Small Voices Louder
Hear what Western Australian children think about love, what's important to remember, and how being small can be powerful
By Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
Alex Desebrock - Maybe ( ) Together
Children have big ideas. Sometimes, smaller voices are exactly what the world needs to hear - and adults just don’t listen enough.
Imagine a space for thinking. For musing over life’s big questions. What is love? What is important to remember in life? What is a big idea? Small Voices Louder is exactly that: a child-only space for playing and pondering.
Arriving (2017) by Monica Defendi and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
Arriving
This is what a Small Voices Louder installation looks like: a magical world of tents and teepees where kids lie under clouds, talk to an alien, discover a dinosaur egg and step into a portal to the future.
It’s a space for dreaming, wondering and talking about the bigger things in life, like belief, love, change and worry. This Small Voices Louder installation has toured to Perth International Arts Festival (2017) and to 14 towns in Regional Western Australia (2017-18).
Talking (2017) by Monica Defendi and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
Talking
When the children arrive, lead artist Alex Desebrock talks with them about big ideas to get them thinking before they begin.
Small Voices Louder is also a recording space, where kids’ answers are turned into soundtracks for adult ears to stop and listen to.
What is Love? (2017) by Monica Defendi and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
What is Love?
Inside the tents, children interact with prompts to encourage thought. This one invited thought about the meaning of love. "Look through the microscope to a beating heart. Explain what love is."
Maybe ( ) Together: What is love? (2017) by Jackie Edwards and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
Maybe ( ) Together: What is Love?
Drawing on responses from children across the 2017 WA regional tour of Small Voices Louder, artist Jackie Edwards created this beautiful stop-motion animation with the children of Ravensthorpe.
What's important to remember (to a fish)? (2017) by Monica Defendi and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
What's important to remember (to a fish)?
Inside this tent, children tell a fish what they think is important to remember.
What's important to remember (to a fish)? (2017) by Monica Defendi and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
What's important to remember?
Listen to regional WA kids giving a fish (and you) some important reminders. This podcast was made on a Small Voices Louder regional tour in 2018.
Adults vs Children (2017) by Monica Defendi and Alex DesebrockMuseum of Freedom and Tolerance
Adults vs Children
What's the difference between adults and children? Sure, adults might be bigger - but there's something about being small that's powerful.
Adults vs Children
Listen to regional WA children share what makes smaller people so special. This podcast was made on a Small Voices Louder regional tour in 2018.
At the end of the installation, the children tell the world what they think it needs to hear - through a megaphone outside the theatre.
About Small Voices Louder
Artist Alex Desebrock tours Small Voices Louder regionally, nationally and internationally. Visit Performing Lines to find out more.
The podcasts contained in this story were made in regional Western Australia as part of a Performing Lines tour, and feature the voices of children from regional primary schools.
In other podcasts, the children describe their towns, wonder about the future, and talk about what they believe in and how they'd like to change the world. Hear more of their voices.
The images contained in this story were taken at a Small Voices Louder installation at Heath Ledger Theatre in Perth, Western Australia, produced by Performing Lines and commissioned by Perth Festival in 2017.
Performer/Creator: Alex Desebrock, Maybe ( ) Together
Designer (Part 1): Ben Landau
Sound Design: Thom Browning, Sharyn Brand
Dramaturgy: Dan Koop
Developing artists: Conor Fox, Ed Gould, Ryan Granger, Robert Jordan
Mentor: Sara Topsøe-Jensen
Stop-Motion Video: Jackie Edwards
Small Voices Louder was produced by Performing Lines WA and the installation photographed, hosted at the Heath Ledger Theatre in Perth, Western Australia, was commissioned by Perth Festival.
All photography by Monica Defendi.
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