THE BUBBLE CANTEEN
Venue: School Oval

An Outdoor Celebration of Joy, Connection, and Whole-School Wellbeing

OVERVIEW

The Bubble Canteen is a spectacular open-air, visual installation that transforms your school oval into a shimmering landscape of floating bubbles, sensory wonder, and shared delight. With up to 20,000 bubbles released per minute, this magical experience is not a typical performance or incursion — it is a whole-school activation that encourages imagination, movement, connection, and mental wellness through non-verbal, inclusive engagement.

Designed for all ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds, The Bubble Canteen is a powerful invitation to pause, play, breathe, and belong. Whether you’re 5 or 85, a Prep student or a school principal, the work fosters spontaneous joy, curiosity, and reflection — without the pressure of performance or formal instruction.

HOW IT WORKS

The experience is guided by three eccentric and endearing Irish sisters — Beryl, Annie, and Fredia — who welcome visitors into the world of The Bubble Canteen. Dressed in vintage finery and full of gentle mischief, they maintain the space, stir the bubbles, and connect with participants non-verbally through gesture, character play, and humour.

Participants are free to wander, chase, observe, lie down, run, laugh, dance, or simply marvel. There is no “audience” — only participants and playmates. It is an invitation to reconnect with self, community, the senses, and nature.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Prep to Year 12 Students – Structured learning and spontaneous exploration
Educators & Staff – Embodied wellbeing and connection through play
School Leaders – Celebrate your community and wellbeing culture
Parents, Carers & Elders – Intergenerational joy and accessible engagement
Neurodiverse Learners & EAL/D Students – No language required, just wonder

CURRICULUM LINKS: FOUNDATION – YEAR 12

Foundation – Year 2

• The Arts
  ➤ Experiment with movement and visual arts in open space (ACAVAM106, ACADRM027)
  ➤ Explore sensory experiences and respond through drawing, music, or verbal storytelling
• HPE
  ➤ Identify and express feelings through physical play (ACPPS003)
  ➤ Recognise body reactions to exercise, joy, and exploration (ACPMP008)
• English
  ➤ Create simple texts and drawings based on experience (ACELY1651, ACELT1575)
• Science
  ➤ Observe and describe air, water, and materials in action (ACSSU002, ACSHE013)

Years 3–6

• The Arts
  ➤ Respond to installation as performance art and explore personal creative responses (ACADRM033, ACAVAM110)
  ➤ Reflect on space, colour, shape and emotional tone through visual and performance art
• HPE
  ➤ Understand how emotions influence actions and how physical activity promotes mental wellbeing (ACPPS040, ACPMP046)
• English
  ➤ Compose imaginative narratives, poetry, or reflection pieces inspired by sensory experience (ACELT1607, ACELY1694)
• Science
  ➤ Investigate bubble-making through properties of matter and chemical mixtures (ACSSU074, ACSIS064)
  ➤ Explore light, colour, and air pressure through real-time observation

Years 7–10

• The Arts
  ➤ Evaluate how immersive and ephemeral art forms communicate meaning (ACADRR046, ACAVAR117)
  ➤ Explore site-specific installation and create devised responses (ACADRM049)
• HPE
  ➤ Investigate how creative group activity contributes to social and emotional wellbeing (ACPPS073, ACPMP105)
  ➤ Explore mindfulness and presence through movement in natural spaces
• English
  ➤ Analyse and interpret symbolism, metaphor, and emotional tone in response to non-verbal stimulus (ACELT1635, ACELY1742)
  ➤ Create reflective and creative texts inspired by personal interaction with the space
• Science
  ➤ Understand surface tension, air pressure, and chemical processes in soap mixtures (ACSSU113, ACSHE119)
  ➤ Apply physics and optics to understand reflection, refraction, and light spectrum

 Years 11–12

• Drama & Visual Arts
  ➤ Explore ephemeral, non-verbal, site-based performance and immersive design
  ➤ Engage in critical discussion on participatory arts and public installations
• English
  ➤ Use personal experience as stimulus for poetic, persuasive, or narrative writing
  ➤ Reflect on form, symbolism, and meaning in non-traditional texts
• Health & Wellbeing / HPE
  ➤ Apply positive psychology, mindfulness, and movement strategies to reduce stress
  ➤ Analyse the role of community arts in promoting holistic health
• Science (Physics/Chemistry)
  ➤ Link chemical reactions and surface phenomena to real-world engagement
  ➤ Explore temporary and renewable scientific phenomena (gas dispersion, viscosity, light interference)

GENERAL CAPABILITIES

• Critical and Creative Thinking
  ➤ Encourage open-ended questioning, creative responses, and spatial reasoning
• Personal and Social Capability
  ➤ Foster belonging, kindness, play, and emotional safety through shared experience
• Ethical Understanding
  ➤ Explore fairness, access, and equity through a universally inclusive space
• Intercultural Understanding
  ➤ Build community across language, age, and ability with a common emotional experience
• Literacy & Numeracy
  ➤ Engage in observation, reflection, vocabulary development, pattern recognition, and scientific estimation

 FOR EDUCATORS, STAFF & SCHOOL LEADERS

 Staff Wellbeing & Connection

• An invitation for teachers and staff to slow down, step out of routine, and reconnect through joy
• Supports positive school culture, workplace mental health, and collective celebration

Teacher-Led Creative Extension

• Build classroom activities post-event: reflective journals, bubble-making science, movement sequences, or poetic responses
• Foster cross-faculty collaboration in Arts, Science, HPE, and English

School Leaders & Community Builders

• Use the event to launch school wellbeing frameworks or celebrate end-of-term events
• Highlight school values: inclusion, creativity, connection, and care

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Parents, Carers, and Elders

• Accessible, joyful, and free of intimidation — perfect for engaging families in school life
• Build community pride, inclusion, and intergenerational experience through co-participation

Whole-School Celebrations

• Ideal for school festivals, Harmony Day, Book Week, Health & Wellbeing Weeks, or End-of-Year Events

Customisation Available

• Can be adapted for sensory-specific times (quiet sessions), all-school rollout, or staggered cohort visits
• Suitable for all school types: metro, regional, special education, and alternative schools

WHY IT WORKS

• Language-Free = Barrier-Free – Everyone can join in. No instructions, no pressure, no prerequisites.
• Ephemeral Magic = Lasting Impact – It’s fleeting, beautiful, and unforgettable. Students and staff alike talk about it for weeks.
• Play = Power – In every bubble is a possibility: connection, expression, and joy.

 OPTIONAL ADD-ONS

• Teacher Resource Pack (linked to ACARA): Pre- and post-visit activities
• Wellbeing Reflection Journal Prompts
• Classroom Bubble Kits: DIY science/art extensions
• Community Open Bubble Hour: Invite parents/carers to join

DAY & NIGHT VERSIONS

Day Version
Perfect for sunny days, allowing visitors to see the bubbles glisten and dance in the daylight. An ideal attraction for families and children, creating a playful and enchanting atmosphere.

Night Version
This version transforms The Bubble Canteen into a dazzling spectacle, with illuminated bubbles that glow in the dark, creating a magical experience – perfect for evening events and adds  wonder to nighttime festivities.

PAST AND CURRENT TOURS

• The North Australia Festival of Arts Townsville, QLD – 2025
• Cairns Festival, QLD – Return Season – 2025
• The Rockhampton River Festival, QLD – Return Season – 2025
• SPARKS Festival Ipswich, QLD – 2025
• The Berry Festival – Stanthorpe, QLD – 2024​
• The Bunbury Arts Centre, WA – 2024
• The Awesome Festival for Bright Young Things, WA – 2024
• Cairns Festival, QLD – 2024
• The Rockhampton River Festival, QLD – 2024
• The Mackay Festival of Arts, QLD – 2024
• The Red Earth Arts Festival Karratha, WA – 2024
• The 2024 Freemantle International Festival of Street Arts, WA – 2024
• Brisbane Festival, QLD – 2023

THE CREATIVE TEAM

• Creator: Clint Bolster
• Creative Consultants: Frans Vogels & Chae Lindeman
• Producer: The Mask Family
• Performers: Clint Bolster, Frans Vogels, Chae Lindeman, Allie Wilde & Nick Cilento
• Mask Designer & Maker: Strangeface Masks
• Production Designer & Builder: Josh McIntosh
• Photographers: Justin Ma & Barbara Lowing
• Costume Designer: Josh McIntosh
• Costume Maker: Jo Fraher
• Electrician: Sparky Marc
• Freight & Logistics: Ready Movers
• Production Partner: DJ City
• Originally Commissioned by: Brisbane Festival
• World Premier Season: Brisbane Festival 2023

Devised by: Clint Bolster