SONG TO THE OCEAN - HARVEY BAY WHALE FESTIVAL

SONG TO THE OCEAN – HARVEY BAY WHALE FESTIVAL

July 29, 2021

6:00PM

Seafront Oval, Hervey Bay

On 29 & 30 July join acclaimed Australian string ensemble DeepBlue, master percussionist & Southeast Asia going expert Michael Askill, Maori Sonic Weaver WHAIA, and Persian violinist Greta Kelly for an euphoric musical experience under the night sky.

Take a walk through an ocean of musicians, illuminated by awe-inspiring light installations with original contemporary classical music by Australian composer Dr Corrina Bonshek that is inspired by cycles and patterns of nature.

This extraordinary collaboration on Butchulla country features 30 young local musicians, visual designs by local artists, dialogue with Elders, and sounds and footage of the extraordinary diverse marina life along the Fraser Coast.

Song to the Ocean is co-commissioned by Fraser Coast Tourism & Events and Fraser Coast Regional Council, with assistance of the Australian Government through the Festivals Australia program and the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF), a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

The work is an adaptation of Song to the Earth which was co-commissioned by City of Gold Coast, Bleach*Festival and the Queensland Government through the Regional Arts Development Fund and the Office of the Commonwealth Games and other funding sources, and premiered at Bleach* at Festival 2018.

Thursday 29 July 6pm, Seafront Oval, Hervey Bay AND Friday 30 July 6pm, Seafront Oval, Hervey Bay

CREDITS

We firstly acknowledge the Butchulla Peoples, Custodians of the land, waters and culture, where we bring our creative dreams alive.

Music Composition & Artistic Direction: Dr Corrina Bonshek

Performers: DeepBlue, Dr Michael Askill, WHAIA, Greta Kelly and Skylar Sansome leading a team of remarkable young local musicians

Vocal/instrumental improvisation & creative cultural consultant: WHAIA

Large-scale light sculptures: Mimi Dennett

Wearable & small scale light installations: Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner

Prototyping and facilitation for silhouette art: Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner

Collaborating silhouette artists: Jo Williams, Karen Hagger-Peen, Rosemary Anderson, Elizabeth Maguire, Lesley Dubroy, Maureen Riggs, Renee Gooch, Andrea Treloar, Nora Hanasy, Jess Morgan, Lois Shoebridge, Sarah Biddle, Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner

Cultural consultant and Welcome to Country: Aunty Karen Hall & Aunty Joy Bonner

Lighting design: Jonathon Heeley

Sound design: Dr Corrina Bonshek with spatialisation by Anna Whitaker, marine recordings by The Oceania Project

Live sound: Marco Foxlee

Live feed direction: Selwyn Connoll

Technical crew: Robert Haigh & Brolga Theatre

Choreography: DeepBlue and Aunty Karen Hall

Audio & visual footage provided by The Oceania Project, Pacific Whale Foundation