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Coal dredger to be transformed with awe-inspiring performance

An awe-inspiring event will take place this Saturday 25 March, when the enormous dredger located at PowerWorks becomes the ‘stage’ for an amazing combination of live interactive animation, stunning projected visuals and aerial dance.

By Latrobe City Council - 21st March 2006 - Back to News

Titled ‘Latrobe Space and Place’ the performance is a feature of Festival Melbourne2006, the cultural festival of the Commonwealth Games.

Latrobe City arts innovation facilitator, Lynette Raven, said that hundreds of community participants have been engaged in this large-scale performance.

"They are drumming out funky rhythms, making stunning shadow puppets and sculpture installations, and creating drawings to be brought to life through animation. Hundreds of hours of preparation and workshops will culminate in a night time performance extravaganza unlike anything seen in Latrobe before."

Latrobe Space and Place is a collaboration between Y Space, Latrobe City and some of the Latrobe’s best performance and visual artists.

"Y Space have transformed legendary icons before. In May 2002 they donned angel wings and lived and danced atop the Victorian Arts Centre spire for ten days; and over the past three years a unique combination of live interactive animation, stunning projected visuals and aerial dance has transformed Natimuk’s wheat silos into cracking lake beds, blazing bushfires and a circus big top," Ms Raven explained.

Y Space Artistic Director, Jillian Pearce, said that for months they have been working with children and adults to create animation, stunning visuals, shadow installations and puppets. "A strong indigenous content, and original music and lyrics will be performed by a massed choir and local musicians," Ms Pearce revealed.

The iconic disused dredger at PowerWorks Morwell will be resurrected as a unique performance site. In preparation for on-site rehearsals, 4,000 square metres of skins or sails are being rigged to become gigantic projection screens, enabling aerial dancers to interact with animation, dramatic lighting design and striking local indigenous art.

Traralgon-based multi-instrumentalist, Brian ‘Strat’ Strating, is one of the core local artists involved in Latrobe Space and Place.

"Being involved in the biggest community arts projects ever seen in this region is really exciting. We have always known that we have a rich music culture here, and this project really shows that. It is amazing to be able to profile so many children and adults from right across the valley in one event," Mr Strating said.

‘Latrobe Space and Place’ takes place on Saturday 25 March at the PowerWorks dredger site, Morwell; and is a free family event. The community across the region is invited to attend at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm performance. Those attending are advised to take a cushion and rug to be comfortable during the performance.

Festival Melbourne2006 is an integral part of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and it is proudly funded and supported by the Victorian and Australian Governments.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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