Philosophy & Objectives

Why we do what we do…

In one word – Story.
Barking Spider is all about Story.

We want to transport and inspire people – and we know that everyone has a story to tell. Our job is to enable the sharing and telling of stories – and to create the platforms for their telling. Stories can come from communities, from individuals, from the young and from the old. Stories can also be shared from beyond the grave – through objects, sites, geography and through collections & histories.

What do we do?

Barking Spider Visual Theatre creatively and theatrically interprets sites, stories, objects and collections.
We provide extraordinary experiences for visitors and audiences through bespoke productions and events.

Philosophy

Established in 2006, we are a Melbourne-based multi-art form company. We develop and create stories with art forms such as puppetry, percussion, art-installation, animation/film, sound installation and live performance. We collaborate with museums, galleries, theatres, radio presenters, communities and schools and festivals.

Our mission is to interpret history and place, as well as community and individual narratives. We generate remarkable story-telling that is the outcome of a collaborative creative process between audiences and artists. We create platforms for the stories of others to be heard.
We generate beautiful, lyrical and powerful events.
We transform the way people experience the familiar and encounter the unfamiliar.

Why does what we do matter? In an age where personal narratives are trivialised by status updates, and interactivity happens more on-screen than in person, Barking Spider Visual Theatre reckons it’s time get back around the fireside to share stories. We re-awaken audiences through re-connecting people in extraordinary ways.

Barking Spider Visual Theatre includes audiences in the development of our work, breaking down the barriers between artists and audiences and engaging our audiences physically, mentally and emotionally.

Barking Spider Visual Theatre creates programmes in the following streams:

• Museums and Galleries
• Theatre & radio
• Communities and Schools
• Workshops
• Roving Works (mobile performances entertaining at festivals etc.)

Barking Spider’s objectives are to:

1. Museums: To be locally, nationally and internationally recognised as a key provider of specialised creative interpretations of history and visual arts via the development and presentation of theatre-events created through puppetry, percussion and art installation in the museum sector.

2. Communities: To provide an accessible program that enables local history to flourish by introducing new art forms and approaches, promoting stories to be shared within and beyond local communities.

3. Young People: To have a demonstrated artistic rationale of working with young people as collaborators and equal innovators in the majority of works across our programme.

4. Theatre: To be a leader in creating original productions in theatres and in site-specific spaces, presented interactively with audiences, and using unique art from combinations. To create original radio works.

5. Roving Works & Workshops: To have an in-demand, expansive and inventive program of roving works and workshops for our local, national and international markets.