THE FLYING CANOE is an interactive audio experience for families to do together that will transport them to the islands of Kiribati!
Featuring an oceanic soundscape that includes traditional Kiribati songs, families are invited to take a ride on the flying canoe and discover a world of myth and wonder.
Written by Marita Davies and featuring performances and artwork from artists from the Kiribati diaspora, ‘The Flying Canoe’ is the follow-up work to Threshold's internationally acclaimed 'Mountain Goat Mountain'.
‘The Flying Canoe' has been on quite a journey, and can be presented as:
an at-home experience for families
a hybrid version for venues & public spaces
in schools with curriculum aligned online resources
In every form, 'The Flying Canoe' is an interactive and embodied adventure that celebrates Kiribati culture and storytelling.
Take a listen to the original audio-theatre experience by clicking on the link below, or read about all the adventures ‘The Flying Canoe’ has gone on below.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
Following the success of the audio-theatre experience of ‘Mountain Goat Mountain’ which was featured in the New York Times and presented at over 30 festivals / venues across 7 countries we knew the next audio-theatre work had to be pretty special.
Writer Marita Davies has been a friend of Threshold since the beginning, and her writing about culture and family inspired us to cast our eyes beyond Australia, and support her to write a story about her home, Kiribati.
Supported by Regional Arts Victoria, we held a number of story and cultural workshops with Marita and her mother Teaote Burabura Davies as we worked out how best to create a story that was interactive, embodied and culturally appropriate.
Meanwhile, in partnership with the Victorian Kiribati Association, Threshold held a Kiribati Cultural Day in Kyneton - with performances by the Kiribati community living in Victoria at the time.
Recordings of the singing and dancing performed on the day form an integral part of the soundscape, giving 'The Flying Canoe' a dynamically Kiribati flavour.
The Kiribati Cultural Day was held at the Social Foundry, on the unceded land of the Taungurung people.
You can hear how the energy and rhythm of the live performances has informed the immersive soundscape in the following excerpt below.
AN AUDIO THEATRE
ADVENTURE…
‘The Flying Canoe’ follows the story of a cheeky and charming apprentice magic spinner, Nei Konoia - and invites families to join her on a journey that will take them 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 - as many Kiribati people do - 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 you and your family to fly it!
Together you’ll meet some sassy, salty spirits, fend off giant mud crabs, and dive into crystal blue waters. You’ll hear the sounds of Kiribati and hopefully, hopefully…you’ll help Kinoia become the magic spinner she was born to be!
Tia nako!
Let’s go!
A HYBRID STORYTIME
Following the success of the audio experience, Threshold worked with Marita Davies once again to adapt the original audio into a hybrid performance for families at Federation Square in April 2024.
Starring comedian Bobby Macumber as well as Kiribati dancers Michelle Walton and Katherine Maruia - the hybrid performance brought the audio to life!
Families entered through a purpose-built “airport lounge,” where they could find Kiribati on a magnetic map, name their canoe with the 13-letters in the Kiribati alphabet, and engage in hands-on activities.
The story unfolded through immersive sound, live performance, and large-scale visuals, culminating in Mauri Melbourne, a cultural gathering supported by the Victorian Kiribati Association bringing traditional dance and song to the heart of the city.
Footage of ‘The Flying Canoe’ storytime - from DreamBig Festival
AN EDUCATION EXCHANGE
In 2025, the creative team spent 2 weeks in Kiribati meeting and collaborating with local storytellers, educators and artists to develop educational resources that will transform ‘The Flying Canoe’ into a dynamic learning experience for primary school classrooms.
Through this exchange, the team documented traditional knowledge, including canoe building, rope making, and community customs, embedding them into the digital experience.
To date, 'The Flying Canoe' has drawn on the strength of the cultural knowledge held by Writer Marita Davies, and the Kiribati community in Australia. The creative team have worked in partnership with the Victorian Kiribati Association, to engage with workers in Australia as part of the PALM scheme since 2021. Over 4 years, the creative team has been slowly and consistently building a solid base from which to further develop the digital experience.
This next phase of the evolution of ‘The Flying Canoe’ expands the cultural exchange, fostering new partnerships with Kiribati artists, cultural leaders, educators and community members.
By co-developing cultural storytelling assets, the project ensures authentic representation and knowledge-sharing between both nations.
The Arts Centre Melbourne will support the launch of these educational resources through their schools program in 2026.
“Australian educational resources about Kiribati should come from Kiribati, and so we welcome Threshold and Marita Davies to work with the Kiribati Ministry of Education and DFAT to co-create these resources.”
Cassandra Walton - Kiribati Education Consultant, World Bank
Teaote Davies & Tahli Corin visit the Kiribati Teachers College
Creative team
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Marita Davies
Marita is a proud Kiribati & Australian woman, a Marakei and Tabiteuea North descendant, who is passionate about supporting the stories and cultural knowledge of Pasifika.
Through creative essays, blog posts and articles Marita has explored themes of Kiribati culture, gender equality, racism, education and climate change. Marita honours her ancestors with the knowledge that geographical location does not hinder the creativity that can be unlocked. Stories and the way that they are told, is how we connect. In the end, stories are all we have.
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Teaote Davies
Teaote is an unaine - a Kiribati cultural elder. Teacher, translator and storyteller, Teaote mentors students and organisations on Kiribati culture - recently consulting to Melbourne Museum for their Pasifika exhibition.
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Lucy Harris
Lucy is a British / I-Kiribati Artist & Designer from the UK. She creates and designs original artworks inspired by aspects of her life and places around her. The main subjects of her work are people and nature as well as influences from her Pacific Island heritage. Working with a hands-on approach, Lucy uses processes such as painting, printmaking and collage, portraying her work through a bold and simple style.
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ASPR Katerina Teaiwa
Katerina is of Banaban, I-Kiribati and African American heritage born and raised in Fiji. She is Associate Professor of Pacific Studies and Deputy Director - Higher Degree Research Training in the School of Culture, History and Language.
She was founder and convener of the Pacific Studies teaching program at ANU 2007-2015, Head of Gender, Media and Cultural Studies and founder of the Pasifika Australia Outreach Program.
Katerina has a background in contemporary Pacific dance and was a founding member of the Oceania Dance Theatre at the University of the South Pacific.
She is currently a practising visual artist with an ongoing research-based exhibition "Project Banaba" originally commissioned by Carriageworks, Sydney, and curated by Yuki Kihara.
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Zoë Barry
Zoë is an award winning cellist, composer, theatre maker and educator. Her practice is devised and collaborative, drawing on composition, sound design, writing, performing and directing. Her work explores liminal spaces, the politics of slowness, repetition, noticing, the void, disturbance and amplifying quiet voices.
Zoë is a member of The Letter String Quartet and Iranian trio Dafta Avaal, and records and performs regularly with a wide range of ensembles and bands. She composes for theatre, dance, film, ensembles and gallery commissions. Zoë is currently creating a solo work about lightning and mesmerism through Arts House’ CultureLab and The Lucid Art Foundation.
Zoë is the recipient of the 2021 Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Of The Year Award for her work with Harmony in Strings at Sacred Heart Primary.
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Bobby Macumber
Bobby Macumber is a radio broadcaster on RRR’s 102.7FM Breakfasters, a stand up comedian and a cricket commentator.
She’s made audiences laugh across the country at Festival’s including Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe, Brisbane Comedy Club as well as performed five solo shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Bobby has commentated the Women’s Big Bash League over the last three years and you may have seen her entertaining crowd’s on the big screen at the MCG as Cricket Australia’s Match Day Host for all international cricket matches over the summer.
'The Flying Canoe' is a Threshold experience created by Marita Davies, Lucy Harris, Zoë Barry, Tahli Corin and Sarah Lockwood.
It features the voices of Bobby Macumber, Teaote Burabura Davies and Matari Davies as well as performances from members of the Kiribati diaspora living and working in Victoria. Cultural consultation from Teaote Burabura Davies and Katerina Teaiwa.
THE FLYING CANOE was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung People and developed with the support of Multicultural Arts Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria and the Victorian Kiribati Association.
Thanks to Commissioning Partners
Dream Big, Adelaide Festival Centre and ArtPlay, City of Melbourne
The educational exchange has been proudly supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Arts Centre Melbourne.
