Our Story

Since founders Hazem Shammas and Bryce Youngman founded Poetry In Action in 2006, the company has skyrocketed to become one of Australia’s premier touring theatre companies.

OUR VISION

TO BE AN EXPRESSIVE AND ARTICULATE AUSTRALIAN VOICE IN THE WORLD

OUR MISSION

OUR MISSION IS TO UNLOCK THE POWER OF WORDS FOR EVERYONE

WHO WE ARE

Yearly collaborations with some of Australia’s most renowned creatives have resulted in the transformation of poetry and literature into dozens of fun, engaging and exciting theatrical experiences for young audiences across Australia and internationally.

Our highly popular School Tour sees us perform to around 60,000 young people each year, enhancing their learning and self-expression through the power of art and poetry.

First Nations program

The PIA team has been delivering an intensive literacy program to Indigenous students in the remote Papunya region in the Northern Territory, with these young people now discovering the joys of the written and spoken word towards becoming articulate and expressive Australians.

MAIN STAGE &
unlocking the power of words

PIA is also nurturing new audiences through active collaborations with leading theatre companies to bring exciting performances to the main stage.

In 2022, PIA proudly showcased it’s first MainStage development, a re-imagining of John Milton’s classic, Paradise Lost. Check out the trailer for this exciting project below!

professional development

PIA knows that poetry is best in action – we’ve made it easier for educators to engage young people in the power of poetry, with the help of unique, resourceful teacher training content!

Join the Journey

Our successes, an enthusiastic audience demand and our commitment to providing accessible low-cost, inclusive, and high quality programs has only been made possible through invaluable philanthropic support from donors, grant funding and people just like you.

Our History

OUR EVER EXPANDING POETRY REACH

2010

We started in the ACT and close regional NSW

2011

Expanded to Melbourne and Brisbane, regional and remote NSW

2012

Expanded to regional Victoria and Adelaide

2013

We made it over to Perth!

2014

Expanded to regional SA and regional WA

2015

Started performing in Tasmania

2016

Brought the power of words to the Northern Territory

2017

Overseas expansion to New Zealand

2018

Exploring New Lands in Hong Kong and Macau

2019

Setting our sights on expanding into Dubai

2020

Successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic through digital and interactive media

2021

Continued to thrive in changing circumstances

2022

Emerged in a post-Covid world, completing its first MainStage development and performing for young people all over Australia and NZ

2023

Thrived and increased it’s audience size to almost 60,000 young people, growing back to pre-Covid levels


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