top of page

clients

“The original production you developed with our multi-age group of students was sensational.  It worked so well as you helped the students develop their collective voice - it was all about the group, rather than having a lead actor.  We would like to keep in touch, and appreciate your commitment to liaising with our school.” Lucy Garven - Assistant Principal, Canberra Grammar School, ACT

“The work to strengthen the prospects of our first nations people is the most important work for our generation. If not us, then who?  The students were highly engaged as they learnt about things they wouldn't normally encounter.” Karl Gunter - Principal, Laura State School, QLD

"Thank you so much for coming out to Carey.  The Year 6 teachers loved the program you ran with their students and are very interested in your coming again next year.  I look forward to seeing you in the future and possibly working with you again." Kellie Newbold - Assistant Principal, Carey Baptist College, WA

“Steve and Hannah Cooper’s RockSalt Arts program presented Indigenous sustainability and cultural intelligence in a fun and endearing manner and related it to our present choices regarding the environment. They were professional, creative and connected to students well. I would recommend their programs to any school (especially upper Primary-lower Secondary year levels) wishing to advance their students’ awareness of what sustainability meant to indigenous culture and what it means to us in the present.” Peter Connell - Principal, Endeavour Christian College, QLD

“it was delightful to see how much the students enjoyed this unique experience… great springboard for further discussion and reflection.” Scott Cousins, Acting Head of Junior School, Pacific Hills, Sydney, NSW

“Being able to draw things from the environment instead of being stuck in a classroom…we were actually there to see it.”
“Quite different from what we usually do – using sounds and body language.”
“Everybody contributed and it made sense – community and purpose.”
Yr 9 students, Wagga Wagga Christian College, NSW

Becoming Australian Performances

These performances have been well received at QVMAG (Launceston, Tas), Colbourne Ave (Glebe, NSW), Annandale Creative Arts Centre, Sydney Fringe dance event Platform Shorts 2014, The Poatina Tree Gallery (Tas), BlackStump Festival (NSW), Riverstone Arts Gathering (Vic), Faith and the Arts Summer School (Tas) and the 12th Australasian Permaculture Convergence 2015 in Penguin, Tasmania.

Testimonials

“By seeing your performance and then seeing the land through that lens, kids can recognise that after all these years there’s still evidence of cultural practises.  It’s wonderful that both of you can communicate through your artistic expressions - dance, music, song, imagery - to tell a story in a very clever way.” Aunty Patsy Cameron, Aboriginal Elder, Tomohawk, TAS

“It’s about a message that you’re giving from another perspective. We’ve been trying to do it and nobody takes any notice. Coming from someone outside us, that is really what’s so powerful about what you’re doing.” Aunty Gloria Andrews, Aboriginal Elder, St Helens, TAS

“In 1788 Aborigines used fire and no fire in complex and sophisticated ways to manage land and protect plants and animals. This performance finds the heart of that extraordinary system, and illustrates it simply and effectively. I think the old people would have been pleased.” Prof. Bill Gammage (ANU), Author of “The Biggest Estate On Earth”

“Steve and Hannah's playful interdisciplinary, interactive presentations are a pure delight, with a unique mix of dance, song, spoken word and audience participation. 

They bring such passion and clarity to the complex issues of land and ownership and colonialism and consumerism and sustainability, even to the youngest primary students – a true achievement. 

I only wish I had experienced this when I was young. I know I would've appreciated so

much more of aboriginal culture and learnt some of the broader implications of what it really means to live sustainably.  

I cannot recommend RockSalt Arts enough."  Cameron Semmens, award-winning poet, entertainer and poetry educator www.webcameron.com

“Hannah and Steve Cooper are highly articulate and astute artists whose creative works are entertaining and educational for all ages. They encourage their audiences to actively engage with the concepts present in their works - to ponder, to consider, to imagine, to create. Their program cleverly connects to the Australian Curriculum across learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities, while providing opportunities for students to experience The Arts in authentic and meaningful ways. I highly recommend Hannah and Steve and their program for any school context.”  Angela Pratt - choreographer and dance educator, QLD

“I found myself deeply touched, moved and informed by your performance. The fact that indigenous culture has remained strong and alive for more than 40,000 years is in strong measure due to the immersive and holistic expression of their relationship with the land through dance, voice and witnessed ritual. Your performance not only embodied the message but also the process.” Stuart Porteous, TQA Subject Coordinator, Tasman District School, TAS

bottom of page