Dealing with trauma through theatre: award-winning theatre company to come to the Eurobodalla

Rebus Theatre is a Canberran theatre company awarded $872,705 by the federal government's Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program to support their work in the Queanbeyan-Palerang, Eurobodalla, Bega Valley and East Gippsland local government areas.

They have experience working in the area of mental health and trauma, partnering with the Australian Defence Force as part of their Arts for Recovery, Resilience, Teamwork and Skills Program running theatre workshops for soldiers with physical and psychological injuries.

Rebus Theatre creative programs director Ali Clinch said the theatre company aimed to provide a voice to the community - particularly to members of the community who did not have the loudest voices.

READ MORE: South Coast residents take fight against logging at Shallow Crossing and Currowan State Forest to state parliament

"Theatre is a safe and effective way to address traumatic experiences and bring communities closer together," she said.

"We are strong believers in the arts for recovery.

"We want to train artists up in the work they do so they can share it with their communities, building resilience through community through the arts."

The theatre company has a three-pronged approach to restorative theatre.

Firstly, the group organise interactive, play-back theatre performances for residents to attend and engage in. In playback shows, audience members share stories and then see these stories improvised back at them by actors. The five actors will depict stories of resilience from the fires and COVID. Ms Clinch said these performances were loads of fun, for the community and for the actors.

"Just bringing people together who have had similar experiences, and letting them share their stories - it has a cathartic effect," Ms Clinch said.

READ MORE: Get fed the next time we have an emergency: Almost $1 million to upgrade Moruya Showground evacuation facilities

Secondly, the theatre company will run a restorative and skill-sharing residency for Eurobodalla artists. The residencies focus on training in community cultural development projects and recovering from burnout - prevalent within the industry post bushfires and COVID.

Thirdly, the company will offer two 12-month part-time employment opportunities for Eurobodalla artists. This includes being mentored by the Rebus team to talk with the community and build a community arts project. Ms Clinch said these projects could be anything - a play, a visual art exhibition, an album or any other art form.

"We want to do art by the community, for the community," she said.

Ms Clinch said it was an important goal of Rebus to provide long term employment for local Eurobodalla artists.

READ MORE: Nurses bombed, sunk and kept in a Japanese POW camp for three years: A side of history you may not have heard

"We don't want to walk into a community affected by bushfire and tell them what they need," she said. "We want to leave a legacy of a network of connected artists."

The theatre group had planned to tour the Eurobodalla in March, but was delayed because of COVID. They hope to visit sometime in the first half of 2022.