Song to the Ocean – North Australian Festival of Arts

June 30, 2023

The Strand, Townsville

4pm

Presented by North Australian Festival of Arts, Corrina Bonshek & Collaborators and DeepBlue.

Join us for an euphoric music and performing arts experience under the night sky.

Take a walk through an ocean of musicians in Song to the Ocean, illuminated by awe-inspiring light installations, and accompanied by extraordinary marine sounds. Hear original contemporary classical music by award-winning composer Dr Corrina Bonshek performed by acclaimed Australian string ensemble DeepBlue, master percussionist & south-east Asian gong expert Michael Askill, soloist Greta Kelly on Persian violin, and vocal powerhouse & multi-instrumentalist WHAIA, Maori sonic weaver.

They will be joined by 30 talented young local musicians, primordial whalesong, accompanied by marine-inspired visual art by local artists exhibited in the light sculptures.

Share a picnic and be inspired by the stunning biodiversity along the Queensland Coast.

Acknowledgements

We firstly acknowledge the peoples of the Gurambilburra Wulgurukaba, Bindal, Nywaigi, and Gugu Badhun nations, custodians of the land, waters and culture, where we bring our creative dreams alive.

Song to the Ocean Credits

Music Composition & Artistic Direction: Dr Corrina Bonshek
Performers: DeepBlue, Dr Michael Askill, Whaia, and Greta Kelly 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 installation artists: TBC
Welcome to Country: TBC
Sound design: Dr Corrina Bonshek with spatialisation by Anna Whitaker, marine recordings by The Oceania Project
Production manager and lighting design: Blake Howson
Live sound: Marco Foxlee
Choreography: DeepBlue

This performance of Song to the Ocean is supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government Initiative.

Song to the Ocean was 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.

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