Song to the Ocean – July 29-30, 2021.
Seafront Oval, Pialba | 6pm – 7:15pm each night | Free Event
Join acclaimed Australian string ensemble DeepBlue, master percussionist & Southeast Asia gong 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.
View Song to the Ocean Light Sculptures here.
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.
WEARABLE ART – MAKING WORKSHOP WITH TIFFANY BECKWITH-SKINNER
Create your own miniature illuminated and wearable art inspired by the ocean. Bring your illuminated creation to the evening performance of Song to the Ocean and play with light alongside the performers. Workshop led by visual artist Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner, the creator of wearable & small-scale lighting installations and facilitator of backlit installation art workshops with professional artists on the Fraser Coast for Hervey Bay Whale Festival.
The workshop suits ages 6-17. Parental/carer assistance is required for younger children.
Capacity: 30 | Duration: 60 mins
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/160910817587
“TANGAROA” SOUND & STORYTELLING WORKSHOP WITH WHAIA SONIC WEAVER
Journey the oceanic songlines with First Nations Maori Woman WHAIA and experience traditional stories, language, and songs of ancestral lineage.
Celebrating the Tohora Niho (whale’s tooth flute), conch shell, and other ancient native instruments we dive into a world of sound and story that embodies the element of Tangaroa (God of the Sea). See WHAIA perform on these instruments in the orchestral setting of Song to the Ocean at Hervey Bay Whale Festival.
This workshop is for all ages 6 and up. Parental/carer support is required for children.
Duration: 45 minutes | Location: Seafront Oval
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/160912109451
Acknowledgements:
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
Sound design: Dr Corrina Bonshek with spatialisation by Anna Whitaker, marine recordings by The Oceania Project
Large-scale light sculptures: Mimi Dennett
Audio & visual footage: Mark Francis Franklin, Technical Director, The Oceania Project, Brett Vercoe, Pacific Whale Foundation
Wearable & small scale light installations: Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner
Prototyping and facilitation for backlit art: Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner
Cultural consultant: Aunty Karen Hall
Welcome to Country: Aunty Joy Bonner
Lighting design: Jonathon Heeley
Live sound: Marco Foxlee
Live feed direction: Selwyn Connoll
Technical crew: Robert Haigh & Brolga Theatre
Choreography: DeepBlue
Movement consultant: Aunty Karen Hall
Thank You To Our Sponsors
