FAQ

All of Brainstorm's productions are accredited by Education Queensland to tour in QLD schools.  All productions were also authorised in NSW, but the Dept no longer has an authorisation process.  Other states do not have an accreditation/authorisation process at this time.

Yes! Cyber bullying is the latest trend in school bullying and Brainstorm Productions keeps up to date with all the latest research about bullying in schools, and cyber bullying in particular. We have both Primary and Secondary shows addressing cyber bullying, including the use of social websites, text messaging and emails to bully, intimidate or spread rumours. Visit our Primary and Secondary show pages for more information about our cyber bullying shows.

Yes. All our employees are screened according to the Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 2005, and in accordance with each State and Territory Education Department's policy on screening visitors (QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA and ACT).

All Brainstorm's shows are extensively researched and are written by Brainstorm's Creative Director Jenny Johnson, a former primary and secondary teacher, and Paul Johnson, Scriptwriter. Jenny is an accomplished actress with over 20 years experience directing and writing theatre-in-education shows. Paul is a professional psychologist who has written over 35 educational plays for children and adolescents on social issues. As a practising School Counsellor he is able to draw upon children's real life experiences to develop the shows.

If you would like to book one of our award winning in-school performances, but think you might not have enough students to cover our minimum, please contact the Brainstorm office on freecall 1800 676 224. We keep records of smaller schools, and can often help you combine with another small school, so no-one misses out! Have you looked into alternative funding options?

Yes. Detailed Risk Assessments are in place, and have been implemented to avoid any accidents involving students and school staff, as well as our employees. Our actors are extensively trained to be aware of all possible risks posed to students and school staff, from the minute they arrive in the 40km/hr zone, until such time as they leave the school grounds. If you would like a copy of our Risk Assessment for a particular production, please contact the Brainstorm office on freecall 1800 676 224 prior to your performance booking date.

Yes. Our Public Liability Insurance coverage is $20 million, and complies with requirements of all States and Territories. If you require a copy of our Public Liability Insurance Certificate of Currency, please contact the Brainstorm office on freecall 1800 676 224 prior to your performance booking date.

Yes. All our employees are trained in and instructed to comply with all Occupational Health and Safety regulations. If you require a copy of our Occupational Health & Safety Policy, please contact the Brainstorm office on freecall 1800 676 224 prior to your performance booking date.

Yes. All our employees have been instructed to comply with the Departmental Code of Conduct for Visitors in the school. This includes signing in at the Office when they arrive, signing out when they leave, wearing any Visitor ID required by the school, and wearing their Brainstorm photo ID whilst on school grounds (except whilst seating the students and actually performing in the shows).

Yes. All electrical equipment brought with us for use in the performance has been tested and tagged according to Australian Standard AS/NZS3760.

Yes. Our performances are best suited to a flat floor area where the actors can seat the students around them on the floor (ie, no chairs). An ordinary school hall or gym is ideal. Generally, 5m x 5m is required for the performance space, plus room for your students. Unfortunately in most cases we cannot perform outdoors. If you have an unusual venue or would like to discuss our venue requirements for different productions, please don't hesitate to contact the Brainstorm office on freecall 1800 676 224.

50 minutes, plus a short discussion of 5-10 minutes. The agreed start time of the performance is when the actors will actually open the doors of the venue, so if you have large audience you may want to allow a few extra minutes.

The minimum and maximum numbers do vary slightly depending on which show you are particularly interested in.

PRIMARY: Our maximum audience for all Primary productions is 300. A minimum fee applies when less than 145 students attend, but we can perform to less students if the minimum fee is paid.

HIGH SCHOOL: The maximum audience size for all High School shows is 300, with a minimum fee applying when less than 140 students attend, except for Cheap Thrills and Wired, which have a maximum of 250, and a minimum fee applying when less than 120 students attend. Again, we can perform to smaller audiences as long as our minimum fee is paid per performance.

Yes. After the performance, the actors have a short 5-10 minute scripted discussion with the students, drawing out the important issues raised during the performance, and giving the students the opportunity to ask questions of their own. If you would like the actors to focus on a particular issue that was raised in the show, or an issue that you are planning to deal with in class, please contact the Brainstorm office prior to your performance booking date.

Yes! All bookings include follow-up material linked to the relevant curriculum in each state, consisting of permission note, information for your newsletter, discussion questions, student activities and promotional posters. This is posted out 6 weeks in advance of your booking.

Yes! All Primary productions include a free CD with the theme song from the show, promotional poster and colouring-in poster. The posters will be sent with your follow-up material, and the actors will provide the CD on the day, after the performance. All High School productions include a set of promotional posters to remind the students of the date of the performance. These are included as part of the follow-up material sent out in advance of the performance.

We tour our productions extensively in metropolitan and regional areas of QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS and SA. While we do offer a varied selection of shows to each State, unfortunately not all shows are available every term. Please see our Tour Dates for more specific information. Regional tours cover most of the non-metropolitan areas of each State, and information about specific dates and shows touring regionally can be obtained from the Brainstorm office - freecall 1800 676 224.

There are 4 easy ways you can book with Brainstorm:

1. Complete the online booking form
2. Email your enquiry to bookings@brainstormproductions.com.au
3. Phone freecall 1800 676 224 to discuss your school's particular needs
4. Complete and fax or post the booking form you received in the mail

Our office is open from 8am - 5pm on weekdays, and we will make the whole booking process as easy as possible for your school. We will endeavour to meet your preference for particular shows, school terms or even specific dates, however please understand that we are not always able to do so.

The actors will require vehicular access as close to the venue as possible, in advance of the start time of the performance. They will also need access to a power point in the venue. To avoid unnecessary delays, please also advise your front office of the actors' estimated time of arrival, and which venue to direct the actors to, in the event that you will not be immediately available on their arrival. If any of the contact or booking details change, please contact the Brainstorm office ASAP prior to the performance booking date.

Yes! We keep comprehensive computer records of which productions your students have seen, going back many years. This way, we can ensure that your students don't see a show they have already seen before. Please note: If the year levels attending a performance are changed by the school without informing the Brainstorm office, our records may not be able to be relied upon in this particular case.

The actors will arrive and need access to the venue 45-60 minutes before the start time of the performance, and will need approx 30 minutes in the venue afterwards to pack up.

The performances are non-denominational but are very sensitive to all members of the community. On our Testimonials page, you will find feedback from schools in all regions and of all affiliations. Please discuss any special needs your school may have with the Brainstorm office staff on freecall 1800 676 224.

Yes! All of Brainstorm's soundscapes, music, theme songs, lyrics, promotional material and follow-up material have been commissioned especially for Brainstorm Productions and by utilising our performances, their music, lyrics or follow-up material you are not infringing any copyright or intellectual property rights.

Yes. All aspects of your booking are compliant with the Privacy Act 1988. We will not disclose, transfer or enable access to school information.

Performing to over 400,000 students every year, Brainstorm Productions writes, produces and tours our own shows, designed specifically for the Australian school education sector. By retaining control of the entire process, we can ensure you receive the same high quality service that you expect from Brainstorm, no matter which show you book, from your initial booking request, to the performance itself and beyond. Our actors are trained young professionals that students can easily relate to, ideal positive role models. For more information, see the FAQ's listed above, the ‘About Us' page, the video clips from each show, or the ‘Testimonials' listed - given over the years from thousands of satisfied teachers and their students.