Pipi Storm Theatre Company (1975-1988): A Cultural History of Children’s Rights

This project will provide a cultural history of children’s rights in late 20th century Australia, through a case study of the Pipi Storm Theatre Company. Established in 1975, Pipi Storm Theatre was a dedicated children’s theatre group that performed in schools and welfare institutions across New South Wales until the late 1980s. It sought to ‘demystify’ theatre by making it ‘accessible and relevant’ to children and to use theatre to raise awareness of wider social inequalities and their impact on children’s lives. Through an examination of the group’s philosophy and production history, the project will highlight the important role that the community arts have played in promoting debate around children’s rights in Australia, not least of all by providing a vehicle through which to engage children and young people in this process. The project will draw on the Library’s extensive manuscript collection for the group, as well as oral histories with key members. The findings will be presented in the form of scholarly journal articles and web content, and will also be incorporated into a wider research project on the history of children’s rights in Australia (1959-2013).