The Graham F Smith Peace Foundation is thrilled to announce that ActNow Theatre’s creative development of Josh and Sophia Don’t Play Together Anymore is the recipient of the 2024 Arts Peace Award.

The Peace Foundation’s Chair, Naomi Ebert Smith, presented the award to ActNow Associate Directors Monique Hapgood and Nescha Jelk and collaborating Artistic Director of Cirkidz Joshua Hoare on Sunday, September 22, in honour of International Peace Day.

This project is vital in the fight against family domestic violence, equipping young people with tools to build healthy relationships and aligning with the Federal Government’s National Plan for early intervention.

The creative team is combining Cirkidz’s physicality with interactive drama and projected animation to increase the emotional literacy of young audiences, teaching them how to navigate difficult emotions while respecting others’ boundaries.

Left to right: Naomi Ebert Smith, Monique Hapgood, Nescha Jelk and Joshua Hoare.

Naomi said that the selection committee of independent arts practitioners, Heather Croall, Julianne Pearce, Nara Wilson, and Jared Thomas, agreed that this project was necessary and timely. The imagery was powerful, relatable to the target age group, and showed innovation in the arts.

When she heard the news of the 2024 Arts Peace Award, ActNow Artistic Director Yasmin Gurreeboo was overseas and emailed her gratitude, saying, “We feel exceptionally honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious award: it does mean an awful lot to us all!”

The Peace Foundation looks forward to journeying with ActNow and Cirkidz as they complete this wonderful work.

We thank the other artists and organisations that submitted this year. There was a strong field of submissions with some very meritorious projects.

Thank you to all our donors, members and supporters who have made the 2024 Arts Peace Award possible.

You can donate to the 2025 Arts Peace Award below.