The Bundaberg Region has been a standout location for the award winning team behind the I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You production, with a record number of youth signing up to take part in the casting call and submitting questions to be answered.
Combining anonymous submissions with high-impact video design, I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You is a theatrical experience unlike any other – a conversation built around three key starting points: what you’ve been told, what you know to be true, and what you want to believe.
The production, to be showcased at the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre later this month, delivers a playful but powerful theatrical experience full of questions asked by local young people, and answered by adults anonymously online.
This show has toured previously in Sydney, Canberra, Darwin and originally it was part of the Brisbane festival for 2018.
The Good Room’s Cienda McNamara said the response from the Bundaberg community has been overwhelming and is a great reflection of the creative community in the region.
“The response rate we have had has been one of the best we have seen with 67 registered auditionees, and over 100 questions submitted as part of the process,” Cienda said.
“The level of amazing individual voices and talents and the questions they are asking has also been phenomenal.”
Cienda said the young people who are participating in the workshops and taking part in the production are all engaged and showcasing a high level of skill.
“The kids here have been extraordinary and it has been so much fun,” she said.
“From the very first time we got them to play a game or do an exercise, they engaged and they committed whole heartedly and they have a generosity of spirit that is so wonderful to see.
“We are already seeing beautiful storytelling coming out and they are embracing concepts that can be quite tricky and confronting yet they are coming to it with such energy and focus.”
From the auditions, the process then runs into workshops and more training which is a big commitment for the youth participating in the show.
Council’s arts, culture and events portfolio spokesperson Cr John Learmonth said it is great to see the community get involved in programs such as this.
“It is fantastic to see the positive response to an opportunity to learn more and take part in something different within our region,” Cr Learmonth said.
“It is a credit to the great artistic community we have here in Bundaberg and I look forward to seeing the production come to life.”
The Good Room’s Travis Dowling also said the dance and drama culture within the region has been showcased through the casting process for the production.
“These young artists are kind and amazing and they are reflective of the strong creative community that this region has,” Travis said.
“The dance and drama culture here is great, and these young people have resilience and talent to be able to put together a large scale project like this.
“The project is built so they are still having fun while they are doing it because they are speaking to your questions, questions from this community and questions that they want to know about as young people as well.”
Built in collaboration with and performed by young people from the Bundaberg Region, audiences both young and old will come together to tackle the big (and little) questions that life throws at us. The community is now invited to submit their answers online.
Past questions have ranged from, bullying and the real-world value of maths, to more global concerns about gender, the environment and the future, which do not always come with easy answers.
If you are not afraid of a few curly questions, you can have your say by answering our local questions here.
I've Been Meaning to Ask You is a Critical Stages Touring production created by The Good Room and presented by Bundaberg Regional Council and the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre.
Tickets are available for purchase here.
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