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Some ants are pests, others are performers. 

A group of actors from the Melbourne, Australia based Polyglot Theatre Company dressed as ants and took over the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden on Saturday for an interactive performance. 

"Ants" is the title of the piece and involves three actors dressed in full ant costumes moving 300 stuffed crumbs around an open field. 

"Children usually start off a bit apprehensive because the ants are quite intense looking," said Lachlan Macleod, an actor with Polyglot, "but once the kids are into it, we gather a giant colony of child ants and we build amazing things, amazing patterns and sculptures out of the crumbs."

Polyglot and its troupe of actors travel around the world creating interactive art through performance with children, for children.

This piece focuses on having the kids build confidence to engage and play with the ant performers.

Macleod said some of the best stories are told through play, and children play a big role in creating the company's work.
  
"Our work is about valuing the voice of the child. We're not creating work we think they want to see, we're creating work with them that they like and want to be apart of." 

"Ants" will perform three more times on Sunday at the Walker Arts Center.

Arts and Culture

George Dornbach

Author

Australian based Polyglot Theatre Company travels worldwide creating interactive installations, for children, with children.

Ants and children work together to place crumbs on the grass

Actors dressed as 'ants' take over sculpture garden

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