Jill says they were inspired to invite the duo to Rotorua because, as the Travelling Tuataras, they are passionate artists and advocates for arts and performance, including these happening in outdoors environments.
"We want to inspire more performance storytelling within the city and recollect how much storytelling festivals previously held in Rotorua were enjoyed by the community."
On hearing that Imagined Worlds' story performance repertoire included an outdoor roaming pop-up show delivered through pedal power, they saw a visit from the duo as being inspiration for performance storytelling, she says.
Tanya Batt says their school performance is a thank you to local children from St Michael's Catholic School for their mahi towards the Rotorua Bike Festival.
She says their performances will be a mixture of traditional stories from around the world accompanied by music.
"We've heard lots about the makeover of Rotorua's inner city and are looking forward to experiencing it ourselves.
"It's a great chance to take 'performance to the people' and celebrate how inner city spaces can be used creatively."
Tanya says that in her mind the paihikara (bicycle) is one of the greatest things to come out of human imagination.
She says it has been, and continues to be, a pedal-powered revolutionary force.
"The bicycle has been going strong now for 200 years, and people of all ages and walks of life continue to enjoy them - to explore, as a sport, a mode to transport, a rites of passage and recreationally.
"Cycling is a panacea to many of the challenges that face humans - it's a great way to combat stress, kick the fossil fuel habit, exercise and connect with other people and your environment.
"There's plenty to celebrate."
