USQ theatre delivers NRM message

School children and landholders from across the Balonne River catchment area have heard about the importance of Natural Resource Management through an innovative USQ theatre production and visual arts exhibition.

The entertaining and creative road show was a joint initiative between USQ and the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) and travelled to St George, Surat and Dirranbandi.

'It was fantastic and at many of the schools most of the student population attended,' USQ Theatre Studies Lecturer Dr Janet McDonald said.

'The play, Nursey Wursey's Most Amazing Hydrological Examination, was received well by the children who seemed to get the message and enjoy the physical entertainment.'

Written by USQ director Scott Alderdice, the play starred actors from the University and was also performed at town halls and a winery.

'Based on the feedback that we received from students and those in the region when we visited for a series of workshops earlier in the year, Scott wrote the play,' Dr McDonald said.

'Through the production we wanted to talk to the children about how to better use their natural resources and also provide entertainment for them and their parents.'

Covering issues such as drought, farming and salinity, the play covered some topical issues in the area, and received a positive response from most in the region.

'Before we left we thought it would be very interesting to see the way that people would react to the play and the feedback that we received was mostly positive,' Dr McDonald said.

'There were some instances however when parents who lived on the land did raise some concerns that we were in a way telling them how to be more water conscious. This was not the idea however and in fact we did acknowledge that they were water savvy.

'Either way it was good to get people talking about the water issue.'

Media Contact: Josh Ada, USQ Media, + 61 7 4631 1628, 0403 643 192