Goldfish

Background image: A person wearing an array of fluro orange clothing, goggles and a raincoat is set in front of a bright blue background.
By Terrapin in association with Aichi Prefectural Art Theater Co-commissioned by Terrapin, Ten Days on the Island, Arts House, AsiaTOPA, Darwin Festival and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

When and What

  • Future
  • Theatre

Summary

  • A ground-breaking theatre work in collaboration with Japan’s Aichi Prefectural Art Theater
  • Featuring a unique low-carbon international touring model
  • Exploring the role of the theatre in times of increasing disaster
  • Suitable for children 8+ and their families

Impact

  • Goldfish does not travel with a set: all set items are locally sourced in touring locations, focusing on locally relevant disaster recovery items, and donated to partners at the end of the season
  • This significantly reduces the carbon impact of touring the work and supports service delivery organisations
  • Goldfish is a cross-cultural collaboration between leading Tasmanian and Japanese artists. Its unique design methodology was honed through field research in Hobart and Nagoya.
a shadow of a goldfish is projected onto a blue tarp
Goldfish creative development, 2023. Image: Terrapin

Description

A solo puppeteer is performing a fable for children. We imagine a flourishing society that does away with time, ignoring night and day, leading to a great flood.

Suddenly, in the theatre, a team of disaster recovery workers burst in to transform it into an evacuation centre. Among these competing narratives we begin to ask, what role should humanity, and the theatre, play in times of increasing disaster?

Upcoming performances

2025

  • Aichi Prefectural Art Theater Mini Hall, Nagoya (Japan) 9 – 11 February
  • Chiryu Public Theater Chiryu City (Japan) 14 February 2025
  • Yokkaichi City Theatre Yokkaichi City (Japan) 16 February 2025
  • AsiaTOPA Main Hall, Arts House, Melbourne 26 February – 2 March
  • Ten Days on the Island Theatre Royal, Studio Theatre, Hobart 26 – 29 March
A person lays in a tent, covered by reflective bedding and is on their phone. the only light source is the phone
Goldfish creative development, 2023. Image: Terrapin

Interested in Goldfish?

Touring Japan and Australia in 2025

Get in touch

  • A person stands golding what looks to be an umbrella coloured in reflective material, light them bounces off the material
    Goldfish creative development, 2023. Image: Terrapin
  • above a blue ocean made out of a tarp is a cardboard plane in a stick
    Goldfish creative development, 2023. Image: Terrapin
  • A person sits on top of a brown wooden table surrounded by brown boxes, this person is under stage lighting so everything else is in blackness
    Goldfish creative development, 2023. Image: Terrapin

Partners

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, managed by Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., commissioned by Ten Days on the Island, Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, Terrapin, City of Melbourne through Arts House, Asia TOPA, Darwin Festival and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Terrapin is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia and through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Arts. Goldfish’s development was supported by the Australia-Japan Foundation.

  • Supported by
  • Commissioners