BEYOND THE WALLS is a dance project for NSW young people in Juvenile Justice Centres

Beyond The Walls Public Showcase & Q&A: Friday 14th June 2019 @ Redfern Community Centre 6.50pm

Public Showcase – 12th June @ Campbelltown Arts Centre 6.30pm
Public Showcase – 10th June Bankstown Arts Centre 4.30pm

Beyond the Walls is a dance project produced by leading Australian community arts company Phunktional, designed to positively empower young people in custody. The project is supported by arguably the nation’s best female break-dancer Demi Sorono with her powerful, one-woman musical theatre show Shadow Warrior.

Shadow Warrior was performed to young people and staff in Reiby and Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centres (JJC) to kick off Beyond the Walls, before a group of professional artists, including Aboriginal dancer Glen Thomas, worked with the young people in detention.

The project will culminate with a dance performance choreographed by youth in custody and performed by professional artists. This performance will be shared with the general public at three separate venues within Sydney.

Beyond the Walls is a Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) program for culturally diverse at-risk young people in custody in Sydney. This initiative is a strategic and unique approach to positively empower young people through the arts, building on two years of collaboration between Phunktional and Frank Baxter JJC.

Demi Sorono choreographs and performs her powerful one-woman show inspired by her own story of hardship and immigrating to Australia. A celebration of cultural connections through hip-hop, physical theatre and song, this performance portrays vulnerability and strength through difficult circumstances, themes that many young people of the JJC’s relate to. Demi’s story of hardship comes to life though various dance forms including breakdancing, hip hop, crumping, locking, waving, and a little popping thrown into the mix.

Collaborating with MC Julez and Phunktional, Demi brings her knowledge of varied styles of hip hop to the stage. The show also featured original songs performed by Demi herself. Directed by Gerard Veltre, artistic director of Phunktional, Shadow Warrior strengthens Phunktional’s already proven ability to present engaging performances that entertain, and deliver messages that provoke reflection and inspire vital discussion.

Images and Interviews available on request
Contact Phunktional on 03 9654 3257