They are a Bay is a future visual memoir of Nairm / Port Phillip Bay. It reflects on Nairm’s long life. From their youth, through the turbulence of industrialisation and climate change, to a future where they’ve been granted human rights and are loved and cared for as friend and kin of fellow humans, flourishing in harmony.
If elements of the environment are granted human rights or alternate legal rights that rigorously protect the health and safety of nature, how might this impact climate action and ecosystem well-being? Could this evoke expanding and deepening relationship to nature as a friend to care for, rather than as a resource to exploit?
They Are a Bay was presented at The Bridge Kingston Arts Centre in 2021-22.
Concept, animation, video and projection design by Caroline Packham
Choreography and dance by Stéphane Hisler
Additional dance by Minna Lappalainen
Music by Cold Hands Warm Heart, Metre 10, Noel Griffin, Nctrnm
Climate Spiral graphics by Ed Hawkins https://www.climate-lab-book.ac.uk/spirals/
Kindly supported by The City of Kingston and Kingston Arts Centre
Human x Human explores the power of collective action. See here for info about the project.
Anthropic Augmentation is a projection performance work exploring an imagined future memoir of the Birrarung/Yarra River
It is the year 2030 and Birrarung has been granted human rights to enhance their protection. Who are they and what has been their journey? If elements of the environment are granted human rights how might this impact environmental health and climate action? How might we reconsider rights and existence? What is Birrarung's story and how might we care for them?
Credits
Creative director, projection artwork and projection design: Caroline Packham
Projection performance: Minna Lappalainen, Nick Wilson, Lachlan Plain, Aidan Min, Erin Hall
Transcendent Postie: Shane Savage
Dancers: Andi Coventon (Skate Odyssey); TJ Riddell; Minna Lappalainen
Music/sound credits: Metre-10, Noel Griffin, Steve Combs, Podington Bear, Nctrnm, Soft and Furious, Lobo Loco, Nick Wilson
Photos by Minna Lappalainen and Ollie Clifton
Project Partners
This project was seeded by The City of Stonnington and initially developed for Glow Winter Arts Festival 2018.
An evolved site specific version also focusing on The Yarra River/Birrarung was presented at Art After Dark 2019, Hawthorn Arts Centre, kindly supported by The City of Booroondara.
Special thanks to Port Phillip EcoCentre and Auspen.
Creatures from an imagined future subterranean habitat altered through climate change, emerge into the landscape. They glide over the landscape, bringing with them tales from an imagined future. What creatures live in this fantastical future earth? They have evolved at a lightning rapid pace beyond the realms of natural evolution to become surreal other worldly creatures. Their morphing anatomical features and skins enabling them to cope with a changing climate. These creatures have developed almost robotic mechanisms to defend themselves against climatic extremes, technological biological adaptations merge into their evolved bodies for comfort and survival. How can looking at imaginary worlds influence the one we inhabit?
Concept, animation and projection design by Caroline Packham
Soundscape design and cello by Caroline Packham, guitar by Lilith Lane, percussion by Minna Lappalainen
Projection performance by Minna Lappalainen
Presented at Gertrude Street Projection Festival 2017
Kindly supported by City of Yarra
Illuminate 2030 is a projection performance that explores climate change scenarios with local communities. Animated wildlife creatures, whose skins are alive with imagery created by our artists and local community, roam through the landscape. Side by side, interacting, we see two different future worlds colliding: one where climate change is addressed, one where it is ignored.
Each performance represents the local ecology of each location, reflecting upon a diverse range of ecosystems, urban landscapes, communities and climate issues. The aim is to capture what scientists, artists and participants imagine each region will look like and feel like in 2030 in each climate scenario.
Wildlife can’t re-engineer their habitat to be comfortable in a changing climate as humans can. Some will perish, some will migrate, some will adapt. Two creatures represent the beauty of fragile creatures who we will keep and care for if we address climate change. The other two represent wildlife species that might exist if we ignore climate change.
Localised interpretations of Illuminate 2030 were presented at Glow Festival 2016, EcoArts Festival 2016 in partnership with the Port Phillip Ecocentre, Gertrude St Projection Festival 2016; Ballarat Laneways Festival 2016 and The Sustainable Living Festival 2018 in partnership with ArtPlay.
Paintings were created using up-cycled paper and paints made from clays, starch and edible pigments and were composted at the end of the project.
Credits
Creative director, animation: Caroline Packham
Creative producer: Sue McCauley
Video editing and soundscape: Michael Buckley, Caroline Packham
Music: Qua
Projection performance, imagery, workshops:
Lachlan Plain, Zoe Dawkins, Minna Lappalainen, Lilith Lane, Dan Nunan, Adam Grossetti, Tom Milton, Nick Wilson, Lachlan Plain, Michael Buckley.
Interactive projection drawing at ArtPlay for the Sustainable Living Festival 2018 by Sensory Empire and at Gertrude Street Projection Festival 2016 by Video Architecture.
Climate scenario advice & imagery:
ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and Port Phillip EcoCentre
Documentation: Video by Michel Buckley, photography by Sabine Legrand
Project Partners
The project was seeded with support from City of Stonnington for Glow Winter Arts Festival 2016.
Localised interpretations were supported by City of Port Phillip and Port Phillip EcoCentre, ArtPlay and City of Melbourne, City of Yarra, Department of Health and Human Services, LiveWires and City of Ballarat.
Future Us is a projection performance that was created with children from Cubbies and LiveWires at the Atherton Gardens and Collingwood Housing Estates. The work embraces the notion that imagining the future, helps shape the future. The children explored their vision for the future and how they might get there. What do they desire for their communities, their environment, their education and their future careers? Children participated in a month long series of art workshops. Photo stories, paintings, collage, filmed movement, audio recordings and music that were created in the workshops formed the content for an animated projection work. The work was presented at Atherton Gardens and Collingwood Public Housing Estates and Emerge In Yarra 2016.
Future Us stills were prominent throughout Emerge in Yarra online and print marketing materials. Future Us was featured on ABC3 TV and ABC online.
Credits
Concept, projection design: Caroline Packham
Workshop facilitation and projection performance: Minna Lappalainen
Movement and artwork: Children from Cubbies and LiveWires
Video camera and editing: Danielle Karalus
Photography: Louise Miller, Minna Lappalainen
Kindly supported by The Neighbourhood Justice Centre and Department of Health and Human Services.
Walk explores our connection to nature as a place for contemplation and movement.
Concept, animation, cello music and projection design by Caroline Packham.
Wildlife illustrations by Georgina Ross.
Video editing by Danielle Karalus and Caroline Packham.
Projection performance by Caroline Packham and Minna Lappalainen.
Photo and video documentation by Minna Lappalainen.
Initially presented at Pinpoint Public Art Program 2014 kindly supported by City of Banyule.
Subsequent localised interpretations presented at:
Ballarat Laneways Festival 2015 supported by City of Ballarat
Gertrude St Projection Festival 2015
Glow Winter Arts Festival 2015 supported by City of Stonnington
Children and local community from Cubbies Fitzroy Adventure Playground and Atherton Gardens Public Housing Estate, re-imagined their neighbourhood by way of luminous large scale live art. Through interactive projection drawing and painting their own imprint was projected onto their home.
By Video Architecture with Caroline Packham, Minna Lappalainen and Simeon Buckley.
Presented at Gertrude Street Projection Festival 2014.
Kindly supported by City of Yarra and Department of Health and Human Services.
Concept and Projection by Video Architecture
House painters: Caroline Packham, Minna Lappalainen, Michael Buckley, Simeon Buckley.