Collaboration to grow performing arts in Karratha

Performing arts in the City of Karratha have received a shot in the arm with the formation of a collaborative project designed to grow local opportunities to pursue the arts, especially drama.

The Creative Collective, a partnership between Pitter Pat Productions, the IF Foundation and City of Karratha, is aimed at honing the skills of people aged 16 and over in acting and other areas of the performing arts.

The initiative was formalised in July after the groups started loosely working together in February, and has so far involved acting workshops for the public with the likes of Karratha-raised actor Joel Jackson, comedian Rosie Sitorus and the Black Swan State Theatre Company.

Its partners are planning to hold more workshops with visiting creatives in future, with other possibilities including a small film festival and comedy classes, and it also runs improvisation classes each Friday evening.

Pitter Pat Productions co-founder Danielle Chamberlain said the group planned to expand beyond acting into other creative skill sets in time.

“There’s so much skill here, we have so much talent and we can all learn from each other, so let’s start bringing people out of the woodwork, getting people together and start collaborating and who knows what we can create for the future,” she said.

“It allows the creative juices to flow when people can share ideas.”

IF Foundation — Pilbara Performing Arts Academy co-director Ariana Paganetti said bringing creative people of all stripes together was important for growing the local arts community.

“There are a lot of different roles in the arts that require a lot of very different skill sets,” Ms Paganetti said.

“Having a group of people with similar interests but different perspectives on the same problem can create really exciting art, and we think there’s a huge opportunity for Karratha to create its own art as well as bringing in artists as a result of this group.”

Pilbara Performing Arts Academy co-director David Williams said the completion of the Red Earth Arts Precinct last year had been critical to the group’s formation.

A City of Karratha spokeswoman said the partnership was aimed at building the capacity of the local arts community and further activating REAP.