THE FLYING CANOE is an interactive audio experience for families to do together that will transport them to the islands of Kiribati!

Featuring an oceanic soundscape that includes traditional Kiribati songs, families will transform their lounge rooms into a world of myths and wonder.

Written by Marita Davies and featuring performances and artwork from artists from the Kiribati diaspora, ‘The Flying Canoe’ is the follow up work to Threshold's internationally acclaimed 'Mountain Goat Mountain'.

‘The Flying Canoe’ follows the story of a cheeky and charming apprentice magic spinner, Nei Konoia - and invites families to join her on a journey that will take them all the way to the islands of Kiribati!

Nei Kinoia comes from a long line of Magic Spinners, but on the night she was supposed to become one herself, she got distracted - as many Kiribati people do -  singing in the Frangipani tree.

Now she plans to turn back time and trick the spirits of Neiko into giving her their blessing to join her ancestors in spinning magic!

The only thing is, she needs someone to take her there FAST. A regular canoe won’t do the trick, she needs one to fly, and she needs you and your family to fly it!

Together you’ll meet some sassy, salty spirits, fend off giant mud crabs, and dive into crystal blue waters. You’ll hear the sounds of Kiribati and hopefully, hopefully…you’ll help Kinoia become the magic spinner she was born to be!

Tia nako!

Let’s go!

The Flying Canoe sets sail in 2023

Premiering at DreamBIG Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre and ArtPlay, City of Melbourne.

The sounds of The Flying Canoe

In partnership with the Victorian Kiribati Association, Threshold held a Kiribati Cultural Day in Kyneton - with performances by the Kiribati community living in Victoria at the time.

Recordings of the singing and dancing performed on the day form an integral part of the soundscape, giving 'The Flying Canoe' a dynamically Kiribati flavour.

The Kiribati Cultural Day was held at the Social Foundry, on the unceded land of the Taungurung people.

You can hear how the energy and rhythm of the live performances has informed the immersive soundscape in the following excerpt below.

Creative team

  • Marita Davies

    Marita is a proud Kiribati & Australian woman, a Marakei and Tabiteuea North descendant, who is passionate about supporting the stories and cultural knowledge of Pasifika.

    Through creative essays, blog posts and articles Marita has explored themes of Kiribati culture, gender equality, racism, education and climate change. Marita honours her ancestors with the knowledge that geographical location does not hinder the creativity that can be unlocked. Stories and the way that they are told, is how we connect. In the end, stories are all we have.

  • Teaote Davies

    Teaote is an unaine - a Kiribati cultural elder. Teacher, translator and storyteller, Teaote mentors students and organisations on Kiribati culture - recently consulting to Melbourne Museum for their Pasifika exhibition.

  • Lucy Harris

    Lucy is a British / I-Kiribati Artist & Designer from the UK. She creates and designs original artworks inspired by aspects of her life and places around her. The main subjects of her work are people and nature as well as influences from her Pacific Island heritage. Working with a hands-on approach, Lucy uses processes such as painting, printmaking and collage, portraying her work through a bold and simple style.

  • ASPR Katerina Teaiwa

    Katerina is of Banaban, I-Kiribati and African American heritage born and raised in Fiji. She is Associate Professor of Pacific Studies and Deputy Director - Higher Degree Research Training in the School of Culture, History and Language.

    She was founder and convener of the Pacific Studies teaching program at ANU 2007-2015, Head of Gender, Media and Cultural Studies and founder of the Pasifika Australia Outreach Program.

    Katerina has a background in contemporary Pacific dance and was a founding member of the Oceania Dance Theatre at the University of the South Pacific.

    She is currently a practising visual artist with an ongoing research-based exhibition "Project Banaba" originally commissioned by Carriageworks, Sydney, and curated by Yuki Kihara.

  • Zoë Barry

    Zoë is an award winning cellist, composer, theatre maker and educator. Her practice is devised and collaborative, drawing on composition, sound design, writing, performing and directing. Her work explores liminal spaces, the politics of slowness, repetition, noticing, the void, disturbance and amplifying quiet voices.

    Zoë is a member of The Letter String Quartet and Iranian trio Dafta Avaal, and records and performs regularly with a wide range of ensembles and bands. She composes for theatre, dance, film, ensembles and gallery commissions. Zoë is currently creating a solo work about lightning and mesmerism through Arts House’ CultureLab and The Lucid Art Foundation.

    Zoë is the recipient of the 2021 Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Of The Year Award for her work with Harmony in Strings at Sacred Heart Primary.

  • Bobby Macumber

    Bobby Macumber is a radio broadcaster on RRR’s 102.7FM Breakfasters, a stand up comedian and a cricket commentator.

    She’s made audiences laugh across the country at Festival’s including Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe, Brisbane Comedy Club as well as performed five solo shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

    Bobby has commentated the Women’s Big Bash League over the last three years and you may have seen her entertaining crowd’s on the big screen at the MCG as Cricket Australia’s Match Day Host for all international cricket matches over the summer.

'The Flying Canoe' is a Threshold experience created by Marita Davies, Lucy Harris, Zoë Barry, Tahli Corin and Sarah Lockwood.

It features the voices of Bobby Macumber, Teaote Burabura Davies and Matari Davies as well as performances from members of the Kiribati diaspora living and working in Victoria. Cultural consultation from Teaote Burabura Davies and Katerina Teaiwa.

THE FLYING CANOE was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung People and developed with the support of Multicultural Arts Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria and the Victorian Kiribati Association.

Thanks to Commissioning Partners

Dream Big, Adelaide Festival Centre and ArtPlay, City of Melbourne