Growth and Opportunity (Early 1980s)

In 1980 founder Judy Morton received funding for AAV from the State Government. This set up AAV up as an organisation that could plan for the long term. Dinny Downie took on the job of Executive Director.

1981 was the International Year of Disabled Persons. In honour of this, the Australia Council for the Arts gave money to AAV to work on a theatre show with Chilean Theatre Director Aldo Gennaro. He had earlier worked on a performance at the Sydney Opera House with residents of the Lorna Hodgkinson Sunshine Home. You can stream a documentary on this performance called Stepping Out, on SBS On Demand.

Theorem was the title of the project developed by AAV. The core team included Director Aldo Gennaro, dramatist Bronwen Barton and puppeteer Greg Temple. It was performed at the Melbourne Concert Hall (now called Hamer Hall) in 1982 and was a smash hit. Four shows were originally scheduled and it had to be extended to seven shows to meet the huge demand.

two kids are playing with the puppet head and hands they built

A snapshot from a Theorem workshop, 1981.

A puppet from Theorem, 1982

Theorem worked with over 800 people in twenty-five workshops across the year. The final performances included over 100 performers. The performance was in three parts called Hypothesis, Demonstration and Conclusion. Theorem featured puppetry, banners, mime, costume and ritual.Participants in the workshops were from:

Windsor Youth Welfare Service
Maclead Activities Centre
Dame Mary Herring Spastic Centre
Janefield Training Centre
Harold McCracken Nursing Home
Winlaton Youth Training Centre
Murray Valley Training Centre – Adult Unit
Murray River Performing Group
Belvoir Special Developmental School – Wodonga
Malmsbury Youth Training Centre
The W.J.Christie Centre for Retarded Children

The success of Theorem, and the growth of AAV during this time showed that society was ready for change. AAV saw rapid growth and expansion during this period.

Were you part of Theorem? Get in touch, we’d love to know about it.