What is Theatre for the Very Young?
DECEMBER 15, 2009Over the last ten years, greater international attention has been given to early years programming in arts venues and festivals. In particular a new genre of theatre for children three years and under has arisen - Theatre for the Very Young, also known by other various names such as Early Years Theatre and Baby Theatre.
There are a number of reasons for this development, mainly educational and artistic. For artists Valeria and Roberto Frabetti from La Baracca Theatre in Bologna, the 'Theatre and the Nursery School' project for very young children they started in 1987 linked quality art to progressive educational theory and practice in Italy's Emilia Romagna region.
In the 1990s, responding to scientific research that revealed children under three years to be far more socially capable, aware and emotionally intelligent than previously thought, the European focus shifted to the right of all children to access artistic experiences. The European project Glitterbird (2003-2006), which generated new work and professional development forums on the subject, reflected this new reality. In the words of Glitterbird's Ivar Selmer-Olsen, "small children have, as do all of us, skills to enjoy and a right to experience the extraordinary, to experience powerful, pleasure-giving and challenging art."
The theatrical laboratories created in Bologna by La Baracca and throughout Europe by Glitterbird began to attract the interest of many practitioners. Festivals such as La Baracca's Visioni di Futuro, Visioni di Teatro and Glitterbird's conferences, festivals and symposia showcased work and new ideas. The Small Size Network provided an ongoing dialogue, and countries throughout Europe began to develop their own projects.
The recent growth of Theatre for Very Young in Europe has been significant. According to Germany's Michael Rockstroh, Festival Organiser of Germany's first early childhood festival in 2008, in 2006 "there were only about two shows we could have programmed at that time in the whole of Germany. Now there are 22 that we could select from."
So what exactly is Theatre for the Very Young?
While there has always been the occasional show for very young children, usually more entertainment than art, the movement I'm referring to here is characterised by a rigorous approach to making quality art experiences. The productions are predominantly performed by trained (or experienced) professional adult performers. Design-wise, they fall within the European norms for touring sets for intimate theatre performances, and while mostly presentational, they may have participatory elements or even take the form of interactive installation performance art. While a number of companies in countries around the world create performances for this age group, the bulk of the work at this time is created in Europe.
A most important characteristic of TVY is the quality of human engagement. It is, in effect, a serious attempt to overcome age and developmental barriers in order for art to make contact with the consciousness of the very young audience members. So the art has to fit into the young child's preferred ways to interact with the world and receive information and experiences. In many shows the children will be welcomed into the performing space and/or introduced to the performers. There may be workshops beforehand, and a number of recent German productions welcome children onto the stage to play with the set and props after, reflecting the idea that a 'play' is 'play.'
There is less emphasis on language, and more on sensory inputs such as sight, non-linguistic sound and touch. Rather than regret the inability of the audience to comprehend a long narrative based on language, theatre makers are energised by the ability of their audience to respond to quite abstract art and sensory creations.
Performances take place in traditional venues, though rarely more than 200 seats, through to intimate venues modified for the performance. For instance, Dschungel Wien's Uberraschung, from Austria, is a dance piece for two years and up that sits well in a 200 seat theatre, while Windmill's The Green Sheep from Australia herds its audience of up to 90 into a 'sheep pen' and performs from outside the pen to a captive audience. Oogly Boogly, from the UK, takes place in a large inflatable tent, performing to only eight toddlers of 12-18 months at a time, who are encouraged to move freely throughout the space as the performers improvise interactions with the children.
As can be seen by those examples, Theatre for the Very Young is often not a viable option for presenters seeking to make a profit or break even. The lower ratio of audience members to performers may make for a great experience, but an expensive one for the presenter. So why do it?
Some presenters see Theatre for the Very Young as a loss leader, an activity with the 'wow' factor that by its very nature attracts media attention and draws audiences to other events. Major arts festivals have programmed shows like Oogly Boogly, and there is a feeling amongst some festival directors that Theatre for the Very Young may well be on the cutting edge of theatre practice, as it asks such basic questions as, "What is theatre?" and "What is a human being?"
With all the evidence of the awareness and competence of very young children though, it's hard to escape the argument that children under three have as much right to quality art as the rest of us. And in providing them with those experiences, we may just end up learning more about ourselves.
Tony Mack
Tony Mack is an Australia Council Fellow researching Theatre for the Very Young and developing an international database of youth arts organisations.