The company is dedicated to crafting original stories that bridge generations, inspiring young people and bringing their talent to the forefront.
“As educators, Chris and I have witnessed first-hand the transformative power of self-expression, creativity and collaboration,” Ms Napier said.
“It’s about providing opportunities, celebrating individuality, curiosity and belonging to a community where creativity can blossom.
“It’s about more than performances, it’s about the discovery process, the laughter of shared experiences and the joy of seeing a vision come to life. It’s about the journey.”
They’re kicking off their journey with an original production by Ms Napier and Mr Dainton, Our Climbing Tree.
“Starting with an image of my son George in a tree in the backyard, we developed the story and the characters collaboratively,” Mr Dainton said.
“There are seven original songs that we’ve recorded locally with talented sound technician James Mustey.
“The story aims to capture the essence of kids’ experience in nature, but also how different generations share in that sense of adventure.”
The production is open to children aged 10 to 15.
Ms Napier said that the theatre community was strong, but the youngsters may have been forgotten.
“Shepparton has such a strong arts community, and we know there has been amazing work in youth theatre here,” she said.
“We just wanted to play our little part in that and add something different to the mix that allows young performers to collaborate on original work that’s written for them.
“We used to be these kids, and we benefited from our teachers showing us the way. It’s our turn to play that part now.
“Chris and I have been so grateful for the support of people in the community already.”
The pair have found working together the key component of the production group.
“Collaboration has been the key for us,” Ms Napier said.
“Chris and I work well when we combine our strengths and complement each other in that space.
“We both value the importance of creativity and curiosity in learning, we continually challenge each other to keep searching.”
Mr Dainton echoed her comments, saying that each of them couldn’t do it without the other.
“With Danae’s background in dance, literature and psychology and my knowledge of theatre, music and business, we found a real synergy in combining our skills,” Mr Dainton said.
“Both of us being in educational leadership also meant that we were really clear about wanting to empower young people and to create that safe space for them to express their ideas.
“(Russian theatre director Konstantin) Stanislavski talks about finding the art in yourself, not yourself in the art — that helps drive our work.”
Our Climbing Tree is their first production, but it certainly won’t be their last.
“We have big plans for 2025 at A Little Messy Productions, which includes theatre, music, storytelling, collaboration and more,” Ms Napier said.
“We are planning to facilitate a series of writing workshops in 2025 that allows young writers and performers to take their ideas from conception through to realisation.
“We currently have two other scripts nearing completion that will engage performers aged eight to 18.
“In the future, we also hope to collaborate with local community groups who have stories to tell.”
Enrolments for the Summer Youth Theatre Intensive program, which culminates with a performance of Our Climbing Tree, are open and can be made at tinyurl.com/yykj6nzt
To check out A Little Messy Productions, head to its Facebook page or email alittlemessyprod@gmail.com
The company’s first production will premiere on Wednesday, January 22.
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