Cirrus@Austlit

'This article offers a perspective on strategies for community engagement by independent performance-makers and cultural institutions in Australia today. Beginning with an overview of community engagement in Australian performance, the article then describes a specific casestudy drawn from personal practice: Belloo Creative's 'Rovers' which was a new performance work based on the lives of its performers, Roxanne MacDonald and Barbara Lowing. As part of the production of Rovers, Belloo Creative, working with young Aboriginal artist Emily Coleman, trialled a community engagement project to welcome Aboriginal audiences to the 2018 Brisbane Festival. The article includes a personal reflection on 'Rovers' that interleaves the commentary of Emily and Kathryn as the two artists who lead the community engagement project, and concludes by suggesting some key considerations for other independent companies who might wish to engage with community.' (Publication abstract)