Black Swan State Theatre Company’s ‘The Pool’ among performances to receive regional touring funding

Black Swan State Theatre Company is one of three Western Australian dance and theatre companies that will be staging their work around the State over the next three years thanks to regional touring funding.

Black Swan State Theatre Company received $400,000 for performances of ‘Barracking for the Umpire’ in nine regional locations and ‘The Pool’ – which debuted recently at Perth Festival – at six regional community pools.

The Bold Park Aquatic Centre which offers an exciting range of swimming and group fitness activities for the Town of Cambridge - situated in Perth’s inner western suburbs, provided the stage for Black Swan State Theatre Company’s ‘The Pool’ performance during Perth Festival. ‘The Pool is described as being “an exploration of life as we know it and a celebration of our public spaces that create community. This is theatre like you’ve never seen – or heard – before.”

As part of the show's finale the audience is invited to join the cast in the pool for a brief aqua aerobics session.

Playing WA Multi Year (PWAMY) funding is a grants program delivered by the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP) and awarded every three years.

This round of successful PWAMY grants will support the touring of at least two performance-based works in regional Western Australia between 2024 and 2026.

Up to $400,000 is awarded to each recipient to support the costs associated with delivering these performing arts tours.

The two other successful recipients of the new round are:

• Marrugeku – Broome's Aboriginal and intercultural dance theatre company – received $400,000 for a touring performance program in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Mid West and Great Southern. The program will be complemented by a workshop program with intensive dance sessions in the Kimberley and Pilbara.

• Co3 (Contemporary Dance Company of Western Australia) received $399,973 for two tours of mainstage work – Gloria and the premiere of a new work by Raewyn Hill, in collaboration with the ACO Collective.

WA Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman shared "Western Australia has a vibrant arts and creative industries sector and the Cook Government actively encourages its growth and development.

"Investment in the arts – in this case, dance and theatre – ensures Western Australians living around the State also have access to arts and culture activities.

"It's important that access to the arts is not just for those who live in Perth and that is why we remain committed to supporting the creation and presentation of this work."

Image. Black Swan State Theatre Company’s The Pool by Steve Rodgers. Credit: Daniel J Grant. The Pool by Steve Rodgers was presented in association with Perth Festival and ran 9th to 25th Feb at Bold Park Aquatic Centre. Image. Credit: Black Swan State Theatre Company