Often referred to as the ‘Me Generation’, young people in the 1970’s used disco as a respite for the social issues of the time. In 1979 commentator John Parikhal noted: “They are depressed by taxes and inflation. They want to party…. I call it, ‘The music that fiddles while Rome burns’.”
The year is 2024, and Rome is still burning.
In the midst of a cost of living crisis, an ongoing fight against climate change, and a mental health epidemic, young people today face challenges not experienced by generations before them, and have developed their own ways of facing these challenges.
Social media has become the modern discotheque; an escape from our daily fears to a world that connects us through aesthetic experience. ‘Generation Me’ invites audiences into a world where young people can share their coping mechanisms and their community.
Developed through the support of the 2024 Backbone Hub Residency Program.
Director: Melissa Herburg
Presented by: Backbone Youth Arts.
Sound Design: Nickolas Forrester
Technician: Teddy Waddingham
Cast: James Grant, Jade King, Jamie Power-Lake, Emma Pruss, Kodi Ryke
Production Photos by Backbone Youth Arts
Melissa Herburg 