Glow Nations

Patch Theatre's Evolving Creative Process How do we place children at the centre of the creative process, not just as audience, but as active participants? In this roundtable, Patch Theatre will explore the development of Glow Nations, a new performer-led, touring installation for children aged 4-8. Inspired by the migration of birds as a metaphor for the migration of people, this luminous work invites children to co-create stories using Patch's signature use of light, sound, and movement. Glow Nations is created by a dynamic First Nations and culturally diverse team including Elisha Umuhuri (DEM MOB, APY Lands), Cedric Varcoe (Ramindjeri) and Edgell Junior Edgell (Ni-Vanuatu), and champions culture, creativity and play. Currently in creative development, it builds on Patch's history of innovation in early childhood performance to introduce a new hybrid format combining installation and traditional theatre. This roundtable will unpack how we design experiences that are truly for young people-artistically ambitious, logistically tourable, and supported by education resources-while also being driven by inclusion and imagination.