‘The Flying Canoe’ follows the story of a cheeky and charming apprentice magic spinner, Nei Konoia - and invites you and your students to join her on a journey that will take you all the way to the islands of Kiribati!

Nei Kinoia comes from a long line of Magic Spinners, but on the night she was supposed to become one herself, she got distracted singing in the Frangipani tree!

Now she plans to turn back time and trick the spirits of Neiko into giving her their blessing to join her ancestors in spinning magic!

The only thing is, she needs someone to take her there FAST.

A regular canoe won’t do the trick, she needs one to fly, and she needs your help to fly it!

Together you’ll meet some sassy, salty spirits, fend off giant mud crabs, and dive into crystal blue waters. You will hear the sounds of Kiribati and hopefully, hopefully…you’ll help Kinoia become the magic spinner she was born to be!

NEIKO: A place full of magic, stories, myths, spirits and adventure. Neiko’s land is circular with a lagoon in the middle, which means that wherever you are on the land, you are always close to the ocean and lagoon. A place where fish fly, saltwater tastes sweet and time can play tricks, you always have to stay on your toes. But be careful, you never know who may be watching…

NEI KINOIA: is a cheeky, smart and easily distracted apprentice magic spinner who loves to sing in the frangipani trees on the island of Tarawa, a coral atoll and the capital of Kiribati. She is desperate to become a fully qualified Magic Spinner and needs help to take a journey back in time in a magic flying canoe.

THE MOON: is a young, yet wise character who watches carefully over Kinoia and adventurers. Through rhymes, she narrates along the way with magical knowing and curious observation. 

THE SPIRITS: there are four spirits who protect the island of Neiko.

Spirit of the Lagoon side: Surrounded by turquoise water, the first Spirit of the island is strong, and a little bit bossy. Her voice undulates like a canoe on the water, her joyful character is infectious, and her laugh is never far away. Like a Frigate bird, the Spirit of the Lagoon harnesses the power of the wind.

Spirit of the South:  Suspicious of tricksters, sometimes a little jealous and cranky, the Spirit of the South is a stern protector of Neiko. She is direct and commanding and expects visitors to introduce themselves and follow the rituals of the island. With the power to turn people into stone, she will only do so to the visitors who do not show respect for the land. But if you do respect the land? She will give you encouragement, thoughtful advice and look out for you along your journey. 

Spirit of the Ocean side: With its fast-moving water, the Spirit of the Ocean Side is the strongest of them all. Slithery, slippery and eel-like, she relies on her sense of smell to work out what people are like and while she is helpful, she is also a bit of a trickster!

Spirit of the North:  Found near the beautiful clear ocean waters, the fourth guardian of Neiko, the wise and level-headed Spirit of the North is kind, encouraging and values honesty. Deeply respected by her sister Spirits, the Spirit of the North holds the power to grant visitors their final welcome to Neiko. She loves singing about the moon and swimming in the deep waters and knows so much about the fish and sea life that live there.

ADVENTURERS:  That would be you! You are the crew on Nei Kinoia’s flying canoe that will take her to the island of Neiko to visit the spirits and help her become a magic spinner.

While there are multiple themes threaded throughout the story of ‘The Flying Canoe’, the themes are intertwined, just like the strands of coconut fibre Kiribati women use to make rope to hold the canoes together.

WE USE THE THINGS WE HAVE IN REACH

Kiribati people have a strong connection to the environment. Drawing on generations-old traditional skills,

People in Kiribati use the things they have within their reach to sustainably and resourcefully create all that they need for daily life including building, fishing, play and dancing.

STRANGERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

With community at the heart of Kiribati culture, strangers are always welcome.

On arrival, guests are greeted with a welcome ritual that teaches visitors how to enter Kiribati culture with respect and be a good guest during their stay.

WE ARE SURROUNDED BY OCEAN

People from Kiribati have an enduring relationship with the ocean. It is their livelihood, and fosters community, self-sufficiency and resilience. The remoteness of Kiribati and the prevalence of water allow for exploration and adventure, and the surroundings help guide Kiribati people as they navigate their journey.

KIRIBATI SINGING IS THE BEST SOUND IN THE WORLD

Kiribati singing is the best sound in the world. Immensely proud of their identity, customs, language and culture, song is vital to the Kiribati people’s way of life to share stories and distinguish their identity.

Song and dance also connect Kiribati communities to their homeland when they have moved away.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Community is fundamental to Kiribati culture; everyone is valued and no one ever left behind.

Everything happens in Kiribati with the support of others, and each person has a role to play within the community and their family.

THE CANOE

Surrounded by ocean and made of up 32 coral atolls and 1 raised coral island and canoes are vital to the day-to-day livelihood, travel and sustenance of Kiribati people and recognise the resilience of Kiribati people and their inherent skills as master navigators.

Traditionally and precisely built from natural resources at hand, canoes are also historically and culturally important. They symbolise the significant role each member of the canoe and the Kiribati community play and that no one is ever left behind.

SPINNING MAGIC

Central to Kiribati customs, magic pays respect to the laws of the land. Magic is a sacred and special skill and knowledge that is passed down through family blood lines, and each family has their own magic speciality.

While not everyone in Kiribati learns magic, everyone respects and knows that magic is part of community life.

Magic could be used to read the weather, in childbirth or to understand someone’s illness.

The magic spinning used in ‘The Flying Canoe’ is not real magic but a representation of how magic is used in Kiribati, and more like how we might use a game like Rock, Paper, Scissors to choose who will go first in a game.

FOUNDATION: role, focus and movement

YEAR 1-2: role, situation, focus, movement and space

YEAR 3-4: role, situation, focus, movement, space, language, place and relationships

YEAR 5-6: role, situation, focus, movement, space, language, place, relationships, time and tension

RELATIONAL THEATRE

• blurs the lines between audience and actor

• participants relate to each other throughout every part of the adventure

IMMERSIVE THEATRE

• invites participants to step inside the action and outside the action

• allows participants to immerse themselves experientially in the action

• performed in a space that connects with participants, rather than being performed in a traditional theatre space

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM V9

GENERAL CAPABILITIES

• Critical and creative thinking

• Intercultural Understanding

• Literacy

CROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITIES

• Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

Knowing Asia and its diversity

AAK1: People of the Asia region are diverse in background, experiences, stories, religions, beliefs and perspectives.

Growing Asia-Australia engagement

AAG1: Australia’s developing and deepening relationships with the peoples of Asia influence both mutual understandings and expressions of citizenship and culture nationally, regionally and globally.

• Sustainability

Systems

SS2: Sustainable patterns of living require the responsible use of resources, maintenance of clear air, water and soils and preservation or restoration of healthy environments.

'The Flying Canoe' is a Threshold experience created by Marita Davies, Lucy Harris, Zoë Barry, Tahli Corin & Sarah Lockwood.

It features the voices of Bobby Macumber, Teaote Burabura Davies and Matari McKenna as well as performances by members of the Kiribati community in Victoria. It was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung People, in Kyneton.

Cultural consultation for the audio experience was provided by Teaote Burabura Davies, Cassandra Walton & Katerina Teaiwa.

The educational resources have been created by Melissa Newton-Turner with support from the Kiribati Ministry of Education and the Kiribati Teachers College.

Additional photography and videography provided by Victor Itaea. 

>CLICK HERE< for more information about the creative team.