Starting from Scratch was a playwriting and performance project designed to empower the young people of Deniliquin and Finley by honouring their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, values and stories. Using self generated material creates commitment, energy, ownership and pride from the participants and performances that connect and resonate with local audiences.

The delivery of Starting From Scratch Stage 2 was three fold: First, the in-school weekly workshop program focused on the creation of a collaborative theatre piece, Me and My Place. And finally, Debs, the creative development, rehearsal and performance of a new commission play written by playwright Chris Thompson in response to content generation workshops in Starting from Scratch Stage 1 in 2010. The result was a play that is uniquely Australian, exploring rural young people’s attitudes and ideas of gender, family and community relationships and the process of transitioning to adulthood.