Handspan Theatre was a Melbourne-based puppetry and visual theatre company that operated between 1977 and 2002.

History

Handspan Theatre was founded as a cooperative by Ken Evans, Andrew Hansen, Helen Rickards, Maeve Vella, Peter J. Wilson and Christine Woodcock in 1977. Drawing upon influences in visual arts, choreography, ensemble theatre, film-making and academic education research, Handspan was created to explore alternative forms of puppetry to add to the

booth Booth may refer to: People * Booth (surname) * Booth (given name) Fictional characters * August Wayne Booth, from the television series ''Once Upon A Time'' *Cliff Booth, a supporting character of the 2019 film ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' ...

shadow puppet Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-out ...

marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed ...

shows that were prevalent in Australia at the time. Major Handspan works often utilised

multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradit ...

and readily filled conventional

stages Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * S ...

or more unusual site-specific spaces in their presentation. Other works offered a more intimate audience experience and were scaled to suit venues as diverse as shop front windows or a local swimming pool. Handspan shows and those of many of their 1980s contemporaries (refer:

Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. Fr ...

& David Byrne ''Songs from the Catherine-wheel''; Robert Wilson - ''Einstein on the Beach'' & La Claca - ''Miro'') led to the creation of 'visual theatre' label - i.e. performance where visual spectacle (accompanied by silence or soundscapes) shared eminence with - and sometimes replaced - voiced text. Artistic and business roles were often rotated amongst (though not exclusive to) the membership allowing for diverse professional development and load-sharing as part of the company's day-to-day business from the outset. The company went on to

incorporate Incorporation may refer to: * Incorporation (business), the creation of a corporation * Incorporation of a place, creation of municipal corporation such as a city or county * Incorporation (academic), awarding a degree based on the student having ...

around its collective model gathering a board of directors,

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and

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, substantial government funding and many more members over the next 25 years - either as ongoing core members or as contributing participants to the production process at any given time. An annual ' dreaming meeting' would serve as both a group-devised

business plan A business plan is a formal written document containing the goals of a business, the methods for attaining those goals, and the time-frame for the achievement of the goals. It also describes the nature of the business, background information on ...

and creative agenda for the next year. A multi-level office studio space was found and developed (in the old 'Vardar Studios' a former photographic studio at 108 Gertrude St Fitzroy where they remained for 17 years from 1978. From there, Handspan fostered other artists work as shows in rehearsal, exhibitions, or as a 'build-to-order' collaboration. In 1995 when their building was sold, Handspan moved their studio and offices to Richmond, then finally in 1998 to join other major arts entities in the Southbank Arts Precinct. Handspan earned several awards from touring the world stage, including at the 1983

Spoleto Festival The ''Festival dei Due Mondi'' (Festival of the Two Worlds) is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy, since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958. It features a vast array of conce ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

for the astonishing multimedia work ''Secrets'' conceived by and devised with

Nigel Triffitt Nigel Wilton Triffitt (19 August 1949 – 20 July 2012) was an Australian theatre director, actor, designer and writer. Triffitt was born in Launceston, Tasmania. His parents were not married, and he was put up for adoption soon after his birth ...

. The founder of the Spoleto Festivals, composer

Giancarlo Menotti Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept h ...

, was so taken with the work during a visit to Melbourne, that he booked it for his festivals of two Worlds in Spoleto Italy (1983) and in Charleton USA (1984), where its success helped establish 3rd Spoleto Festival in Melbourne, (now renamed the

Melbourne Festival Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...

). Notable Handspan Theatre productions included: *Nigel Triffitt's ''Secrets'' (1982 - 1986) * ''Cho Cho San''(1984): Original production written by Daniel Keene, directed by Geoff Hooke, designed by Ken Evans * ''4 Little Girls'' (1988 - 1996) adapted, devised and directed by Ariette Taylor, designed by Ken Evans, composer: Peter Crosbie * ''Viva La Vida - Frida Kahlo'' (1993) written by Karen Corbett, directed by Angela Chaplin, designed by Ken Evans. In June 2016, a comprehensive archive of the company - its history, its people and its productions and its pictures, was launched, created by Helen Rickards and Maeve Vella
Handspan Theatre: 1977 - 2002

Books and articles

External links

Archival Website: Handspan Theatre: 1977 - 2002

* ttp://collections.artscentremelbourne.com.au/paminter/imu.php?request=browse&irn=1974 Handspan Theatre Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne, Performing Arts Collection.
Annual report - Handspan Theatre - National Library of Australia
{{authority control Australian puppeteers Puppet theaters Theatre companies in Australia Theatre in Melbourne