“The through line, through all these creative experiences, has been play. Play is, at its heart, experimentation and curiosity, which is the tool we use in the arts.”

How is it that we hold onto the real exchange of the handmade in the fast-moving world? How is it that we make time to play and experiment and create as we make our way? Cat Sewell has created spaces for children and families to do just that. At Polyglot Theatre, Cat works with her team to generate artistic experiences that not only allow self-expression, but encourage curiosity, connection, freedom, and above all, a value of the human need to play.

We caught up with Cat to learn more about her work and life, led by her passion for play.

Where did you grow up Cat? Is this significant to your outlook and pathway in life?

I have lots of wonderful memories of play from my childhood. I spent a lot of time with my beloved black Labrador dog, I loved climbing trees (imagining that I was in a faraway land), making up dances with friends and going on adventures with cousins.

My childhood experiences of play and creativity fundamentally affect my life today, especially in the work I do, and how I parent my children. In particular, the feeling of having a freedom to create and explore things and be curious about the world.

What brought you into the arts? What formed part of your early inspiration and influences?

I have been involved in the arts throughout my whole life. I loved drawing, making things, dancing and performing. I did a lot of theatre and art throughout school, completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts at Melbourne Uni, VCA, and then a Masters of Creative Arts Therapy at RMIT. The through line, through all these creative experiences, has been play. Play is, at its heart, experimentation and curiosity, which is the tool we use in the arts.

What led you on the path of working with children and families?

Around 20 years ago, my focus shifted to deep inquiry into play, and I began to work more and more with children, particularly in education settings. My specialisation in working with children was very much solidified once I had my own children, experiencing that on a day-to-day level, and constantly exploring ideas and seeing how small children respond to things. Through this lens I began to see the impact and reward of working in play and creativity with children more broadly.

It is wonderful that Polyglot uses the images of each of your staff as children on your website. Do you believe it is important to connect with our inner child? What benefit might this bring?

It is a great feature of the website for Polyglot, having photos of all the staff and core artists as children. When we did an accessible redesign of the website a while ago, it was the one thing that everyone said, we can't change that. It's so great, and people comment upon it all the time. It's a big front facing proposition to demonstrate that, as people working within the organisation, it is important to remember the child within us, and that we do this work for children because we believe in its importance. We believe in children’s capacity to think deeply and feel deeply and have opinions and the freedom to create. Children are the experts in play.

There is so much on offer at Polyglot Theatre. How do you explain what it is to new audiences?

Polyglot’s mission is to make transformational, playful arts experiences for children everywhere.

Polyglot creates a variety of works. A large part is the touring repertoire of participatory, immersive theatrical works, some of which have been running for 20 years, that are presented across Victoria, Australia and around the world. We also have bespoke programs that we co-create with children in particular communities. These can run over long periods of time and have deep impact. And a stream that is particularly aligned to work in education settings such as primary schools and early years centres. Polyglot works with children from 0 – 12yrs old. We have some specific work for different age groups, like the incredible Pram People for babies and very small children, and then other works that are quite universally accessible, like Paper Planet, which welcomes children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to explore, imagine and create in a world of cardboard and paper.

Pram People has been a big initiative at Polyglot. Can you tell us more about what it is and the purpose behind the movement?

Pram People, directed by Associate Director Emily Tomlins, is a particularly beautiful work. At its core, it celebrates children in prams and the adults that push them. It is a chance to reclaim public space, as a pram user, and find community and joy with those around you who are also at this stage in their lives. It is an intimate experience for the adults, who wear headphones and listen to instructions and a curated journey of real stories shared by parents, carers and children themselves. But it is also a beautiful visual and sensory experience for the children in the prams, and for the wider audience looking on at the spectacle at large. Pram People has just finished an incredible tour in the UK, where the team of artists worked with local communities to weave in local stories from each place into the shows across London and Hull. Earlier in the year the team premiered a bilingual version in Cantonese and English in the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong. It is incredible to see this work connect deeply with people and communities around the world, to find those universal experiences that children and families all go through, and to celebrate the unique elements in each place and neighbourhood.

You are a keynote speaker at our upcoming conference in November. What are you most looking forward to sharing and learning?

I am so excited to be presenting one of the keynotes at the upcoming Playgroup Victoria conference. I have long been a fan of playgroups and have been involved in many projects over the years working with children and families in playgroup settings. I’m looking forward to celebrating play and creativity with you all!

https://polyglot.org.au/

Article by Sinead Halliday
Photography by Theresa-Harrison and Sarah-Walker