About

Barking Spider Visual Theatre Inc. is a Melbourne-based non-profit puppetry and visual theatre company dedicated to promoting cross-art forms, challenging traditional theatre and appealing to diverse audiences across ages and cultures. It was incorporated in September 2006 and is on the Register of Cultural Organisations (ROCO), holds current Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) and Tax Concession Charity (TCC) status as well as is registered for GST.  The ABN is 86 698 299 732. All of the members/board of Barking Spider Visual Theatre Inc. reside in Melbourne.

Barking Spider Visual Theatre Objectives

Barking Spider Visual Theatre is a company aiming for excellence in form and practice and which seeks to work with artists from various backgrounds and disciplines.

  1. Develop, promote and present performing arts in Australia and internationally
  2. Create excellence in the form and practice of theatre, with an emphasis on puppetry and visual theatre
  3. Challenge traditional forms of theatre and its stereotypes
  4. Utilise strong Australian and Indigenous content
  5. Promote cross-art forms in its theatre work
  6. Appeal to diverse audiences across ages and cultures

Brief History

Barking Spider was formed in 2006 with “Hatch” as it’s first production, touring to three major Arts festivals in India in January 2007 (Jaipur International Arts Festival, Ishara International Puppet Festival, New Delhi and Tree of Life Festival in Chennai). This was financially supported by Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia Council, Visy, Friends of the VCA and the Handspan Visual Theatre Travel Scholarship.

Later in 2007, “Dispatch” (part of the “Hatch, Match and Dispatch” trilogy) was developed and first presented as part of Penelope Bartlau’s (Barking Spider Artistic Director) Masters in Puppetry at the Victorian College of the Arts. The script for “Dispatch” received an R E Ross Trust Playwright’s Development Award in August 2007. Also, in 2007, Barking Spider Visual Theatre travelled to Europe where various company members collaborated in a performance at the Prague Quadrennial.

In 2008, Barking Spider has been offered the unique opportunity to showcase “Dispatch” at the ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Young People in Adelaide. ASSITEJ is the peak international body representing theatre for young people and youth theatre. This is the first time that this event will take place in Australia and is an important and rare opportunity for Barking Spider to establish its credentials as a vibrant theatre company and to sell its shows to foreign territories.

In 2008/09, Barking Spider plans to develop a major theatre work, adapted from the award-winning children’s book, “The Island” by John Heffernan. This will be a large-scale puppet production that will tour Australia and beyond.

Since its inception, Barking Spider has been committed to working closely with indigenous artists. In 2006/7 indigenous puppeteer and dancer, Jacob Boehme was joint artistic director, contributed to the second creative development of “Hatch”, and toured India as part of the company. Barking Spider was also instrumental in assisting Jacob obtain funds for his large-scale community project “Stories from the Birrarung”. In 2008 and 2009, Barking Spider is committed to working with young indigenous theatre technician, Jarrah McGregor and to mentor young indigenous production manager, Erica McCalman as a future producer.