The Venetian Ladies – Elegance. Enchantment. Enigma.

The Venetian Ladies are a hypnotic trio of roving performers who bring to life the exquisite beauty and mystery of Venice’s golden age. Clad in opulent baroque costumes and adorned with exquisitely hand-crafted Venetian masks, these regal figures glide through events like living artworks – statuesque, graceful, and utterly captivating.

Inspired by the rich traditions of Venetian masquerade culture, 18th-century pageantry, and the theatricality of Carnevale di Venezia, The Venetian Ladies embody the spirit of romance, secrecy, and transformation. Their performances are entirely non-verbal, inviting audiences to step into a silent world where every turn of the head, lift of the hand, and rustle of silk tells a story.

Through elegant gesture, poised choreography, and entrancing stillness, they draw viewers into a realm where imagination reigns – a dreamlike encounter with beauty and mystery.

Perfect for:

• Outdoor festivals and evening events
• School cultural celebrations and parades
• Museum/gallery events
• Formal galas or masquerade balls
• Arts curriculum engagements

Their presence can transform any space into a living Renaissance painting, adding a sense of theatre, grandeur, and wonder.

Australian Curriculum Connections – Grades P–12

The Venetian Ladies offer unique educational opportunities across The Arts (Drama, Visual Arts, and Dance), Humanities, and General Capabilities such as Intercultural Understanding, Critical and Creative Thinking, and Ethical Understanding.

P– YEAR 2

Drama (ACARA):

• Explore role and dramatic action in dramatic play, improvisation and process drama.
  ➤ Students engage in roleplay inspired by masked characters, exploring mystery and movement without words.

Visual Arts:

• Explore ideas, experiences and observations through visual arts practices.
  ➤ Create Venetian-style masks using mixed media, feathers, and gold leaf techniques.

General Capabilities:

• Intercultural Understanding: Introduction to Italian cultural traditions like Carnevale and masked performance.
• Personal & Social Capability: Working collaboratively to explore identity through mask and costume.

YEARS 3–6

Drama:

• Develop performance skills and understanding of theatrical conventions.
  ➤ Explore how status and story can be conveyed through gesture, space, and stillness.

Dance:

• Perform dances using expressive skills to communicate ideas, including dances from different cultures.
  ➤ Use baroque music and movement patterns to explore controlled choreography and elegant posture.

Visual Arts:

• Investigate the use of visual conventions in artworks from different cultures, including forms of traditional European art.
  ➤ Students research Venetian costume history, sketch designs, and create their own masked identities.

HASS:

• Explore significant cultural traditions and celebrations around the world.
  ➤ Learn about Carnevale, its historical roots, and modern interpretations.

General Capabilities:

• Ethical Understanding: Discussions around identity, secrecy, and transformation.
• Critical & Creative Thinking: Symbolism in costume and mask as storytelling tools.

YEARS 7–10

Drama:

• Analyse and evaluate how the elements of drama are manipulated to communicate meaning.
  ➤ Explore how The Venetian Ladies use silence, slow-motion, gesture, and ensemble composition to affect the audience.
• Practise and refine expressive skills in movement and physical theatre.
  ➤ Workshops can explore non-verbal character development and mask technique.

Visual Arts:

• Explore visual representations of cultural identity in traditional and contemporary European art.
  ➤ Students design their own masked persona with an artist statement and research influences from Renaissance art and masquerade traditions.

Dance:

• Analyse how choreographers use elements of dance and production elements to communicate meaning.
  ➤ Investigate how poise, timing, and synchronicity are used to heighten impact in slow, deliberate performance.

English:

• Analyse how authors (and performers) use language, structure, and multimodal elements to influence audience response.
  ➤ Examine symbolism and mood through visual performance – how do costumes, colour, and mask shape story?

General Capabilities:

• Intercultural Understanding: Deep dive into Italian Renaissance and Carnevale culture.
• Critical & Creative Thinking: Analysing character without dialogue; interpreting story through body and space.

 SENIOR YEARS 11–12 (Drama / Arts in Practice / Dance / Visual Arts – QLD Context)

Drama:

• Engage with European theatrical styles including Renaissance and mask traditions.
  ➤ Analyse and respond to site-specific, non-verbal theatre in public space; reflect on the role of spectacle and aesthetics in audience engagement.

Arts in Practice:

• Plan, produce and present artworks using materials, techniques and processes that support a design brief.
  ➤ Develop a design for a masked trio, exploring costume construction, mask symbolism, and choreographed presence.

Dance:

• Use movement and composition to explore historical and cultural dance forms.
  ➤ Adapt baroque-inspired stylised movement into contemporary dance explorations of control, elegance, and form.

Visual Arts:

• Create resolved artworks that communicate meaning, informed by research and visual investigation.
  ➤ Students explore the iconography of Venetian mask-making, combining past and present aesthetics into personal works.

General Capabilities:

• Ethical Understanding: Consider identity, disguise, and presentation of self – What does it mean to hide or reveal who we are?
• Personal and Social Capability: Performance builds confidence, teamwork, and spatial awareness in public performance contexts.

Optional Add-Ons for Schools and Education Providers

• Non-verbal movement workshops (gesture, group awareness, and presence)