15/09/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Something mysterious is stirring in Dayboro as local young performers prepare to bring an ambitious new original musical, ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฒ to the stage this November.
Created by ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ & ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ โ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฒ, The Shadow Academy is more than a musical. It is a community arts project that gives children, young people, and adults the opportunity to experience what it takes to create an original production from the ground up.
Set inside a mysterious academy where students are divided by who they are expected to become, The Shadow Academy explores individuality, belonging, creativity and the courage to choose your own path.
But the story happening behind the curtain is just as important as the one happening on stage.
Throughout 2026, local students have been involved in the creative development of the production, working alongside industry professionals and mentors across performance, scriptwriting, original music, recording, choreography, character development, costumes, props and stagecraft.
Students have also taken part in professional recording sessions at Airlock Studios helping them experience the process of taking an idea from the rehearsal room through to a fully realised stage production.
Creative Connections Director Nathalie Cotte says the aim is to give young people opportunities that extend well beyond learning lines and choreography.
โPerforming is only one part of creating a show. I wanted our students to see what happens behind the scenes and understand that there are so many different pathways within the creative industries.
โThey are learning how ideas become scripts, how music is developed and recorded, how characters and worlds are created, and how an entire production comes together. Most importantly, they are learning to collaborate, contribute their ideas and build confidence in their own creativity.โ
The project also creates opportunities for emerging young people interested in gaining practical experience behind the scenes, while drawing on the skills and support of local families, creatives, businesses and the wider community.
As Creative Connections looks towards 2027, the academy plans to further develop its musical theatre program into a broader community-based creative initiative, incorporating original songwriting, script development, special-effects makeup, technical theatre and mentorship from industry professionals.
Local businesses are already helping bring The Shadow Academy to life, ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ Lucid Financial, Bright Minds Psychology Service ๐๐ง๐ Engage U, alongside community fundraising to assist with professional lighting and sound, sets, props, costume accessories, script development and opportunities for young people gaining production experience.
For Nathalie, the bigger vision is to create something that belongs to the community.
โWe live in an incredibly creative area. I want young people to know they donโt necessarily have to travel into Brisbane to begin discovering what they are capable of.
โIf we can bring artists, industry professionals, businesses, families and young people together here in our own community, we can create something really special.โ
THE SHADOW ACADEMY โ NOVEMBER 2026
๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ :
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1650659
