The Project:

PressureLands is a community arts performance project working with Riverland young people aged 14-26 exploring pressure, expectations and success through performance and creative expression.

PressureLands began in July 2010 with 5 months of community consultation in local high schools & community groups engaging & speaking with over 600 young people (through interviews, improvisation, creative writing, debates, values walks etc) by asking the question 'What is Pressure to you?' and 'How will you know when you're successful?'. Young people were then invited to audition to form a youth ensemble to create a performance response to community consultations which resulted in a work in progress performance in Dec 2010.



Photo: The youth ensemble & Alysha after the Work in Progress Performance 17th December 2010

Since then the ensemble has been working with writer/director Alysha Herrmann to craft an immersive, interactive performance experience in collaboration with professional actors, a composer and a set/costume designer. The play is currently under development with the final performance registered as part of the Adelaide Fringe Youth Engagement Program in 2012 as a touring show and has also been invited to perform at the National Regional Arts Conference in October 2012 and as part of local Youth Week Celebrations in April 2012. The process is being documented via a PressureLands blog (http://pressurelands.wordpress.com)

This project is more than a performance, it's a family, it's an experience and it's a celebration of the young people of the Riverland & Mallee (and young people everywhere) who are each in their own way indescribably precious and perfectly imperfect.

In the words of PressureLands participant and ensemble member Milly:

"I originally became involved with PressureLands as I thought it would help me increase my drama skills, and would provide a good stepping stone into year twelve drama. However, once I became more deeply involved with the project and began to frequently attend the creative development sessions, I realised this project had affected me in a much more profound way than I originally intended....... This is the type of art that matters, people should be able to have an insight on how other people feel and be able to relate to the situation. I believe this project can help inspire people to not let the pressure get to them and do great things in their lives. I was proud to be a member of the PressureLands ensemble and will continue to help Alysha with her project, because this project has also allowed me to find myself, and taught me that I can achieve any goal I make for myself"



Photo: Milly during Creative Development

How your donation will make this project breathe:

The initial $2000 goal is the bare minimum we need to cover our remaining costs to tour the performance as part of Adelaide Fringe and the Youth Engagement Program in March 2012. Your donation will cover our travel costs to and from the Riverland & around Adelaide, safe accommodation for our young cast (aged between 15-23) & creative team and the hire of basic/sound lighting equipment.

Writer/Director Alysha Herrmann has already sunk a significant amount of her own $$$ into paying venue hire, Fringe registration + giving hundreds of hours in-kind since March 2010 to make the project happen and she can can't quite make her limited income go any further!

We need your help to get us all the way!! Every $5 counts and will mean the world to everyone who has given a little of their time, energy and heart to making this project happen.

Any donations received over our goal of $2000 will be used to promote the performance (to get more bums on seats and hopefully some of our artists paid as a result!), towards production costs as part of performing at the Regional Arts Conference (Oct 2012) and Berri Barmera National Youth Week Event (April 2012) and if enough $$$ are left over to hire lighting and sound equipment beyond the basic, to show this beautiful work to it's greatest potential during the Fringe Season in March.



Photo: Material from Community Consultations & Creative Development


Creator Background (PressureLands writer/director/facilitator & general 'make it happen' girl):

Alysha Herrmann is a proud parent and regional artist based in South Australia working across disciplines and state borders in the arts, community development and education to develop work which respects and enriches both the audience and her creative collaborators. Alysha is also currently completing a Teaching/Arts degree externally and is the 2011 South Australian Young Citizen of the Year and recipient of the 2011 Advantage SA Sony Centre Arts Award for the Riverland & Murraylands region.

Along the road Alysha has been a high school dropout, teenage mum, single parent, waitress, artist, student, sewing machinist, blogger, dishwasher, community facilitator, speaker and many other things in between. Alysha believes in the role of arts and cultural activities in building community morale and inspiration and is committed to social justice outcomes in everything she does as a parent, employee, volunteer, passionate community member & regional advocate.

As a theatre practitioner, Alysha is a writer, director, performer and facilitator and was an inaugural Australia Council JUMP Mentee in 2010. Alysha is currently developing PressureLands - an independent community arts performance project working with young people 14-26 exploring pressure and success (Writer/Director) and is the 2012 recipient of the Independent Arts Foundation Creative Writing Mentorship working with award winning playwright Caleb Lewis as her mentor in 2012 and will be a poet in residence at Sprouts Cafe in 2012 as part of the Australian Poetry Cafe Poet's program. For information on past and current projects visit http://alyshaherrmann.wordpress.com.

Alysha's monologue 'Ben Thomas, I Love You' has also been chosen for production as part of ATYP's 'The One Sure Thing' showcase scheduled for Feb 2012 including publication by Currency Press to coincide with the production.



Photo: Alysha performing at the Chaffey Theatre 25th Birthday Celebrations in 2009
 
Questions? Want to know more about the project or the team making it happen?  You can contact PressureLands creator Alysha Herrmann via email: [email protected]