Category: Entertainment

CONVEYING an environmental message through her craft is an element of art Albany resident Tess Bryant takes pride in.

She hopes people will reconsider where their food waste goes and how it is used when it is thrown away after viewing her latest exhibition Afterlife, on display at Vancouver Arts Centre from January 9-27.

“Much of my interest comes from a sustainability perspective as I try to reduce waste in all areas of my life,” Bryant said of her textile and fibre art.

“Natural dyeing is a great synergy between my creative and sustainable sides.”

Bryant practises traditional crafts, an art form she says tends to be fairly cost-friendly and sustainable in terms of materials.

According to her, if people could utilise these methods before electricity and factories, then it must be good.

“As part of my anthropology degree, we discussed the Anthropocene – the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment,” she said.

“As the political climate starts to acknowledge the massive impact recent human activity has on the earth, I want to discuss this in a creative way.

“Food waste in landfill is a big contributor to greenhouse gases and I have found some food waste can be so useful; what a waste to let it go to landfill.”

Bryant prefers natural dyes over industrial as she says the latter is a major polluter and uses a lot of water.

She can source natural dyes from her own kitchen and backyard.

“So, the exhibition theme, afterlife, refers to the ‘after-life’ of things – giving food waste a second use, as well as alluding to the broader theme of after the ‘Anthropocene’ and climate change,” Bryant said.

There will be a special exhibition opening of Afterlife at Vancouver Arts Centre commencing at 6pm on January 8

PERTH painter Mark Tweedie is the new artist-in-residence at Vancouver Arts Centre and he cannot wait to immerse himself in the environment he describes as having “endless appeal”.

Hailing from the Pilbara and Carnarvon originally, Tweedie often finds himself frequenting regional locations for new and different inspirations.

He will be at the Albany-based arts centre until January 3.

“My work is highly personal and explores memory, lineage and ageing,” Tweedie explained.

“My most recent exhibition was based on old photographs and embedded with my own childhood memories.

“It’s imperative for me to find a connection to my subject, whether that be a location, person or a shared experience.”

Tweedie recently stayed in the historic ghost town of Cossack for a residency he called one of the best professional and personal experiences he has ever had.

He said with Albany being the oldest colonial settlement in WA and with its “unmistakable ancient coastline”, it had endless appeal to him.

“Albany has an immediate and immense beauty, and a grand scale that I’ve not witnessed before in WA,” Tweedie said.

“I’m quite overwhelmed by the broad visuals of area; everything from the dense, thriving local flora up at Stony Hill, to the huge scale of the Torndirrup National Park’s dramatic coastline.

“Throughout the residency I’ll be photographing Albany and the surrounding areas to develop small painting studies in my Vancouver Arts Centre studio.

“I plan to further develop Albany-related works back in my Perth studio during 2020.”

While he is in Albany, Tweedie is hosting a portrait and palette knife workshop.

Bookings for the December 14 event can be made at marktweedie.com.au

“As a studio-based-artist and workaholic, I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits and importance of artist residency programs,” Tweedie said.

“I’m particularly enjoying meeting members of Albany’s passionate and thriving arts community.”

A SPOTLIGHT has been shone on the Great Southern again but this time, in the form of a documentary.

Readers of the Weekender may recall that various towns in the region have played a role in different productions recently – Mount Barker in feature film Rams, Denmark in the movie Breath and Albany in H is for Happiness and TV series Itch.

Now, a documentary exploring indigenous foods and methods of farming across the state will include the Great Southern – in particular, Albany – in the final cut.

LVF Visuals Creative Director Todd Delfs said Fat of the Land was a concept he and Fervor chef Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov had been playing with for the past four years.

“Every time we go out on country or visit another region, our world gets flipped upside down,” he said.

“I grew up in the South West and Paul in the Perth metro area…we quickly realised how sheltered our lives had been from traditional aboriginal culture.

“With the popularity of indigenous foods growing every day, it’s not a debate anymore whether there’s a market for native foods in Australia or the world; the real problem is, will the market treat the foods with the right respect where respect is due and go beyond understanding the foods, beyond just their nutritional and economic value?

“The days are gone where people say ‘oh, there is a market for this, let’s grow 10,000 acres of one species’; that sort of thinking has caused a lot of trouble, especially in WA.”

Delfs said the documentary includes footage from Porongurup, the Stirling Range and around the Kalgan River.

He described the Great Southern as “a wild, ancient and richly tactile frontier”.

“The ongoing relationship between cross cultural communities and the country itself is stronger than most other places,” Delfs said of the region.

“Whether it’s foraging for food in local streams or by the highways, we are introduced to connections between place, life and story, and stories of culture in continuous transition.”

Delfs is now calling on the broader community to financially contribute to the project, to extend it from being a short film to feature length.

The fundraising goal is $30,000.

“The ultimate aim for this documentary is to prove that through the fusion of modern and ancient farming techniques, we can mitigate the traumatic damage that recent land care management systems have caused,” Delfs said.

“One of the challenges with this film has been the frustration and grief in learning what was here before and now is gone…over the years, Yoda and I have learnt certain values on country and that is you have a duty of care to everything around you; your plants, your animals and the people.”

Delfs hopes to complete the project at the end of next year.

To find out more about Fat of the Land or to donate to the cause, visit thefatoftheland.com.au

AFTER just one year of setting up her own filmmaking company, former Wheatbelt resident Briege Whitehead did what most filmmakers will never have the chance to do in their entire careers – she visited Antarctica.

Armed with camera equipment she tested in sub-zero temperatures within commercial freezers and only two crew, Whitehead embarked on a mission to create a ground-breaking virtual reality (VR) experience of Antarctica to share with the world.

She spoke with the Weekender ahead of the Albany launch of The Antarctica Experience on December 14.

“This sort of thing hasn’t been filmed in Antarctica before,” Whitehead said.

“We spent about a year consulting with the Australian Antarctic Division because only one media company is allowed there each year…we were there for two weeks in February last year.”

Whitehead said she was lucky the weather turned out well, otherwise her allotted time in the coldest place on Earth would have been wasted.

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a vigorous process of evolving the script to cater for every encounter and situation that occurred.

“It was just amazing,” she said.

“We visited East Antarctica and we filmed around the Davis Station to capture what life is like there, we saw penguin colonies 10,000-strong, our helicopter landed on a glacier, and we spoke to krill researchers, ice core scientists and glaciologists.”

Whitehead expected Albany audiences to be blown away by the footage they would see.

“Watching it [VR experience] is the next best thing to actually being there,” she said.

“People will experience the place for themselves, a real immersion.

“This is by far the best thing I’ve done in my career; I don’t think I’ll do anything that will beat this.”

Whitehead wanted to make sure an environmental message was also woven into the main storyline to highlight the work being completed in Antarctica.

“We have scientists explaining how carbon dioxide and temperature work together, and talking about their climate change research,” she said.

“It was important for me to have that message because the people down there are there solely for research.”

The Antarctica Experience will screen at the Museum of the Great Southern from December 14 to February 9 during a variety of daily time slots.

Museum Manager Catherine Salmaggi said it was a must-see for everyone.

“Even though it’s almost on our doorstep, Antarctica still feels so mysterious and far away,” she said.

“This VR adventure really opens your eyes to a truly spectacular place and allows you to experience it in a real, exciting and educational way.

“It’s hard to put into words just how special this experience is; no matter your age, background or education, you’re sure to be blown away.”

Tickets for The Antarctica Experience can be purchased online at museum.wa.gov.au/museums/museum-of-the-great-southern/antarctica-experience

THE curtain will fall on beloved Albany rock-and-roll and swing fixture Evan Ayres and The Swing Kings for the final time this weekend at a special farewell performance at Antonia’s Dance Studio.

The band has decided to call it quits as their tertiary commitments will soon take them away from Albany and each other.

But frontman Evan Ayres will keep the spirit of the band alive when he attends the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) next year.

He reminisced on the band’s early days with the Weekender before revealing his big plans for the future.

“Originally it was me, Oliver and Bryce,” Ayres said.

“We were in the same year 9 music class and we liked rock and roll…there was a bit of John Paul Young in there…then when we were 16, we formed the eight-piece [band].”

The band proceeded to perform at six sold-out shows at Albany Port Theatre and released a full album.

Despite there being such high demand for them and consequential stress relating to performing so much, Ayres said there was no in-fighting.

“I think it’s because in the Swing Kings, it’s not a democracy, everyone just has to listen to me,” he laughed.

But forming the band has been one of Ayres’ proudest achievements, along with the relationships he has created along the way.

“The best bit is the connection you get as a group,” he said.

“It’s like nothing else.

“People say you become like a family and you wouldn’t think so, but you really do become a family.”

However, this family is heading in separate ways.

Some members are going to university, others to work, and some are travelling.

“No one was really keen on swing for a long-term career, except me,” Ayres said.

“Everyone’s going to do what they want to do.

“I’m going to WAAPA next year and I want to form a new Swing Kings there.”

Ayres’ plans go further than just recreating the band.

“I want to make another album and we’ll tour,” he said.

“We had people at the recent caravan show ask us to come over east to perform so we’ll head there first and then hopefully, America.

“I’d like to be the new Sinatra, maybe, so watch out Sinatra and Buble.”

The band’s final performance is booked for tomorrow at 7.30pm at Antonia’s Dance Studio.

Tickets are available from the Studio on Lockyer Avenue or by calling 0417 948 155.

AN ALBANY media company has designed and filmed an audiovisual display that will act as a cinematic backdrop to a theatre performance set to tour the state.

A Fortunate Life is a theatre show that will be performed live at cinemas in Albany, Midland, Busselton and Geraldton.

A filmic aspect of the show will play on the cinema screen behind the actors.

Albany-based Green Man Media was selected to be the audiovisual designer of the project and creative director Josephine Hayes said the innovative nature of the production was both a highlight and a challenge.

“Our involvement with this production is a landmark in the development of our new entertainment platform Cinemastage, which is a joint venture with Albany businessman and composer, Ronald Siemiginowski of Orana Cinemas,” she said.

“Cinemastage links audiences with live entertainment in cinemas throughout regional and metro WA, pushing the boundaries of the cinema environment and welcoming musicians, public speakers and theatre companies to integrate live footage and big screen backdrops into their performances.”

A Fortunate Life is an autobiography by Albert Facey, published in 1981, nine months before his death.

It chronicles his life in WA, experiences as a private during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I and his return to civilian life.

It was adapted for the stage by Theatre 180’s Jenny Davis and Stuart Lalusz and the footage captured by Green Man Media will re-create significant landscape scenes in the narrative.

“We are working to immerse the audience in this rich story – to deliver authentic visualisations of the environments that are key to Facey’s story and working closely with Stuart Halusz to form a visual style that compliments the live performance,” Hayes said.

“It’s a thrill to see our small team sink their teeth into this production, and to work with a passionate team of creatives in Perth who share our vision for storytelling.”

Halusz said A Fortunate Life was a perfect project for the evolution of Theatre 180, addressing their vision of bringing their work of an entirely WA project to a potentially greater audience in WA.

“Theatre also lives outside of theatre venues and I’ve always been passionate about site-specific works which extend the possibilities of audio-visual creativity as well as the talent of WA writers, actors, set and costume, lighting and sound designers,” he said.

“This exciting, new project marries the immediacy of theatre with the visual impact of cinema.”

The show will arrive in Albany in March next year and tickets are available from afortunatelife.com.au

BUNBURY and Busselton artists Anastasija Komarnyckyj and Ty Stedman launched their latest exhibition at Albany’s Blush Retail Gallery yesterday.

Near and Far will be on display until January 11 and reflects the pair’s connections with nature.

While Komarnyckyj wields a brush and Stedman a Nikon D850, the synergy between the mediums creates a colourful representation of water, land and water-based fauna.

Komarnyckyj drew inspiration from the Leschenault Inlet for her paintings, as she walks past it every day.

“I was a clinical nurse before, but this was always gnawing away at me,” she said, of her ever-present desire to paint.

“I work with the natural environment and looking at identity and culture, and I tend to look at things fairly intimately… I don’t do panoramic paintings.”

Stedman dangles himself out of planes to get his unique shots.

“I want to differentiate from drone shots … establish a better connection with the landscape,” he said.

“I really enjoy the abstract side of things and one of the challenges I like is getting something different from places lots of people have been before.”

Blush Retail Gallery is located on York Street.

TICKETS are now on sale for Albany Academy of Dance’s annual end-of-year spectacular.

5, 6, 7… Dance will be performed at the Albany Entertainment Centre on November 30 and December 1 and feature the talents of the academy’s tap, ballet, jazz and contemporary students.

Owner and teacher Simone Newton said the family-friendly event had something for everyone.

“We’ve got everything from Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole to Billie Eilish,” she said.

“There’s a lot of 80s in there and Queen, bit of classical ballet … a real mix of things.”

Some routines included in the concert are the choreographic creations of resident dancer and former academy student Rita Bush, who was recently awarded a grant from Regional Arts WA to perform at Adelaide Fringe 2020.

Ms Newton said the concert was popular for friends and families of students as well as potential academy students.

“If you are interested in putting your kids into dance next year, now’s a great time to come and see what we are all about,” she said.

Tickets to the November 30 and December 1 shows at 2pm can be purchased online at albanyentertainment.com.au or at the AEC box office.

A TONY award-winning play will be performed in Albany next year and auditions are coming up in less than a month.

Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company’s Airell Hodgkinson will direct Urinetown, a broadway musical that mocks bureaucracy, multinational corporations, social media and musicals.

Hodgkinson explained that despite its name, Urinetown in fact had very little toilet humour.

“It’s a political satire,” he said.

“It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where the city has been in drought for 20 years and there’s mass water restrictions – you have to pay to pee.

“It’s a very vibrant show and all the characters are a bit wacky.”

Hodgkinson said there were lots of speaking and solo roles in the play appropriate for all ages and genders.

The music is “fun and funky” and the overall vibe of the show is “something a bit different”.

“I like shows that are a little left of centre,” Hodgkinson said.

“The arts should challenge people, in my opinion, and this show gets people thinking and talking.

“And there’s a beautiful love story in the middle of all the loonies.”

An information night for Urinetown will be held at the Albany Port Theatre on December 11 at 7pm followed by auditions on December 14 and 15.

The cast and crew will break over Christmas and return for rehearsals in late January, ahead of a show season in April and May.