Asking for Trouble, headed by local artists Christy Flaws and Luke O’Connor secured a $10,000 Artists in Schools grant as part of Creative Victoria’s Learning Partnerships Program.

Through several day long workshops, the students have created a circus and physical theatre performance that explores the idea of a hero’s journey, while also examining their own stories and heroic moments. 

They have written scripts and created a collaborative performance centering on the themes of resilience, journeys and overcoming challenges.

Co-director of the program, Christy Flaws, said Asking For Trouble had been given the grant to undertake an artists residency with a group of students over a term, with a performance outcome at the end.

She said they had been doing a combination of techniques like ensemble, circus and theatre, where the students had worked together on different themes like trust.

“We are specifically looking at journeys. We’ve looked at a structure called The Hero’s Journey which basically talks about the archetypal things which happen within a journey.”

They have been building the scenes for the performance off different cult classic ideas around a hero’s journey.

“We’re transposing that into going from primary to high school and all the different challenges that come up. We are giving language to that stuff so they have something to take away with them,” she said. 

The directors have also been working with other year levels in recording voices and creating choreography so the whole school could be involved in the show.

“It’s part of that whole idea behind improving youth health and wellbeing in Clunes,” Ms Flaws said.

The students will perform The Hero’s Journey in two free performances at Clunes Primary School on August 10 at both 2.00pm and then again at 6.00pm.