Accessible, Intimate, Transportable
A concept by Michelle Heaven and Ben Cobham presented by Restless Dance Theatre – a groundbreaking project combining performance, research, and advocacy to promote arts in health. Directed by choreographer Michelle Heaven and featuring Restless Dance Theatre, The Lensical reimagines the intersection of live performance and immersive art, creating intimate dance-theatre experiences for audiences in hospitals. Bespoke design by Ben Cobham will transform patient rest areas into intimate sanctuaries for boutique performances that enhance the viewer experience and provide reprieve from the hospital environment. Each uplifting short work will be crafted to emotionally resonate with diverse audiences, celebrate performing arts and support patient health and well-being.
Concept by Michelle Heaven and Ben Cobham presented and performed by Restless Dance Theatre
Director Michelle Heaven
Design Ben Cobham
Creative Producer the late, great, Roz Hervey
Performers Restless Dance Theatre Company Dancers
Rehearsal Director Larissa McGowan
Costume Renate Henschke
Logistics & Production Management Paula Beckett
Consultants Jill Newman, Trish Hansen & Lauren Simeoni
Composer Darrin Verhagen
Graphics & Art Direction Nick Lewis Design
Printing & Prototypes Bambra Press
Restless Dance Theatre
Artistic Director Michelle Ryan
Chief Executive Officer Julie Moralee
The Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Arts in Health program creates an interactive and vibrant hospital environment that improves the health and wellbeing of women, children, and their families under the care of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network. Through art, play, dance, music, and literature, we encourage curiosity and creativity to reduce the stress and anxiety of being in hospital, provide moments of calm in a busy health environment and use creative approaches to healthcare and wellbeing.
Based at Flinders Medical Centre, the Arts in Health Program exists to bring arts and culture to healthcare across Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN). Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) is the southern area’s major public hospital with over 900 beds and provides medical services for people living in the southern metropolitan area Adelaide.
Michelle Heaven is a choreographer, performer, and Play Therapist. Her performance career spans working nationally and internationally with artists and companies such as Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Helen Herbertson, Leigh Warren, Phillip Adams, Sandra Parker, Sue Healey, Polyglot Theatre, Victorian Opera, Ben Cobham (Bluebottle), and Walter Dunderville (N.Y.). Her independent work has been presented at Melbourne Festival, Beijing Dance Festival, Dance Massive, The Substation and Castlemaine State Festival. Michelle has been commissioned to make a new work for Dance North. She is a Helpmann Award nominee, multiple Australian Dance Award nominee and recipient of several Victorian Green Room Awards. Michelle is also the 2024 recipient of the Australian Children’s Theatre Fund Fellowship. Creating and dancing alongside others enriches Michelle’s life as does her therapeutic work with children and families.
Ben Cobham’s design work has been a striking and influential contribution to the arts scene in Australia since 1991. He has worked as lead designer supporting multiple disciplines including music, theatre, visual art, and dance. Years of investigation, research, and creative contribution forms the foundation upon which he continues to build. Ben is known for combining light and form in innovative ways, striving to invent new formats and create striking outcomes that challenge and excite. As co-director of the company, bluebottle, Ben’s experience encompasses theatrical and commercial environments, local government and the business sector with work for galleries, museums, visitor centres, found architectural spaces, site-specific, and outdoor sites. Ben is a Sidney Myer Fellow and multiple award-winning artist and collaborator.
- Age Suitability: All ages
Thank you to the Restless Donor Circle.
