Midpoint Theatre Company

Settling In: Four Migrant Stories 

Welcome to Australia – oh, but mind the pokey bits! We’ve been putting off getting her reupholstered.

WHAT IS SETTLING IN ABOUT?

Midpoint Theatre Company is seeking four participants (aged 18+) from migrant communities in Rockhampton to be involved in a theatre project called ‘Settling In: Four Migrant Stories’. This project is about sharing migrant perspectives with the wider community to promote better understanding of the ups and downs they can face when living in Rockhampton. 

WHAT DOES PARTICIPATING INVOLVE?

Selected participants will attend a face-to-face interview with the playwrights and a CQMA representative. 

  • We will ask questions about your experiences of life before and after migration.
  • We will send you the questions to read beforehand via email.
    • You do not need to answer any questions you are uncomfortable with.
  • The interview will take no longer than 1 hour.
  • You will be paid a cash honorarium of $50 for your time.
  • With your permission, we will record the interview for our records. Some of this footage may be used in a short documentary about the project. 
    • If you wish to remain anonymous, we can use film techniques to achieve this (i.e. face in shadow, alter voice).
    • If you do not wish to be filmed, we will ask to take an audio recording instead.

If you wish to be involved in presenting the final product to the public, you will be invited to do so (see: ‘How will the play be shared with the public?’).

HOW WILL THE INTERVIEWS BE USED?

Once interviews have been collected, our playwrights will organise and arrange the answers you have given to tell a theatrical story. They will combine your responses with those of other participants to make a short play text. 

When representing your experiences, the playwrights may use a combination of your words (direct quotes) and words that sound similar to tie ideas together.

  • You will be sent a draft of the play text before it is shared with the public.
    • If there is anything you do not want included in the final play, you will have an opportunity to tell us and we will remove it. 
    • If you do not wish to be identifiable in the play, we will do our best to make your responses anonymous.

HOW WILL THE PLAY BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC?

When you approve of the play text, we will share it in a public reading at CQMA’s Taste of the World Festival. 

If you are interested, we would like to invite you to join us as a performer at this public reading.

What is a public reading?

A public reading is an un-polished performance. The performers will have a copy of the script to read from. There are no sets or costumes used.

What do performers do at a public reading?

Performers do not need to learn any lines or movements for a public reading. They must put emotion and energy into their voices when they read, but do not need to perform any specific actions. Performers will be paid $227.00 each for a 3-hour period.

Do I need to have performance experience?

For this public reading we do not require that you have performance experience (though experienced performers are certainly welcome!). 

  • The goal of the reading is to share the ideas of the play with the public, and to build excitement for a larger version of the work which we hope to develop in the next year or so.
  • If you enjoy the performance experience, you may be invited to participate in other Settling In performances in the future.
    • Any future performance work will also be paid.

What if I do not want to perform?

If you do not want to perform, we will try to find a performer from your cultural background to perform in your place. If we cannot find a performer from the same cultural background, we will speak with you about how we might present your story in other ways that you are comfortable with. 

HOW WILL YOU SELECT PARTICIPANTS?

We are interested in working with participants from diverse age ranges, cultural backgrounds and migration experiences. If you are not selected for this phase of the project, we may invite you to participate in future phases.

HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED?

Click the ‘Get Involved’ link, or visit:

https://forms.gle/RHEco6i6wSabRrgEA

by Sunday 23rd June, 2024.

Get Involved