I've Been Meaning To Ask You // Call for Participants

THE SHOW

To get a feel for the performance, take a look at this short clip.

WHAT’S INVOLVED + KEY DATES

This is wonderful opportunity to work with some of Australia’s best theatre makers and we ask that all aspiring participants take note of the key dates outlined below

Casting Workshops 
(Tue 22 & Wed 23 June, 4.00pm – 8.30pm)
We’ll be making an initial selection of 50 Young People who will be invited to attend a casting workshop on either Tue 22 or Wed 23 June to be held at Kawana Waters State College. 
On the morning of Thu 24 June, parents/ guardians will be notified via email if their Young Person has been selected to attend the initial rehearsals on Thu 24 & Fri 25 June.
Approximately 18 Young People will be selected to be part in the rehearsals and performances.

Initial Rehearsals 
(Thu 24 & Fri 25 June, 4.00pm – 8.30pm)
The selected cast of approximately 18 Young People will attend  initial rehearsals at Kawana Waters State College.

Lead in Rehearsals
(Sat 24 & Sun 25 July, 8.30am – 5.30pm)
The final group of Young People will attend a two-day session focused on devising questions. Parents and guardians will also be fully briefed during this time.

Rehearsals and Production
(Thu 26 Aug - Fri 3 Sep) 
The cast will attend the following rehearsals at The Events Centre Caloundra in the week leading into the performances:

• Thu 26 Aug, 11am-5pm
• Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug, 9am-5pm
• Tue 31 Aug - day off
• Wed 1 Sep – Fri 3 Sep, full days - times tbc

I’ve Been Meaning To Ask You Performances
(Fri 3 Sep, 7pm [dress rehearsal + preview] Sat 4 Sep, 2pm + 7pm)

Each performer will receive 2 complementary tickets to the dress rehearsal/preview performance. Tickets go on sale 16 June 2021.

ABOUT THE GOOD ROOM

The Good Room is a Queensland-based performance collective who use the anonymous experiences of ordinary people to create extraordinary theatre works.

They ask you – and people just like you – to anonymously share with them fragments and memories, confessions and admissions from your lives, as part of a process that blurs the line between ‘audience’ and ‘maker’ to play with the idea of theatrical collective authorship.

To find out more head to The Good Room website. 

FAQs

We live outside of the region, but my Young Person is still very keen to participate, is this possible?
Unfortunately not. Nominations are open to Young People who currently reside on the Sunshine Coast.

Will participating children be used in any marketing material for the show?
Yes. At the commencement of the casting workshops, you will be required to sign an image release form as we will be using images of the final cast to promote the performance season as part of Horizon Festival. However we will primarily be using an existing suite of images from previous performances.

My Young Person has a lot of after school commitments, do you require them to attend 100% of the rehearsals scheduled?
Yes. I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You is ensemble driven which means that all Young People involved will be used at all times throughout the show. We also have a lot to get through in the given rehearsal time. If any rehearsal is missed this creates a lot of extra work for everyone and will place your Young Person at a disadvantage in the process.

My Young Person will turn 14 between now and the listed performance dates, can I still nominate them?
This opportunity is open to those who are between the ages of 9-13 at the commencement of the performance season (3 September 2021). If your Young Person is outside of this age category on this date, unfortunately they will not be considered to take part.

Do I need to provide a costume for my Young Person?
Yes. During the rehearsals there will be a designated day that we will ask your Young Person to bring in costume option selected from their normal wardrobe. Once the costume is decided upon we will ask that the costume stay at rehearsals / the theatre and will be worn for rehearsals when needed. Our stage management team will arrange for the costume to be laundered. You will also be given a costume guide to help you decide on what options to bring in. We do not require you to buy anything new unless you and your Young Person want to.

I’m worried about the potential adult content in the show. Will this be censored /monitored throughout the process?
There are adult themes touched upon in the work as we are dealing with questions directly from the participating Young People. In the past, some of those questions have been around subjects like death, depression, gender, sexuality, the environment, lying, and all the grey areas in between. Those questions are then put to the public to answer anonymously and your Young Person will have the opportunity to read these responses. Rest-assured however, all responses are read by The Good Room’s highly trained facilitators and anything inappropriate is removed before the Young People get access. We also encourage a safe environment where these topics can be unpacked and further questions asked to make sure the Young People are supported and heard with any questions or concerns they have.

My Young Person’s younger siblings want to see the performance. What is the age recommendation?
Our age recommendation is for anyone aged 9 and up, however in the past many younger siblings have attended and have had a very positive experience. As we mentioned there are some adult themes in the performance, so it is really at the parent/guardians’ discretion.

Will I get a chance to meet the team working with my Young Person?
Yes. We will arrange a get together so you can meet the team involved from Horizon Festival and The Good Room.

Do all the people involved have appropriate working with Young People checks?
Yes. Our facilitators have gone through appropriate working with children checks required by the Queensland Government.

Can I watch the rehearsals?
No. We ask that you do not come into rehearsals. Our Young People form a strong ensemble where they eventually take full ownership of the show away from adults. We find that having parents in the room makes our Young People self-conscious and unable to enter the process fully. You will get to see all of their hard work when the performance is up and running.

Will my Young Person be allowed to leave rehearsals to go and buy food?
No. We ask that your Young Person arrives at rehearsals with all food and drink required for the day ahead as there will be no one available to supervise off site visits to get food. This also cuts out too much time from their breaks so we have made a blanket rule against this.

I am a teacher/coach/mentor/ relative of a Young Person who I think would be wonderfully suited to this opportunity. Can I nominate them?
Unfortunately not. Only legal parents/guardians can nominate. We would encourage you to get in contact with the Young Person’s parent or guardian to discuss the opportunity and accompanying key dates.

CONTACTS

For all casting enquiries or for assistance completing the nomination form, please contact: Claire Brady, Horizon Festival Producer, at claire.brady@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

For all ticketing and performance enquiries, please contact: Amie Moffat, Horizon Festival Producer, at amie.moffat@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

PARTNERS

ACKNOWLEDEMENTS

Originally commissioned by Brisbane Festival and produced in association with QUT Creative Industries at La Boite Theatre in 2018.

Image: Stephen Henry