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‘Moving Landscapes of the Yarra Valley’ - Art Seed Pod

 < Cat McKay, Karina Doughty, JonRa Seward >

As part of the National Sustainable Living Festival 2018, the Valley Dance Collective & Warburton Environment presents an immersive multimedia dance performance telling an emotional story of love, connection & loss.

'Moving Landscapes' highlights the beauty and fragility of Yarra Valley’s native forests. Through sound, movement and film projections the audience is immersed in the timelessness of the ancient rainforest and the fast-paced destruction of native forest.  As the truth of what is happening is revealed we feel connected to and moved by the contrasting landscapes, finally arriving at a place of solidarity and connection - ready to take action for a better world.

Friday,  9th of February 2018

Performance and Q&A session  7.30 - 8.30pm

Followed by a Special Soul Dance Workshop 8.30 - 9.30pm

Warburton Arts Centre Mechanics Hall, 3409 Warburton Hwy, Warburton, 3977

$15 Full, $12 Concession  

Tickets available at the door or book through the Art Centre 03-5966 4500

This event is proudly supported by the Yarra Art Rangers Network as part of their Art Seed Pod Project 2017, with support from the Yarra Ranges Council,  Produced by Valley Dance Collective under the auspices of Yarra Valley Arts.

Read on to find out more as Cat McKay shares with us some of the inspirations, insights and aspirations for ‘Moving Landscapes’

Meeting the Tall Trees... the tallest flowering plants in the world

When I moved to the Yarra Valley in 2012 I became instantly enamoured with the tall tree Mountain Ash forests and the lush temperate rainforests surrounding us, so different to the landscape of the Territory.  My close friend Karina Doughty, who had already made the tree-change to Warburton a year or so earlier than us, has an intimate insider’s knowledge of these forests and is passionate about educating the community about the importance of protecting them for future generations to enjoy. The idea for Moving Landscapes came out of the direct emotional responses Karina and I felt when visiting the forest landscapes of the Yarra Ranges, feeling uplifted by the tall trees and old growth forest and then experiencing a contrasting sense of loss and grief when witnessing the logged areas, sometimes literally adjacent to the intact forest.

Finding our Way to Sharing the Story

Prior to the creative development of ‘Moving Landscapes’ Karina & I spent many hours in conversation about the idea of creating a site-specific dance work, one where we could let our bodies express the emotions we were feeling in these contrasting landscapes, as a process for ourselves, as well as a way of sharing this story with others.

The Art Seed Pod Project provided the impetus to bring some of our ideas into a creative reality, but also gave us the framework and support to investigate some of the questions that arose during this development.

As part of her work with Warburton Environment Karina has led many small groups into the forest and has witnessed their own emotional journeys take place. We began to contemplate ways we could express some of these emotions in a performance and provide an opportunity for further education, discussion and also provide avenues for positive environmental action.

Some of these incredibly beautiful but also deforested environments can take time to get to on unmade forest roads. Unfortunately, with logging being the primary activity in our state forests, the roads are not always safe for visitors and tourists, who may encounter oversized logging trucks and signage that is not clear and consistent, this can make navigation confusing unless you are a regular ‘bush user’ or walker.  After guiding people into our state forests for over 15 years, Karina has observed emotional, psychological and physical hurdles which prevent people from entering these unknown places.  So it raised the question for us - How can we share this emotional journey with a wider audience without expecting them to overcome these barriers and travel out to these unknown places?

Using projections and an immersive video/soundscape offered us a way to draw all of this into a performance which could be combined with a Soul Dance Workshop, so that we could give the audience an opportunity to process the emotions they were experiencing as a result of viewing the performance. We were also excited to bring a performance into the Warburton Mechanics Hall – the very space that we have danced in over the previous 5 years of Soul Dance.

Finding Friends Along the Way - Collaborators and Creatives

 We contacted JonRa Seward, another ‘Soul Dancer’ and video artist and invited him to be involved.  We were interested and inspired by JonRa’s craft and method of working with dancing silhouettes, combining the dance with the projections to create a layered and textural videoscape. We were also keen to add a collaborator who could skilfully take control of the some of the filming, and the technical side of the projections and video-mixing. 

We are also extremely fortunate to be able to use the incredible work of one of Karina’s environmental contacts, Peter Vaughan in the video element of our performance.  Peter has been documenting the destruction of Victoria’s native forests and lives with his family at the coal-face of logging in the East Gippsland region.  Video has become the art form that has allowed him to communicate his passion for saving our environment. We are presenting some of his rarely seen, cutting-edge drone footage which shows the extent of some of the logged areas of Victoria’s native forest.

From Creative Development to Performance

Our preview performance at Earth Art Beat Festival in November was extremely well-received leaving many audience members incredibly moved. The performance stimulated some deep reflection and important conversations amongst the audience and particularly within families.

Building on the feedback and success of our preview we have now had time to reflect, refine and rehearse, so are very excited to finally debut our production of ‘Moving Landscapes’ to the wider community on the 9th of February 2018 at the Warburton Art Centre.  We will also give the audience the opportunity to ask questions and be part of a Q&A discussion and the option to dance with us at a special Soul Dance session responding to the themes of our performance directly afterwards.

Find out more about Cat, Karina & JonRa

Cat Mc Kay

My work as a multimedia artist was largely put on hold for more than a decade while I focused on the more immediate creative project of raising four children.  My oldest child is now 14, and my youngest is 4, and finally there is space opening up to get back to some of my artistic passions. Having a background in video production and dance, my previous arts practice explored emotional stories combining video projections with bodies in movement.  I love the textural quality that video imagery can have, especially close-ups of nature.  But I also love it when abstract imagery can tell an emotional story.   I am really interested in the ways in which nature, bodies and emotions intersect and interact.  My multimedia arts practice is also a way of expressing my deep connection to the earth.

I created two similar multimedia performances combining video and dance when I was living in the Northern Territory.  The first explored the seasons and textures of the Top End while navigating a story about long distance love and loss – so many people living in Darwin had family or loved ones far away. The second explored the emotional trauma of the two historic events bringing Darwin to the edge of destruction – first in the WW2 bombing and then with Cyclone Tracy in 1973.  Both of these tragic events live strongly in the identity and psyche of Darwin.  To continue my connection with the Territory my future plan is to tour the ‘Moving Landscapes’ performance to Darwin, possibly recreated with an NT environmental focus.

Karina Doughty

Karina has had a conscious dance practice for over 20 years and after moving to Warburton she gathered some friends with similar dance/facilitation backgrounds to create Soul Dance- the weekly conscious /expressive dance practice in Warburton.

Before having children Karina worked as a forest campaigner for The Wilderness Society for many years. Moving to Warburton and being confronted daily with the reality of the nearby forest being devastated and carried out to the Warby highway (on the back of trucks), was enough to reignite her desire to take action once more. She joined a small environmental group called Warburton Environment and later become their president, while raising her second child.

Throughout her work as a forest activist, Karina has found ways to marry her creative and spiritual inspirations with her activism. The drive to marry these ‘ways of being’ comes from a need to reveal the deeper meanings and connections to the true significance of this ongoing loss of life which we are all part of. It is also a type of fuel to sustain her own action and passion.  

JonRa Seward

Jono Seward (AKA JonRa) is a self-taught creative visionary who brings 25+ years of unique creative experimentation, exploration and expression to the project. By combining old multi-media and new digital media he has produced a prolific body of work now synthesised with digital video media and projection mapping. To control video projections in real time of various visions/scenes, he has embraced VJ software and digital projections. Having spent a lot of his life away from the city and in more natural environments he has a great love for nature and the ecology of this country. This theme plays out in the evolution of his works, with much video content taken from nature.

More about Soul Dance and Valley Dance Collective

Soul Dance is a weekly expressive dance practice held on Friday nights from 7.30 - 9.30pm at Warburton Arts Centre. For some it is a powerful exploration of spiritual and emotional depth, for others a great workout, or a place to have a fun and playful time connecting with others through dance.  The Soul Dance community provides a space for connection and belonging, promoting well-being and support, and a place where creative connections can be made as has been the case for the Moving Landscapes project.

Future Performances

To book Moving Landscapes for your event, or find out where they are next performing, click here > Cat McKay

More about our Forests

If you have any questions about our native forests near Warburton, would like to visit them yourself or get more involved in their protection, please open the following links or call Karina on 0146 181 171

Warburton Environment https://www.facebook.com/WarburtonEnvironment/

GECO http://www.geco.org.au/

INTO Dreams - Nicole Donegan - Art Seed Pod

In this exhibition ’Into Dreams' Nicole explores her personal aspirations and dreams, beautiful and poetic,  other times heartbreaking, rare and unexpected.

She then invites you to contemplate... 

Do you have a dream? 

By reflecting upon this series of abstract artworks you are encouraged to reflect upon your own dreams, then participate through play, word & image making, as part of an interactive community art installation. 

Immerse yourself in this inspiring series;  painted in a naive format, in Nicole‘s distinguished, open, playful style, representing the childlike freedom just to ‘be’ and the treasures we may all discover there. 

Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th of December 

11am  - 4pm

 Art Framed Yarra Valley - Gallery

252A Maroondah Highway Healesville, 3777   (upstairs)

Free Event, gold coin donation welcomed

Artworks available for sale

Instagram Hello Rainbows

This event is proudly supported by the Yarra Art Rangers Network as part of their Art Seed Pod Project 2017 with support from the Yarra Ranges Council. 

Yarra Art Rangers are a branch of the Art Rangers Network

Nicole welcomes you  ‘INTO Dreams’ to...

Reflect upon her most recent series of abstract artworks and then take the time to reflect on the dreams you hold for yourself, family, friends and community. 

Write or paint a response on a small canvas or hanging installation; to become part of the exhibition, or to take it home as a keepsake. 

Or simply enter, take your time and immerse yourself in the inspirational world that Nicole has created.

Nicole Donegan is an Artist who is inspired by storytelling, poetry, colour and the Australian landscape.  She shares with us here some of her inspirations, insights and intentions in creating ‘INTO Dreams’.

In this exhibition ’INTO Dreams' I have explored my personal aspirations and dreams,  that have been both beautiful and poetic, whilst at other times heartbreaking, rare and unexpected. 

As an art therapist I realise the benefit a tactile experience such as painting has in creating a beginning, a starting point, for expressing our dreams and aspirations. 

In my own experiences, I have found art to provide an enjoyable and safe space to explore my dreams.  I have painted dreams that have come to fruition and others that are patiently waiting to be manifested, whilst others are still 'unknown' and emerging. 

In this exhibition, I have invited the Community to come and share and explore their own dreams, past or present, in an interactive community arts event. 

I have incorporated a series of stations where the community can interact with images, write words and paint on a mini canvas to explore their own dreams and inspirations. 

I believe there are many hidden benefits, both personal and for our families, friends and community as a whole, in taking the time to step ‘INTO Dreams’, to contemplate, connect, share and remember our truest hearts desires and  I am excited to be creating a space for this to happen in my hometown. 

Vicky Basdeo - Art Seed Pod 

Textile Trail & Original Skin Ceremony

Vicky Basdeo is producing two events within her Art Seed Pod Project - Textile Trail & Original Skin Ceremony, these events bring together her passion and skills as an eco-printer, textile artist, story teller, singer, and dancer.  Vicky is delighted to be working with other local artists, who will bring their own inspiration and style of storytelling, music and dance to the project. 

Textile Trail - Sat 11th & Sun 12th Nov 2017, 10-4pm 

Original Skin Ceremony -  Sat 16th Dec 2017, sometime between 5-9pm

 PEACE Farm,  60 Settlement Road, Yarra Junction

Textile Trail will be hosted, produced and created by Vicky as part of Yarra Valley Open Studios, for one weekend only she invites you into her art studio, which resides within a beautiful bluestone building that once housed wine, but now hosts wellbeing, arts and crafts workshops and community events at Peace Farm in Yarra Junction.

The Textile Trail will transform this atmospheric space, which will contain a feast for the senses, with glorious smelling bubbling eucalyptus dye pots, beautiful music and a palette of naturally derived colours and materials.

The Textile Trail tells a story of the origins and creation of her work, exploring Vicky's journey of investigating the sources of the textiles and plant based colours she uses in her eco printing process.  The Textile Trail will also offer some simple ways of giving clothing a longer life by sharing some creative upcycling ideas.

As a reflective activity, visitors will be invited to make a 'prayer flag' that they can take with them or if left, will be sewn into a string of prayer flags to commemorate this event, which will be hung in the bluestone buildings.

Vicky Basdeo’s work and her Textile Trail will be on display and available to purchase alongside another local textile artist - Zephlyn Neilsen‘s work on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November, from 10-4pm, at PEACE Farm 60 Settlement Road, Yarra Junction, a small intentional organic farm community.

www.yarravalleyarts.org.au/yvaopenstudios

www.peacefarm.com.au

As part of the PEACE Farm, Summer Solstice Gathering Vicky is hosting an 'Original Skin Ceremony', all are invited to dress up in their 'Original Skin', MC'd by Murray Goodchild. Vicky will share her 'snake skin story'.  There will also be opportunities for others to share and contribute to the event in the form of story, song, dance or costume.

Vicky shared with us some of the ideas she is exploring through the concept of ‘Original Skin’

“I use this term 'skin' in place of 'clothing'. This isn't about clothing covering up perceived imperfections, it's more about stripping back and revealing our inner uniqueness, by coming back to what is real, much like a snake shedding its skin. This 'original skin' is the way I meet the world and how the world meets me, and how I celebrate and share my authentic expression.”

The gathering will also include a pot-luck dinner and arts & crafts tables where participants can sell or swap handmade/up-cycled arts/crafts or offer a service (in the form of a voucher) on a swap basis. 

For those who would like to be more involved on the day Vicky will be running two 'Skin Sessions' on Friday's 8th & 15th December from 9.30-11.30am in the Bluestone studio. During the ‘Skin Sessions’ Vicky will help you to create your own costumes, your own original skin,  for the Solstice gathering, using the techniques of eco-printing, natural botanical dyeing and up-cycling. 

The essence of these two events is to claim, value and share our gifts and stories, deepening connections to community and the promotion of local economies.

After completing their original skins, participants will be invited to share their own skin story which might include: story, song or dance.

To be held at PEACE Farm at the Summer Solstice Gathering on Saturday 16th December from 5-9pm with a simple ceremony marking this time of the year, the longest day and shortest night.

For more information contact Vicky Basdeo: 0417 985 713

www.peacefarm.com.au

About Vicky

Vicky has studied fashion design at both RMIT and Surrey Institute of Art & Design (UK) and Historical Costume Making. She was then apprenticed with an alchemical Scottish designer and later worked as performer, costume designer and maker for a salsa troupe called 'Salsa Diva'.

She has birthed many creative workshops including: Journey Dance - a 4 year long project run at MLC with year 10 girls combining yoga, art and self development, journeying through the five elements - earth, water, fire, air & ether; Mandala Dreaming - a women's workshop incorporating stories from Clarissa Pinkola Estes book "Women who Run with Wolves", Mandala art, dance and art therapy processes; and co-facilitated a 2 year long series called Bardic Body - a storytelling group fusing yogic postures and Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge of the body organs; also Inhabit the Rhythm - a year long songwriting workshop that incorporated many different creative singing and writing processes and culminated in wonderful community performance, where participants shared their songs as well as audience members voluntarily shared some amazing indigenous songs, preceded by Vicky's 'Snake Chant' - 'Adi Shakti'.

A mother of a six year old daughter, kundalini yoga teacher and member of PEACE Farm Community, Vicky is a passionate creator and educator and last year completed a Permaculture Design Certificate, which led her to design a range of sustainable clothing as her main design project. 

Her main motivation, moving from a very large home, to a tiny home and having to downsize her beloved wardrobe. This led to many questions: "why do I have so many clothes? what clothes do I actually need? how can I minimise my wardrobe without compromising quality, functionality, beauty and ethics?"

 Food for Thought 

 An Art Seed Pod Project - By Dianna Tarr

Orchids & Cabbage Exhibition

6 th -  30th Oct 2017

4 days a week Thursday – Sunday 10 – 4pm

This exhibition at Forestedge Stone Gallery in Kallista accommodates a permaculture nursery and offers a beautiful space in which to view Dianna’s mostly large-scale paintings of vegetables.

‘Food for thought’     Data Mapping - Artist in Residence   

21st of Oct from 11- 3pm 

Nestled within ‘Orchids and Cabbages Exhibition’ we find a unique and wonderful new venture, Dianna’s Art Seed Pod Project, ‘Food for Thought’, is a data mapping project that brings together her skills,  inspirations and explorations as an anthropologist and artist.

‘Food for Thought’ looks at the relationships between society and food and the food systems that sustain us. As artist in residence, for one day only, Dianna will provide a space for conversation and knowledge sharing. There will be opportunities to contemplate your own relationship with food and enter your data into a collaborative artwork, utilising natural paints made from egg yolk’s and ground earthen ochres.  

Forestedge Stone Gallery

74 Monbulk rd

Kallista 3791

&

Healesville Market

River Street Carpark

Sunday 5th November 2017

Event participation by donation - your opportunity to support Dianna to develop this unique and valuable research.

Dianna Tarr shares with us here some of her insights and inspirations about this fascinating Art Seed Pod Project. 

About - Food for Thought  - Data Mapping - by Dianna Tarr

As an anthropologist and artist I am interested in the ways in which human beings and cultures view the natural world.  Very briefly, this broad interest and questioning led me to research different cultural views of the natural world and thus the concept of personhood. Because the concept of personhood varies across cultures, what is considered as valuable and integral to ‘self’ also varies, thus there are vastly different concepts of nature. These views, according to Descola (2013) range from the dominant western naturalist perspective, within our society, to totemic, animist and analogist views throughout the world.  

 The predominant Western naturalist perspective, according to Descola’s framework is that personhood is highly individualised, separate from all else, and thus separate from nature.  This occurred through what is commonly called the ‘Cartesian split’, in which the separation from nature removed any intrinsic form of connection to the natural world.  As such nature, in a Western context, is often valued as a commodity and not for its intrinsic worth.  

 Through this past research I have begun to narrow and refine my research in order to look at the relationship between society and food.  The food systems that sustain us are driven by the natural world and being that much of western society is removed from nature and often values nature as a commodity, I question do I / we know where our food comes from?  Given population growth and climate change, how will we continue as a city / society to have access to ecologically sensitive, sustainable and resilient food sources?

 This ‘Art Seed Pod Project’ offers an opportunity for some preliminary creative research.  To open a space for conversation and knowledge sharing, and to ask some deeper questions that lead to a greater understanding of how people value nature.  Participants will have the opportunity to input their own data on a collaborative artwork, utilising natural paints made from egg yolk’s and ground earthen ochres.  It is my hope that through the collection and collaborative data mapping of consumption and waste patterns of fresh food that we will eventually end up with a strong creative visual representation.  It is also my hope to create data maps across Melbourne and its suburbs in order to get an overall picture of the city’s fresh food consumption.

 It could be said that the role of an artist is to inspire, stimulate and evoke responses in their audience.  I am interested in presenting information and data in a creative and accessible format, making community connections, and utilising creative frameworks in order to stimulate creative thinking and approaches to some of the world’s most ‘wicked’ problems.  

The exhibition at Forestedge Stone Gallery, which also accommodates a permaculture nursery, offers a beautiful space in which to show my mostly large-scale paintings of vegetables.  Along with the surrounding natural environment this may be the perfect place in which to stimulate an alternative consideration for the value of the natural world.

 Reference

Descola P, 2013, Beyond Nature and Culture, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

Contact Dianna

0413 687570