About Terrapin
Terrapin puts what matters in motion. Our purpose is to make lives better, shift realities and create connections, and we’ve been doing it for over 40 years.
We bring contemporary artists and audiences together with one of the oldest artforms in the world.
Artistry
We build worlds, create stories and craft characters to connect and transform.
Our giant roving puppets and interactive installations captivate and surprise people in festivals and public spaces, while our vibrant, layered theatre works delight audiences in Tasmania, on the mainland and across the world. We work with writers, designers, performers, composers, inventors, game-makers and other artists, forming and re-forming creative teams in new ways for new projects.
We’ve got an in-house workshop where we combine technical knowledge and artistry with character design, world-building and a deep current of storytelling. Our skilled network of makers work sustainably to build anything from shadow puppets to southern right whales to tiny, shimmering birds, both for our own projects and for other people’s.
Heap at Salamanca Markets, Ten Days on the Island, 2023. Image: Brad Harris 
All Day Breakfast, MONA FOMA, 2022. Image: Peter Mathew
Community
Our Tasmanian community will always be our first audience.
We make transportative experiences for kids of all ages (and their families), people living in aged care, people in remote parts of our island. We believe that creative experiences make life richer - our schools touring program fosters curiosity in young students, while Forever Young brings laughter and play to aged care residences.
We’re increasingly interested in how our skills can be applied to make a tangible difference in our place. How could creative learning programs boost educational outcomes in Tasmania? Could we bring trauma-informed workshops and performance into disaster recovery centres? How can our profile and reach raise the voices of those who we don’t often hear from? If you’re asking these questions too, get in touch.
Feathers at Landsdowne Crescent Primary School, 2024. Image: Peter Mathew 
Forever Young, 2022. Image: Peter Mathew
Leadership
We take our role in the Tasmanian arts ecosystem seriously, building a thriving organisation that can support emerging local creatives and provide a model in structure and governance.
Our Stride program of professional development is a prime example: we welcome associates into our office, workshop and rehearsal room on long placements, and organise free industry-led masterclasses across the island for targeted skills development. Our annual Jennifer Davidson Creative Endowment Trainee is mentored to expand their skills in the area of their choice, building their capacity and our network of experienced creatives.
Inside our walls, we’re adopting agile work practices to create flexible, responsive teams which can rapidly regroup for new projects. We’ve invested in project evaluations to help us better understand the impact of our work, and to be a resource for colleagues outside the organisation. Our volunteer board is rigorous, enthusiastic and open to calculated risks.
