Spare Parts Puppet Theatre continues to be a driving force behind the development and training of new puppet masters in WA. Through our Artist in Residence program we encourage talented emerging artists to explore the depths of their creativity and experiment with new methods of performance.
Spare Parts are delighted to announce the selected Artists in Residence for 2022. Our Artist in Residence program supports artists by providing them with a two-week residency at our theatre, facilities, support from our artistic and technical staff and two small grants towards chosen projects. We are so excited by the projects of our chosen artists in 2022: Kalyakoorl Collective, Sally Davies, Sky River and Michelle Gould, Eliza Smith and Lucy Wong.
Kalyakoorl Collective
Madeleine Young, Ebony McGuire and Nadia Martich make up the Kalyakoorl Collective, and their new work Wanda Gaay-galgaa, reimagines traditional Indigenous legends into modern ghost tales. Featuring a cast of Indigenous theatre-makers, this WA premiere will have audiences leaving the lights on when they go to bed!
About the people…
Ebony McGuire graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2013. In 2014 Ebony performed at The Blue Room as Alison in What Do They Call Me? written by Eva Johnson, directed by Eva Mullaley. In October 2014 she facilitated in the Culture 2.0 | Respecting Yourself | Respect Your Culture workshop program with Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company. While at Yirra Yaakin, Ebony performed in Kep Kaatijin directed by Ian Wilkes and worked with a team of artists in developing the Shakespeare Sonnets in Noongar workshop program. In 2015 she was Lizzy in The Fever and The Fret, with Yirra Yaakin, written by Jub Clerc, directed by Kyle Morrison. The Fever and The Fret was also selected for the National Playwriting Festival 2018, in which Ebony revisited the role of Lizzy. In 2017 Ebony played various roles for the Coranderrk national tour with Ilbijerri Theatre Company, directed by Eva Mullaley. She played the role of Irene Adler/Sally Barak with wit incorporated, in A Scandal In The Weimar, written by Claire Bowen and Jennifer Piper, and played Lou in Outside In by Hilary Beaton, also with wit incorporated. In 2018 Ebony played Steph in Western Edge Youth Arts’ touring show of Caliban, directed by Penny Harpham. She performed the role of Muka for the creative development of The Line, written by Nathan Maynard and Clare Murphy, directed by Nancy Black and Eva Mullaley. Ebony participated in the creative development of Hecate, a co-production by Yirra Yaakin and Bell Shakespeare, an adaptation and retelling of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, translated into Noongar language by Kylie Bracknell. Ebony was the voice actor for Lisa Cartwright/Wing Commander in the 2019 release of Australia’s first indigenous superhero anime, Zero Point. In 2019, Ebony performed as Hattie Lamb/ensemble in Malthouse Theatre Company’s, Cloudstreet, directed by Matthew Lutton, with the production going to 2020’s Perth Festival with Black Swan Theatre Company. In 2019, Ebony also performed as Akira in Steven Oliver’s, From Darkness, produced by La Boite Theatre Company. Since her work on Cloudstreet, Ebony has written, produced and performed in the short film, Wirun. She is currently performing in Bilya Kaatijin, Yirra Yaakin’s touring children’s show.
Madeleine Young is a Boorloo-based graduate of the Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts Production and Design course, specialising in Stage and Production Management. Work in 2021 includes Touring Stage Manager for Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company’s Bilya Kaatijin, and a Perth Festival and regional tour season as Assistant Stage Manager of HOUSE with Barking Gecko Theatre Company. Madeleine is also a co-founder and the Producer for new independent cross-cultural theatre company Kalyakoorl Collective. Previous work also includes Perth Festival’s Highway to Hell (2020) as a roving truck stage ASM, and multiple roles on projects including Music Theatre, Contemporary Dance and Opera genres during their time at WAAPA. Madeleine prioritises First Nations projects in their work, and as an emerging theatre producer is passionate about engaging in cross-cultural works and supporting heartfelt stories by multi-disciplinary and diverse artists.
Nadia Martich is a proud Gamilaroi and Bigambul woman from North Western NSW who also proudly acknowledges her English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Italian, Slovenian and Croatian ancestry. Nadia began her professional dance training at age 18 at NAISDA Dance College (National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association) in 2012. While at NAISDA Nadia was selected to perform with Wagana Aboriginal Dancers and tour to Glasgow, Scotland as an Australian representative in the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival.
After four years of Dance training Nadia graduated with a Diploma of Professional Dance performance in 2015 as well as receiving the prestigious Chairman’s Excellence Award.
In 2015 Nadia successfully auditioned for WAAPA in the Bachelor of Arts (Dance). In 2016 Nadia was selected as one of 13 Indigenous Dancers from around the world to participate in the Indigenous Dance residency held in Banff, Canada and in 2017 Nadia toured to Honolulu, Hawaii to perform with Wagana Aboriginal Dancers. Nadia trained at WAAPA for 2 and half years before accepting a job with Ochre Contemporary Dance Company on their regional WA tour of Kwongan in 2018. In March 2019 Nadia performed with Indigenous contemporary dance company, Karul Projects for their premiere of CO_EX_EN at Dance Massive in Melbourne. In June 2019 Nadia was the Indigenous Contemporary facilitator for Dance in Country week by Ausdance WA choreographing for over 150 young dancers from across regional WA. In late 2019 Nadia was commissioned to choreograph an Indigenous contemporary work on young Noongar dance group, ‘Koolangkas Kreate’ for Wardanji Aboriginal Dance Festival and also performed in a performance-art work at Strut Dances’ INSITU program by Joshua Pether. In February 2020 Nadia performed with Karul Projects company to perform CO_EX_EN for a season at QPAC in Brisbane.
Nadia is currently acting with Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Theatre Company on their children’s theatre work, Bilya Kaatijin touring Perth Metro with a regional Goldfields tour in late November.
About the work…
Wanda Gaay-galgaa “Ghost Stories” an old tradition for the modern day.
Everyone loves telling ghost stories, right? Huddled around the campfire, speaking of the myths and legends that bring goosebumps to our skin. For our mob, Wanda gay-galgaa, ain’t just stories; they’re warnings… Join Kalyakoorl Collective as they bring you a brand-new work based on the traditional stories told by Aboriginal Australians across the nation. Step into the world of storytelling as it should be – exhilarating, intimate and deadly.
For families and adults alike, Wanda Gaay-galgaa reimagines traditional Indigenous legends into modern ghost tales. Featuring a cast of Indigenous theatre-makers, this WA premiere will have audiences leaving the lights on when they go to bed.