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Glass Child

The Farm

Glass Child is a poignantly revealing depiction of the sibling relationship between Kayah, a young man with Down Syndrome and his sister Maitreyah. Expressed through dance, theatre and storytelling Glass Child highlights their connection and how their lives have been affected by other people’s perceptions.

The term ‘Glass Child’ refers to the sibling of someone with special needs who often becomes a facilitator in the family, someone who is “looked through”. Kayah is Maitreyah’s oldest brother & was born with Down Syndrome. Throughout their lives Maitreyah has watched him be left out, ridiculed or ignored without understanding why. Glass Child puts a microscope on their love and how their relationship has grown. It questions how the rest of us behave when we find the difference we inevitably look for. It asks us to examine why we search for difference when we share so much in common.

The sibling relationship is best expressed through the words of the lead performers Maitreyah and Kayah Guenther.

“Kayah is a brother of blood, but also a friend I rely on to lift my spirits. Down Syndrome carries many challenges for him, but it gifts him a love that is truly majestic, he sees spiritual beauty in places where I do not, which in itself gives him a strength I will only know through him” – Maitreyah Guenther

“When Maitreyah was a little girl and fell over I would help her up and now she helps me up. I want people to see inside me and Maitreyah, the love, frustration, anger and the flower I have for her.” – Kayah Guenther

Credits

At The Farm work is made in a collaborative process where everyone brings their expertise without being confined to it. All animals are equal.

Created by
Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther, Kate Harman and Gavin Webber

Performed by
Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther

Co-Directed by
Kate Harman and Gavin Webber

Set and Costume Designer
Rozina Suliman

Light Designer
Chloe Ogilvie

Composer and Sound Designer
Anna Whittaker

With special thanks to Suzie Miller for her script mentorship and consultation.

Information for Presenters

Performing Lines is working with The Farm to further develop Glass Child and make the work ready to tour.

Glass Child is available for presentation in Australia and internationally. Please get in touch for more information and to start a conversation.

Vanessa Wright Senior Producer

Presentation History

2021
Home of The Arts
Gold Coast, QLD

Project Partners & Acknowledgements

Glass Child has been supported by HOTA Home of the Arts and the City of Gold Coast through HOTA’s Creative Development Program. The Farm is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

The Farm is funded by the City of Gold Coast, produced by Performing Lines and is home company at HOTA.

In everything we do, we acknowledge that we live on Aboriginal land and constantly learn from the wisdom of First Peoples.

Where we are and the history that precedes us informs how we work and how we move forward.