Congress by All The Queens Men

Five people of different ages, genders and cultural backgrounds stands in a line next to one another. The person on the far left holds a microphone and stand. The person in the middle stands on top of a black box.

Presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy and Melbourne Fringe

Around the world, fuelled by conservative politicians and media commentators, the darkest side of nationalism has led to the public vilification of immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, Muslims, First Nations People, and – by extension – anyone considered ‘foreign’ or ‘other’.  

Congress intentionally works against stereotypical representations of the ‘other’ by providing a platform for direct address to the public. It puts faces and names and stories to ‘difference’, subverting dominant narratives of what it means to be living in contemporary society and our hugely inter-connected world.

Congress connects the personal with the political by match making citizens with professional wordsmiths. Ten professional writers and ten community members have been invited to meet to work together to write and deliver the citizen’s own first speech. Together, these couples have created first speeches for those often unheard; public declarations that address personal visions for our collective future.

Taking the form of a ritualised performance, intersected with community and cultural dance, this project unashamedly encourages citizens to agitate for change and transformation

 

Collaborators

Suzie Miller and Keria Leike
Benjamin Law
and Vidya Rajan
Alia Gabres
and Buster Murphy
Solomon Salew
and Ezeldin Deng
Carly Findlay
and Hannah Morphy Walsh
Cynthia Troup
and Geraldine Cook
Bryan Andy
and Davey Thompson
Richard Watts
and Ethan Pham
Melanie Joosten
and Helen Bayes

Artist Bios

LEAD ARTISTS – Tristan Meecham and Bec Reid are ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN

ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN create spectacular theatrical and participatory art experiences. Creative Leads Tristan Meecham and Bec Reid collaborate with and connect communities, audience and artists together in events that transcend the everyday. Passionate about the grand and the ridiculous, artistic connection and collaboration, All The Queens Men engages people from different backgrounds in the making and performing of their inclusive works in exciting and technically proficient art contexts. All The Queens Men seek to create experiences that encourage people to see and feel a place where art sits in their own lives by creating art which impacts far beyond artistic contexts. We share Coney’s belief that ‘the experience starts when you first hear about it, and only ends when you stop thinking and talking about it’.

Tristan Meecham is the recipient of the VCA George Fairfax Memorial Award, British Council’s Realise Your Dream Award and the inaugural Richard Pratt Scholarship. He is the Chair of Green Room Award’s Contemporary and Experimental Performance Panel.

Tristan completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts) at QUT and Bachelor of Dramatic Arts (Acting) at VCA. Currently he is completing a Masters of Cultural Leadership at NIDA.

Bec Reid is an Australian based performer, producer, director, choreographer and engagement specialist. Bec encourages people to see their world in new ways through highly physical, participatory, practical, collaborative and celebratory actions. For over 15 years, Bec has passionately worked in the space where professional artists and communities of interest meet; collaborating with community and artists nationally and internationally.

Bec has produced and performed for major arts Festivals and organisations nationwide including; Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and Next Wave Festivals, Foostcray Community Arts Centre, Dance House and City of Melbourne’s Arts and Participation Program. Since 2011, Bec has been a key collaborator with internationally renowned German theatre makers, Rimini Protokoll as the Associate Director of reality theatre juggernauts, 100% Melbourne (City of Melbourne), 100% Darwin (Darwin Festival) and 100% Brisbane (Museum of Brisbane).

Bec has continually served on various arts boards and regularly mentors young and emerging artists formally and informally. In 2016, Bec returns to the Northern Territory to create a large community dance project with Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre. She will premiere You Should Be Dancing, a large scale, keynote project for Brisbane Festival and perform at the inaugural Lost Lands Festival. Bec’s true loves are Staffordshire Bull Terriers and dancing.

PRODUCTION MANAGER – EMILY O’BRIEN / FIRST IN LAST OUT
Emily has worked primarily in Project, Production & Stage Management across a wide spectrum of live arts, performing arts and cultural events, including work with Melbourne Fringe on 2016’s laser projects Sky Light and White Beam by Robin Fox. Further past and present clients and projects including: All Tomorrow’s Parties, Aphids, Arts Access Victoria, Arena Theatre Co, Auspicious Arts, BalletLAB, Barkly Arts Centre, Black Lung Theatre & Whaling Co, Boogie Festival, Comedy@Trades, Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival (Melbourne 2006), Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, Do Lectures, Easy Tiger Smith St, Fed Square, Feel Presents, Film Victoria, Four Winds Festival, Harley Davidson Australia, Harvest Festival, Insite Arts, KAGE, Lucy Guerin Inc, Luke George, Madeleine Flynn & Tim Humphrey, Melbourne Festival, Melinda Hetzel & Co, Mixitup, Nat Cursio Co, Next Wave, Oz Comic Con, Peepshow Inc, Polyglot Theatre, Sans Hotel, Spicks & Specktacular – The Finale , Stuck Pigs Squealing, Tamara Saulwick, the Eleventh Hour Theatre, the Wheeler Centre, the Other Film Festival, the Village Festival, Token Events, Tristan Meecham and Westside Circus, amongst others.

Creative Team

Creation and Direction: Tristan Meecham and Bec Reid
Speakers: Vidya Rajan, Keira Leike, Helen Bayes, Ethan Pham, Davey Thompson, Hannah Murphy Walsh, Buster Murphy, Geraldine Cook, Ezeldin Deng, Barry T. Nguyen
Wordsmiths
: Benjamin Law, Suzie Miller, Melanie Joosten, Richard Watts, Roger Monk, Carly Findlay, Alia Gabres, Cynthia Troup, Solomon Salew, Terry Barnes
Dancers
: Lorna Hannan, Tama Tatau, Jungle City Studios, Orlando and Juno de Zwart, Wade Sera-Matiara aka Flyoi
Lighting and Sound Design: Nick Roux
Stage Management: Rory Cadman
Production Manager: Emily O’Brien.
Audio Description: Will McRostie, Description Victoria
Auslan Interpretation: Erin Gook and Paul Heuston

 

Image by Byrony Jackson

When

  • Sunday, 01 October 2017 | 08:00 PM - 09:10 PM

Location

Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre, 189 High Street, Northcote, 3070, View Map

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