Paper Planet

Presented by Polyglot Theatre and Convent Kids

Paper Planet is a universally accessible experience that families will find inspiring and utterly captivating.

This season of Paper Planet is designed to specifically meet the needs of families who have a child or children with a disability and encourages the participation of all family members. The 2pm sessions from 28 – 30 June are now open to all families. When booking, please advise us of your access requirements, including any parking considerations (there is space to do so on the booking form).  

Children and families are invited to create a beautiful world inside a forest of tall cardboard trees, using only paper, tape and their imaginations. Everyone plays together in this magical place to create creatures, plants, costumes, characters, stories and adventures.

Paper Planet builds and grows as more families visit, and every session is truly unique as imaginations go wild and play takes over. Children choose how they interact with the performers and with other children; some find themselves absorbed in quiet making, and others prefer to play and explore.

Paper Planet is child-led, deeply involving and highly sensory, and sure to delight the whole family.

Paper Planet introduction (with music)

Paper Planet introduction (without music)

Access

This season of Paper Planet is designed to specifically meet the needs of families who have a child or children with a disability and encourages the participation of all family members. When booking, please advise us of your access requirements, including any parking considerations (there is space to do so on the booking form).

• The Oratory, where the performance is held, is wheelchair accessible.
• Entrances to this space are wheelchair accessible.
• There are wheelchair accessible bathrooms close to the venue. One in the Sacred Heart building, which is 30m from the entrance of the Oratory, and one in the Convent building (with an automatic door), which is 213m from the entrance of the Oratory.
• The Saturday 26 June 2pm – 4pm and Tuesday 29 June 10.30am – 12.30pm sessions will have Auslan interpreters present.
• All-gender bathrooms, separate to unisex accessible bathrooms, are available in the Sacred Heart building.
• The performance will take place inside.
• There will be a safe, quiet, comfortable, low-lit, enclosed space for patrons needing time out from sensory stimulation. This will be an enclosed area within the performance space. Sound from the performance space may be heard. 
• Paper Planet is a universally accessible experience, there is no English language barrier, and it can be entirely non-verbal.
• Paper Planet will be mostly illuminated by natural light from the windows in the Oratory. Some additional lighting will be used to add colour and ambience.
• A visual story for this season will be available in early June.

Family

• There is one baby change table in the Convent building in the wheelchair accessible bathroom, which is 213m from the entrance of the Oratory. This change table is wheelchair accessible.
• There is no parents’ room at the precinct.
• There will be pram parking spaces available inside the Paper Planet performance space.
• Water and infants’ bottles/breastfeeding are fine for consumption in the performance space, however we do ask that there is no eating (where possible) in Paper Planet.

Precinct

• There is a wheelchair accessible ATM at the precinct. However, this ATM  is not accessible for people who are blind or have low vision.
• Information about refreshments and food available for purchase at the precinct can be found here.

Parking

• Two, two-hour accessible on-street parking spaces are located on St Heliers Street, beside Gate One.
• Six accessible parking places are located at the front of the car park on St Heliers Street.
• Further parking can be reserved—please advise us of your parking needs with your access requirements.
• Free one- and two-hour parking spaces are available in the surrounding streets.

St Heliers Street car park rates
Weekday: 30 mins = free, 90 mins = $5, $2 per hour thereafter, 6 – 10 hours = $14, $2 per hour after 10 hours
Weekend: 30 mins = $3, $2 per hour thereafter, 5 ½ – 10 hours = $14, $2 per hour after 10 hours
Max daily rate (until 2am) = $28, Additional overnight fee (after 2am) = $25, Lost ticket = $28

Closest public transport options

• Catch a Mernda or Hurstbridge line train to Victoria Park Station. The train station is a 1km walk to the entrance of the Convent, or you can catch the 200 or 207 bus down Johnston Street to the Clarke Street stop. The bus stop is a 400m walk to the entrance of the Convent.

If you have any questions about access at Paper Planet, please contact Erica Heller-Wagner at Polyglot Theatre on communications@polyglot.org.au or 03 9826 3301.

More information about access at the Convent is here.

Your safety is our priority

The safety of our audiences and artists is of the utmost importance to us. We have put in place a number of COVID safety measures to ensure you are able to feel free and have fun at Paper Planet.

Please rest assured that we will continue to monitor Government health advice with regards to COVID-19 restrictions. Should the situation change, and this affects your booking, someone from the Polyglot team will be in touch.

• In accordance with current government guidelines, audience members must provide their first name and a mobile number prior to entrance to the activity.
• COVID sign-in method: QR code with smartphone and/or paper and pen with list.
• Density quotas will be observed with a set number of people allowed in the performance space at any one time.
• Hand sanitiser will be made available to all audience members prior to, during and after performances.
• Families will be given a roll of masking tape on entry, and can either take it home when they leave, or return it to be quarantined.
• Material stations will be in place to reduce handling of paper.

View the Convent’s COVID Safe plans here.

Cancellation policy

If you have booked and your family is unable to attend, please contact Erica Heller-Wagner at Polyglot Theatre before the session commences to organise a refund.

Unfortunately, refunds cannot not be issued if you do not attend and haven’t contacted us prior to the session commencing. If the season is cancelled due to COVID-19, all purchased tickets will be refunded.

About Polyglot

Polyglot Theatre is a globally-renowned company based in Melbourne that creates, produces and tours Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) all over the world. Polyglot’s artistic approach of child-centred practice has earned our reputation at home and internationally as a leader in the TYA sector, celebrated for creating distinctive, collaborative works that are playful and conceptually robust. We involve kids from creative development through to immersive performances; and reach the broadest range of children by placing our work everywhere from the world’s most prestigious theatres to the football grounds of regional Australia.

Thank you!

This season of Paper Planet is supported by the City of Yarra.

Polyglot Theatre is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.