Araluen Arts Centre: 
Whalebone | Jens Altheimer
WHALEBONE is an entertaining and unusual show, melding gadgets, video animations, stop motion, contraptions, circus, flying objects, computer generated visual effects and lots of fun!
Featuring dazzling video and computer animations, flying objects and a pinch of circus, this richly visual theatrical experience takes kids and adults alike on a roller-coaster ride.
WHALEBONE is filled with eccentric contraptions, strange machinery and clunky inventions, including the world’s first half- human juggling machine!
Nestled in the mysterious ‘Depository’, meet a lone worker with a mission. In a world where AI and machines are going rogue and making more and more decisions for us, he tries to safeguard human stories, memories and emotions.
Laugh out loud, gasp in awe, and let your imagination soar. Whalebone will ignite the curiosity of young aspiring inventors, as well as everyone who loves stories and wonders.
It invites audiences to ponder the role of technology in our lives, sparking conversations about what really defines us as humans.
“This is the kind of show your kids will love. It is full of junk, fantastical objects, artificial intelligence, drama, thrills and puzzle solving.” – Samsara Dunston ★ ★ ★ ★
“WHALEBONE’ is a real imagination buzz from start to finish. This is a perfect show for everyone, no matter what age, to be introduced to wonder and imagination through theatre"
Janice Haynes, Forge Theatre and Arts Hub Manager
"WHALEBONE is smart, funny and inventive theatre. The show is a wonder; fabulous entertainment for young people from a broad range of ages, with much to enjoy for their adults. Jens has found a sweet spot in exploring a complex idea whilst providing a thoroughly enjoyable hour in his company. It's terrific fun with many ideas to take home."
Graham Coffey, Independent Arts Administrator
"WHALEBONE is a clever, witty , endearing work about the recollection and passing on of precious memories and stories to future generations. A great, fun show for young people to consider the ethics and boundaries around coexistence with artificial intelligence."
Jodee Mundy, Fuse Festival, City of Darebin
"I wish your inventions could be made real and we could collect and save memories that we touch, live with, connect to and share them. I just want to say thank you for being you, so creative and generous and bringing to life an idea that I wish looked like and worked like you showed today in WHALEBONE."
Mandy Ellerton, Audience member and Grandmother
“In Whalebone Jens Altheimer has created something very special. Whalebone is visually delightful; the recycled contraptions, inventions, cleverly used technology and magic combined with juggling and clowning are totally mesmerising and engaging. Yet through all of this wizardry and physical theatre there is a show with real heart that shares an important message without any didacticism. This is undeniably a show for all ages, with as much to connect adults and children. It is a show to make you smile and laugh, to be surprised and delighted. Most of all it is a show to make you empathise with the human dilemma and with our responsibility to the world around us and all that is animate and inanimate within it.”
Stephen Champion, Manager, Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre
Gallery
Jens is an award-winning independent artist who has been making and presenting work for audiences in Australia and Europe for 35 years. He is a deviser, director, performer, producer, mentor, inventor, and tinkerer with a strong interest in creating participatory and empowering art experiences. Jens incorporates elements of puppetry, circus, interactive mechanical sculptures, video, and music into his highly visual theatre productions that explore human relationships through the world of animated objects.
His body of work includes family theatre, multidisciplinary community art projects, playful kinetic installations, and circus productions. Trained at Jacques Lecoq in Paris and collaborating with companies including Phillipe Genty Company, National Theatre Stuttgart (Germany), and the National Theatre Karlsruhe (Germany), Jens relocated to Australia in 2009.
Jens' successful touring history includes collaborations with organisations such as Regional Arts Victoria, artour, and Country Arts WA. He has toured extensively throughout Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, and Queensland with productions such as Squaring the Wheel and Loose Ends.
His productions have received critical acclaim and have been presented at festivals and international tours such as Sydney Festival, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, LaMama Theatre, and festivals in New Zealand and Malta.
Videos of his community work can be found on his website at http://www.jensaltheimer.com/art-projects.
Dates
Times
2pm - 3pm
Duration
1 hour
Interval
No Interval
Prices
Adult
$25.00
Concession
$20.00
Araluen Member
$19.00
Student
$16.00
Child – Under 15 (3-14 years or child under 3 who occupies a seat)
$16.00
Family
$64.00 ($16.00 each – 2 Adults, 2 Children)
Genre
Location
Extra information
Online ticketing is available up until one hour prior to the performance.
For ticket purchases after this time, please visit the Araluen Box Office or call us on (08) 8951 1122.
Accessibility
Warnings
Includes fast-paced video effects and twitchy sounds.
Target Audience
6 - 14 years old and families.
Booking Fee
For this event, a one-off service fee of $2.50 per transaction applies on all purchases online. All ticket prices include GST.
