Deadly Funny Kids at Melbourne's International Comedy Festival

The Deadly Funny Kids program funded by Arts NSW and part of Melbourne's International Comedy Festival has already started and will commence in schools nationally starting early 2012. The comedy workshop is a program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged from 13-17 years. In groups of 25, the young participants are set to find their own artistic voice while taking part in; joke writing, sketching and physical forms of comedy. General Manager of Melbourne International Comedy Festival; Virgina Lovett explained her hope to raise the profiles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedians in future festivals through the program. Programs such as Class Clowns, RAW Comedy, the open-mic competition and Deadly Funny as well as annual showcases are all places where the program could send the kids in the future. Workshop facilitators Matt Okine and Xavier Micheledes started work last week with teens in Port Macquarie, Kempsey and the Broken Hill/ Menindee region.