What happens when students stop studying theatre and start making it? At Tamborine Mountain College, the answer is found in The Scene Project, a bold, immersive drama experience delivered in partnership with Queensland Theatre that places young artists at the very heart of the creative process.
Students at Tamborine Mountain College are experiencing theatre in its most authentic and transformative form through The Scene Project, a signature experience within the College’s Drama Excellence Program delivered in partnership with Queensland Theatre.
Designed for students in Years 7–12, The Scene Project immerses young performers in the complete theatre-making journey, from their first encounter with a script to a polished final performance. Rather than observing theatre from the sidelines, students and teachers work side by side as artists, collaboratively interpreting a newly commissioned play and shaping it into an original 15 minute performance.
Each year, Queensland Theatre creates a bespoke script written specifically for young performers. The process challenges students to think creatively, experiment with staging, and bring their own artistic voices to life on stage. Throughout the year, students rehearse alongside their teachers, supported by high-quality creative resources, professional learning opportunities and visits from Queensland Theatre teaching artists. These industry professionals facilitate workshops, offer expert guidance and support the creative journey as ideas evolve from concept to performance.
The program supports far more than performance skills. Students develop confidence, collaboration and creative problem solving abilities, alongside expressive techniques that serve them both on stage and beyond the classroom.
The journey culminates in Outcome Day, where participating schools gather at a professional performance venue to share their interpretations and celebrate the creative process. Students also attend a full professional production of the same script, performed by Queensland Theatre artists under the same creative parameters. This powerful experience provides insight into professional practice and inspires fresh perspectives on their own work.
At Tamborine Mountain College, The Scene Project reflects a deep commitment to nurturing creative thinkers and courageous performers, young people encouraged to take artistic risks, collaborate meaningfully and express their unique voices.
2026 Program: ICARUS: Reworked
In 2026, The Scene Project will centre on ICARUS: Reworked, a contemporary retelling of the ancient Greek myth. Adapted for young artists by Queensland playwrights David Burton, Maxine Mellor, Maddie Nixon and Merlynn Tong, the script offers creative flexibility while presenting bold new perspectives on a timeless story.
Rich in opportunity, the work invites students to explore character, symbolism, movement and voice, while connecting classical themes with modern ideas and experiences relevant to young people today, ensuring the ancient myth of Icarus continues to soar in fresh and powerful ways.
