General News
18 October, 2024
Hopetoun mother launching theatre group so daughter can pursue her passion
Dee Williams hoping theatre group brings new outlet to Hopetoun.
MacKenzie Williams' passion for the performing arts has inspired her mother to establish a local theatre group in Hopetoun.
Dee Williams aims to create a space for people of all ages and abilities to express themselves and showcase the region's talent.
In 2019, a then nine-year-old MacKenzie Williams was part of the Victorian State School Spectacular, an annual event she has enjoyed four times since.
Mackenzie said she enjoys all of what performing arts offers.
"It's like involving with people, getting to know people and expressing yourself," she said.
Now, with an ambition to pursue dancing and theatre as a career, MacKenzie wants to continue her involvement in performing arts.
But, while living in Hopetoun, she would have to travel over 100km to find a group, so her mother Dee Williams is stepping up to try and change that.
"I know just at her school, there's so many kids that like doing the dancing and the performing," Dee said.
"I thought there's got to be something up here. I went through Facebook, I Googled everywhere and there was just nothing.
"Having to go to Swan Hill or to Horsham to the theater groups, it's a long drive, especially after they've gone to school.
"I thought, no, we've got to do something here."
With such a diverse range of roles a theatre group can offer, from singing, dancing and acting to costume design, set design and hair and makeup, Dee believed there was bound to be a strong interest in the group.
And, she's looking for people of all ages and all abilities.
"It's just something that everyone can have a role in, no matter how big or small it is," she said.
At the moment Dee is calling out to anyone who would be interested, and asking them to get in touch.
She set up an email account for the group hopetountheatre@gmail.com and is encouraging anyone interested in the group to reach out.
A post on the Hopetoun Victoria Community Noticeboard Facebook page has garnered some interest, and Dee has reached out to schools as far afield as Nhill, Rainbow, Ouyen and Tempy.
"We've got kids here who do dance, and it's only to grade six you can do dance at the moment, so these kids might want to get up on stage" Dee Said.
"We've got people who come to town, who come to our markets, who play guitar and sing.
"We're happy, even if next year there's only three to six people get up on stage and do a dance ... if that's what we start off with, it can grow."
Dee said the people she has reached out to have been all for the theatre group in Hopetoun.
"They're going yep I'll sing, yep I'll perform, yep I'll help with costumes," she said.
Having sought out the cost of a hall for the theatre group, Dee's current task is understanding the necessary insurance, and then she plans to bring the group together to have a meeting, and work out who is interested in doing what.
Dee is hoping this group can be a place people can come to have fun, and have a different outlet than what they're probably used to, while also showcasing the local talent.
"[We want to show] that there is a lot of talent out in the country," she said.
"[It's] not just farmers out here, or people that just happen to work at cafes and bakeries, there is a lot of talent in the country that doesn't get recognised."
Dee said the main aim of the group would be having fun, and have a place where people can be free to be who they are.
"It's all just to have fun, for the kids to have fun, for the adults to have fun," she said.
"You never know, they might get somewhere, this might be the stepping stone these kids need to say to their parents, hey this is definitely what I want to do."