Shopfront will stage a 50-hour act-a-thon (10-12 October) in honour of the Young People who staged annual performance marathons in the company’s early years. In the late 70s and the 80s, these Young People performed for hours to raise funds and awareness in the face of existential threats such as funding cuts and the loss of the company’s home. Their creativity, persistence and endurance saved Shopfront. 

Now, the young people of today are taking this fighting spirit to the Opera House, to ensure the company’s next 50 years. This special 50th birthday act-a-thon seeks to raise $50,000 to provide 200 scholarships for young people, as part of Shopfront’s ongoing commitment to making their programs accessible to all young people.

Starting at Shopfront’s home in Carlton and culminating at Sydney Opera House on the morning of their Youth-Led Conference, the act-a-thon will feature performances by current members and alumni, and supporters such as performance collective POST (Nat Rose, Zoe Coombs Marr and Mish Grigor) and dancer-choreographer Martin Del Amo, with a mix of family-friendly and late-night content.