rehearsing catastrophe: the ark in avoca
Watford House and garden and Avoca river flats, 2010
Projection of an ark onto house façade, sounds of thunder, internal projections onto windows and animals in pens on the property.
Performance of 120 local residents and other volunteers with own costumes who marched across river flats and queued to enter boat. Performers invited onto ark in pairs by boat attendant.
This series of performances for amateur volunteers began in 2011 during the 8 year drought in Avoca. Inspired by the possibility of the house as an ark, this series by Lyndal Jones was originally to be for local residents and their animals with the image of the hull of an ark projected onto the façade of Watford house, the idea was changed when a local resident grumpily suggested she would ‘never get a permit’. The idea was instantly changed to people-as-animals through the use of home-made masks and costumes.
Created and directed by Lyndal Jones
Boat attendant, Julie Forsyth.
Large-scale video projection onto house, window projections and audio by Chris Knowles.
Screen construction by Simon Pockley
Alpacas, goats and chooks lent by local residents.
Production assistance by Jo Dodds and Tony Dean
Documentation by Ben Speth and Megan Evans