ABOUT HOUSE OF MUCHNESS | houseofmuchness

what is muchness?

Your muchness is your you-ness, your core and character, your essence, your bestness, the stuff that you’re made of. It is your grit and substance. This is a place for discovering, embracing and celebrating the ingredients that make you you. Muchness is in most abundance as a young person, manifesting in curiosity and wonder, courage and resilience, imagination, and denial of the impossible. We think muchness is best fostered in a culture of inclusive, wholistic creativity. At the House of Muchness, we have created a third space. There is home, there is school, there is HOM. Here we champion the village, the community, the tribe. This is an environment where young people can belong to a collective and build social relatedness, artistic expression and find their creative kin.

we believe:

That every young person is creative and every young person is a maker.
That the diverse voices of young people are a necessary part of shaping our artistic, social, cultural and political landscapes.
That young people are full and complete; they are not lesser than, or empty vessels to be filled.
That everybody is the expert of their own opinions and experience.
That the jobs and industries in which young people will work may not yet even exist.
That learning and discovery is an exchange.
That an arts experience can be transformative.
That belief in self and kindness to others are the most critical factors in being a happy and connected human being.
That young people thrive in an environment of overwhelming love, support and encouragement.

we value:

we practice:

Kinship and kinfolk
The agency and capacity of young people
Inclusion and diversity
Collaboration and learning exchange
Democracy and transparency
Experimentation and risk-taking
Subversion and disruption
Social justice and social responsibility

A multi-faceted approach to learning including activation of both the intellectual and the kinaesthetic
Collaborative idea generation
Performative and layered story-telling
Artistic play
Sensory activities
Ritual and ceremony
Youth-led devising
Probing thought, investigation and interrogation

they gain:

Community belonging
Real empowerment and self-value
Empathy and awareness
Emotional literacy
Critical reflection
Abstract thought
Skills in artistic expression and performance
Fearlessness and tuning in to intuition
Development of identity
Generosity and trust
Social connectedness

inclusive theatre practice:

Inclusivity and equality reign at HOM and all teaching artists are inclusive theatre practitioners. Inclusive practice involves a considered and lateral approach to planning as well as in-workshop operation of several practical strategies to enhance the participation of all young people. These strategies include multiple entry points to exercises, flexibility of methods to generate content, the use of physical and visual language, three-pronged verbal language (plain and direct, abstract and terminology) and the adoption of tools and resources to support understanding. Young people experience difference in a plethora of ways and there are infinite factors at play in a diverse participant population.

All young people are welcome at HOM, including:

Those with English as a second language
Those recently migrated or otherwise experiencing cultural shifts
Those experiencing a change of gender, identity, sexuality, and representation
Those with a physical, intellectual or sensory disability
Those with a socio-economic disadvantage
Those with a current experience or background of trauma