On Wednesday 22 October, I emailed a survey to a bunch of theatre-makers who make work for young people. The very same day I received a flood of responses. People were keen to talk about pay, conditions and perception for those working in kids' shows, but only under anonymity. Many were afraid that if named, they’d be blacklisted. These creatives all want to continue spreading wonder, belly laughs and inspiration. They all want to fix a broken industry. And frankly, the future depends on it.

But things aren’t looking so peachy. Since 2022 we’ve seen the closures of Capital E, Little Dog Barking, Tim Bray, Young and Hungry, and Creatives in Schools. The responses are heartbreaking, and they are damning.

Here are the themes that came through:

Bad, inequitable pay

75% have been hired to work on a professional kids’ show at a much lower rate than the same company paid for the same job on an adult show.

Two-tier resourcing and standards

80% have heard industry professionals say "it's just a kids’ show" and deliberately work to a lower/less rigorous standard because it "didn't matter".
 

“We had to use props and costumes from a past production. The props were in such a poor state they were falling apart from the first day and the actors had to fix regularly on the road between shows. On tour for the same company, no one had thought of putting tools or a first aid kit in the van. It was the opposite experience working on their mainstage at night”
– Artist 6

A lack of acknowledgement and celebration

I asked if people had ever had an opening show celebration for a kids show season – as is standard for the opening performance of an adult show season (speeches, drinks, invited guests, formal acknowledgement). 90% have never had one, unless they organised it themselves. 

There were a couple of good eggs that deserve a shout out:

“Taki Rua Productions do a special showing of a new tamariki play and have a kai and kōrero post performance. Tim Bray (RIP) had a gala night.”

– Artist 9

A love of creating for children

I asked the practitioners what the best things about working on kids’ shows are. It seems much of it is the kids themselves – an honest and joyous audience. 

“The audience. The amount of joy and energy and enthusiasm and life changing awe we get from doing our art and that visceral reaction you don’t often get with an adult audience.”
– Artist 16

“Creating high quality work for the most gratifying audience in the world. As a parent, access to great quality children's theatre at an accessible price was a highlight of the little years!”
– Artist 12

“Kids will be the most honest audience you get. For many you are the first live theatre they've ever seen. You will learn more from one kids' show than you probably will from three "grown up" shows. Mostly non-tangible rewards, sadly.”
– Artist 11

“The kids joy. The camaraderie. Devising.”
– Artist 8

“Some of the best laughs in the rehearsal room for me have been while creating shows for kids. Getting to play with adults in a child like way is pure joy.”
– Artist 3

Poor conditions and bad pay keep people from creating more kids’ shows

Almost every creative interviewed – and these are some of our top artists by the way, across all disciplines of theatre – would love to be able to work in more children’s shows. For all of them, it came down to the poor conditions and bad pay.

“Nowhere else in my career has artistic work been treated as such a low priority.”
– Artist 19

“The sideeye from other people in my industry who know me in my adult roles and don’t understand why I would ‘stoop’ to children’s theatre.”
– Artist 16

“Quarter the budget but triple the workload.”
– Artist 14

“Being an afterthought... or not being thought of at all... We'd need laundry done, or props fixed, or questions answered. That often wouldn't happen because we'd arrive after staff had gone and be on the road again before staff started. 3 show days at different schools, some days no time to eat.”
– Artist 10

“The stigma”
– Artist 6

The context

The problems we’re facing aren’t new – Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa was set up in 2017 to address many of these issues. They are doing the best they can to support the sector with very limited resources, but things just seem to be getting harder. 

Look, no one is expecting wealth or glamour, but companies are dropping like flies, while large funded organisations offer less money for more work. We are ignoring the single most important long-term investment we have, while exploiting the most passionate creatives. And now, five key organisations are gone.

TIMELINE OF DOOM

2022: Young and Hungry closed after 28 years of youth theatre programmes and touring.

2023: National Theatre for Children (Capital E) closed after 29 years of touring across the country.

2024: Tim Bray Theatre Company closed after 33 years of professional children’s theatre)

2024: Creatives in Schools closed after five years of great success engaging over 63,000 students (as of December 2023) and employing hundreds of professional artists.

2025: Little Dog Barking closed after 15 years creating internationally recognised kids’ shows.

What could the future hold?

There are heaps of us still out there, slogging away with aroha and care. I asked the artists who they think deserves a shout out for valuing the work of kids shows and the people who make them. Everyone who got at least two nominations is below. But if nothing changes, how many will still exist in 2030?

Duffy Books in Homes

Te Rēhia Theatre company

Taki Rua Productions

The KaRs

Barbarian Productions

Company of Giants

NZ Playhouse

Kidzstuff

Rollicking Entertainment*

Birdlife Productions

Cubbin Theatre

Rutene Spooner

Trick of the Light

Dr Kerryn Palmer

*Yes this is my company! But people shouted us out, so I’m taking it

Two creatives working in Australia who responded to the survey described a polar opposite experience over there – where work for children is respected, well paid, and valued.

“Big Picture: unlike my experience in NZ, work for young people in Aus is taken seriously - this is reflected in the pay, the way it is spoken about and the rigour that all contractors and permanent company staff approach it with. Children’s theatre is work to nurture minds, build tomorrow's audiences and to ensure the art form is accessible and does not die.”
– Artist 2

Final words

I was all set to explain why work for children matters, but the theatre makers interviewed were waaaaaayyyy ahead of me. 

“Trying not to sound creepy, but we are grooming the future theatregoers of our nation. They NEED to get bitten by the bug of loving the arts, so we NEED to be showing them good work.”
– Artist 13

“I still remember being mesmerised by a touring play at about age 7. It's formative stuff.”
– Artist 9

“Kids shows are the hardest, as kids are free of bullshit.”
– Artist 7

“It’s very important, kids theatre- we are training the audience of the future.”
– Artist 15

“I think everyone creating for tamariki in Aotearoa deserves a shout out and a medal of perseverance.”
– Artist 14

We, the people who make theatre for the young, are calling for an urgent shift; where arts festivals and production houses give shows for children the same respect as those for adults. The 2023 census showed 18.7% of our population is under the age of 14. Artistic Directors and boards- what percentage of your programme is for them? What kind of experience do the artists who work those kids’ shows have? Are they paid less than those who work your adult shows? 

I don’t think anyone is devaluing this work on purpose- it’s an inherited prejudice. But you know what’s great about those? Once you can see it, you can change it.

The Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa hui for everyone who works with/for young people is happening this weekend. IT’S FREE!

Lizzie Tollemache is a theatre maker, variety artist and Creative Director of Rollicking Entertainment, which tells original New Zealand stories, weaving interactive theatre with circus and illusion. Rollicking shows have toured seven countries as well as multiple seasons at Circa, The Court Theatre, Centrepoint, World Buskers Festival, and dozens of arts festivals. Her celebrated works for children aged 3 to 8 include Messy Magic Adventure and Kitchen Chaos. She is an in-demand freelancer throughout Australasia: acting, directing and devising for theatre, cabaret and youth companies.