Backyard Possum Encounter

We’re excited to announce that we will perform an original puppet play at the Kalyenup Theatre later this year.

This play will be created in collaboration with Michael Barlow, the artist director of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, and several theatre designers and puppeteers. We are very grateful for funding from the Creativity on Schools Grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries.

The play will allow students to perform and develop various theatre skills. There will be a call out for students interested early in Term Two. It will also raise awareness about the critically endangered Western Ringtail possum.

Albany is one of the few places where this nocturnal possum can still be found. Its numbers have been reduced by 90% since colonial settlement. Its main challenges are habitat loss, predators (cats and foxes), climate change, and roadkill.

But things are not all bad for the possum. It turns out that they are adapting to living in our backyards very well. And so, begins our play!

Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts