A poignantly revealing depiction of the sibling relationship between Kayah, a young man with Down Syndrome and his sister Maitreyah.

Glass Child is a documentary dance-theatre production and the latest show by The Farm. It’s a revealing depiction of the sibling relationship between Kayah, a young man with Down Syndrome and his younger sister Maitreyah, highlighting their connection and how their lives have been affected by other people’s perceptions.   The project evolved from the close relationships between members of The Farm and the Guenther family that has grown over the past six years. 

The term “glass child” refers to the sibling of someone with special needs who often becomes a facilitator in the family, someone who is “looked through”. Kayah is Maitreyah’s oldest brother. Throughout their lives Maitreyah has watched him be left out, ridiculed or ignored without understanding why. Glass Child puts a microscope on their love and how their relationship has grown. It questions how we behave when we find the difference we inevitably look for and asks us to examine why we search for difference when we share so much in common. It is poignantly personal and inclusive, incorporating complex themes of trust, communication, sense of self and our place in the world. 

Venue Format
Theatre, Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
B
Touring Party
6
Considerations

Glass Child is an intimate production designed for black box venues. There is however, a level of flexibility around the configuration of the work. Please contact us to discuss. A non-raked floor surface with no uneven areas painted matte or low gloss black (then covered in Tarkett dance floor) is required.

We are keen to explore partnerships with festivals and performing arts centres in capital cities, suburbs and regional areas. We are interested in engaging with presenters that have disability focused programming or are conscious of representation. We are particularly interested in working with presenters that have expressed an aspiration to program more diverse work and have been looking for accessible work that would have audience appeal to meet this need.

Glass Child follows on from The Crossing, a work created by Kayah Guenther and Gavin Webber that uses dance and improvisation to explore self-expression, shared interests, and difference.

THE FARM is the Gold Coast's first professional dance theatre company. Funded in its first year of operation through the Gold Coast City Council, members of THE FARM are multiskilled, like-minded dance and theatre artists who share principles of collaboration as a means to create great performance art.

Currently comprised of eight individuals, ranging from choreographers, directors and dancers to light and sound designers, THE FARM’S artistic direction is led by Gavin Webber and Grayson Millwood, who have been working together for more than fifteen years. In that time they have created a number of highly regarded and successful dance-­theatre performances that have toured the world. We believe our new company structure will see us deliver a high standard of performance practice regionally, nationally and internationally; invigorate and expand the network of artists living on the Gold Coast; and engage with the local community on many levels.

Perhaps most importantly, we are a company that creates work that transcends common definitions and expectations of what dance can be and how and where it should be viewed.

Company Website
performinglines.org.au/cockfight

Unique Selling Point

Glass Child is accessible, joyful, and uplifting. The work is about the loving relationship between two siblings, one of whom happens to have Down syndrome.

The work appeals to a broad, multi-generational audience. It's inclusive. At it’s premiere Glass Child successfully played to general public, schools, mixed-ability, and dance audiences.

Glass Child broadens the definition of what contemporary dance is by showing that it is within everybody’s reach. It's "Gateway Dance” that attracts audiences that never otherwise attend.

Glass Child is the perfect introduction to contemporary dance for school students and aligns with syllabus topics.

Marketing Materials

  • A full suite of high-quality marketing materials including; high-res images, copy, video content, poster & flyer templates, and content for social media;
  • A Teachers Resource Kit outlining relevant curriculum links and activities to engage students more deeply with the performance.
  • A Campaign Guide outlining key target audiences and suggested strategies for connecting with those demographics.

Community Engagement

Opportunities for deeper engagement with the work and artists are available through workshops led by Kayah Guenther with the support of The Farm. Co-Director Gavin Webber is a highly experienced in leading inclusive contemporary technique classes. For Glass Child, Gavin will combine with Kayah to offer a workshop that reflects their collaboration and the tools they used to create the show. The Farm also have a suite of contemporary technique and Yoga Chi Gung workshops to offer.