Puppet show inspiring migrant children to 'dream big'

Perth Now

04-06-2025

A puppet show full of creepy crawlies flying through a rainforest is helping children who speak limited English learn about some of the world's most pressing issues.
About six million Australians speak a language other than English at home and about half are children aged under 15, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
About one in 11 children in Australa were born overseas
Under the sails of the Sydney Opera House a show by Indonesian group Paper Moon Theatre aims to help migrant schoolkids understand why nature is important in the midst of the climate crisis.
The puppets tell the story of a four-year-old boy who befriends a beetle and explores the rainforest, asking questions of whether humans are looking after Earth.
After arriving from China speaking no English six months ago, May was able to watch a preview of the show.
"Humans can be friends with the insects and nature," she told AAP.
"I've learned that we should protect nature, even though they are very small creatures (beetles), we still need to protect it."
Sebastian migrated from Colombia one year ago and learnt how important insects and beetles are to ecosystems.
"Well, they, without nature, where could they (beetles) live?" he told AAP.
Manal from Gaza said the soundscape of the show helped her absorb the message.
Tamara Harrison, the head of children and family programming at the Sydney Opera House sees the arts as one of the best ways to help children from non-english speaking backgrounds "dream big."
"Too many children at the moment are missing out on... these transformative experiences, which we know set them up well for life in the future," Ms Harrison told AAP.
"It helps develop critical life skills, whether it be about exploring creative thinking or developing and being able to engage with empathy."
In Australia's most populous state, there are only a limited number of schools that provided intensive English learning programs for students who speak another language.
Sydney's Kogarah Public School is one of the few schools that do.
Teacher Angela Gordon said the program helps students feel they can have an impact while setting them up for high school and beyond.
"Every single minute with them is important," Ms Gordon told AAP.
The show comes as the Opera House prepares for Giving Day on June 18.
Hundreds of thousands of children, families and young people are expected to stream into the Australian landmark to watch performances and attend workshops.
Young non-English speaking people will learn about the arts, architecture, maths, geometry as part of the event.