 2024, and 2024’s Chain Play.

Holiday Workshops
Jopuka’s holiday workshops are supported by the Australian Theatre for Young People’s Generator Program.

Teaching artists present day-long and Quick Bite workshops to expand young people’s skills around specific areas. These cater to specific age groups. Past workshops have included ‘Play in a day’, ‘Standing out in a musical theatre audition’ and ‘Creating Original Performances for the Stage’.

Upcoming holiday workshops will be posted a number of weeks before school holidays. Keep an eye out for future opportunities.