20 years 20 stories

A gift of confidence. Of empathy. Of words that matter.

Five years ago, a recent theatre graduate walked into a Poetry in Action audition.

She had energy, talent, and a degree in theatre performance, but had yet to find out what it would be like to stand in a school hall at 8.30 in the morning and perform poetry to 120 teenagers. Nevertheless, she quickly learned how to bump in a show before the school bell, drive from city to country and back to city in a day, and connect with young people through voice, movement, and story.

That new graduate was Olivia Hall-Smith.

Today, Olivia is an actor, producer, an experienced sales lead, and an international representative for Poetry in Action. She helps schools across Australia plan their seasons, coordinates cast rehearsal and touring, and supports our outreach in Hong Kong and the UAE. She has grown from a touring performer to a vital member of our national team.

Support from donors like you has made journeys like hers possible.

For every Olivia, there are new artists waiting in the wings — passionate performers who need training, mentoring, rehearsal hours, safe travel, and a chance to learn how to inspire young audiences.

Olivia reflects on that first year ….

“Prior to Poetry in Action, I had experience performing for different types of audiences and working in a variety of venues, however the Poetry in Action Education Tour expanded my experience and skills to a much wider degree. Performing 4 different shows for student audiences across Australia and New Zealand, you learn very quickly how to read a room, turn on a dime, and adapt for the circumstances and attitudes presented to you.

Every day, every performance, every school, and every student’s reaction was going to be different, and you never really knew what kind of room you were going to be performing to (or in) for any given show. A freezing school hall in the middle of regional Victoria at 8am, a boiling hot Queensland school gym with no aircon, a busy school library with no doors and bells going off every 15mins, or a tiny demountable classroom with terrible acoustics and a hole in the floor – you name it, I’ve performed in it. If you think touring as an actor sounds like a cushy gig, try holding the attention of 200 rowdy Year 9 boys after their lunch break on the last day of Term in a sweaty, echo-y sports hall with a basketball game being played on the court next to you, the supervising teacher on a phone call, and Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ intermittently blasting over the speakers in lieu of a traditional school bell as you try to explain the use of rhythm in W.T. Goodge’s ‘How We Drove the Trotter’ whilst pretending to time-travel and wearing a giant fake beard. Yeah. Touring is fun, but it can be tough.

There was, however, in almost every performance, a moment where you would scan across the audience and see a student sitting alert, their eyes lit up and their attention firmly locked in on the stage, actively listening and engaged in the content. Sometimes students would approach you after the shows, inspired to use their voice to share their own passion for language, or ask more questions about the performance they had just seen. Moments like those still give me goosebumps when I think of them. I feel privileged to have been able to see firsthand the impact that PIA’s shows have on students all over the country. Thanks to this opportunity, I was, and am, able to be part of an organisation that brings the power of poetry into young people’s lives, helping to inspire them to think big and bold, to trust in their ideas, and to pursue their own passion for language and literature. ”

At Christmas, we think about the gifts that last. The ones that shape confidence, open doors and stay with someone long after the wrapping paper is gone.

Right now, we are inviting you to join our regular giving community.

Monthly giving is the most effective way to help us plan ahead and say yes to schools that cannot afford access. It keeps auditions open, rehearsal rooms active, vans on the road, and artists supported as they develop careers in the arts.

Your monthly support will:

• Train new actors from auditions through their first touring year
• Provide rehearsal space and artist development workshops
• Subsidise regional and remote school performances
• Support producer training and career pathways for early-career artists
• Fund ongoing travel, accommodation, and safe touring infrastructure

A monthly gift of twenty dollars helps us reach a student who would otherwise miss out. Eighty dollars a month can support an entire class performance in a regional school.

Regular giving means continuity. It means we can keep saying yes to teachers, students, and emerging performers.

Olivia puts it clearly: Poetry in Action lets people grow. It creates a pathway for performers to become leaders, educators, and advocates for young people.

Please consider becoming a regular donor today.

Set up a monthly gift – one that will last a life time for many young people

If you would like to discuss your support, reach out to our team anytime.

Thank you for believing in early-career artists, young audiences, and a future where creative expression belongs to everyone.