Dance & Physical Theatre

The Birds

A special one-off outdoor physical theatre event at Abbotsford Convent.

FREE EVENT
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A bearded man stands with their hands on their hips looking upwards. It is a black and white photo and they are wearing a jacket.
Past Event

Image Credit: Matt Gleeson

  • Created and Performed by: BoilOver Performance Ensemble

  • In Association With: 5AngryMen, Alon Ilsar and Ciaran Frame

  • Presented by: The Abbotsford Convent

The Birds is a special one-off outdoor roaming physical theatre event set against the stunning backdrop of the Abbotsford Convent. This short piece of work responds to the very human experiences of searching for freedom from the cages we find ourselves in.

During this 60-minute performance, you will roam the convent grounds birdwatching and listening as performers from BoilOver and 5AngryMen appear and reappear, joyfully flock and disperse guiding you into the Sacred Heart Courtyard for a performance finale.

The performance will feature a striking sound world of native birdcalls played by the BoilOver artists on Alon Ilsar and Ciaran Frame's accessible gestural musical phone app, AirTune. Wearing smartphones, each BoilOver artist's unique movements will allow them to trigger different birdcalls of their choosing. Performers will also be wearing in-ear monitoring technology allowing for live direction and spontaneous happenings throughout the event.

The Birds blends dance, physical performance, circus arts and AI technology to create a compelling audio-visual work.

The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the artists who will also lead a creative practice workshop. Hear from artists with disability who will share their perspectives and experience of creating The Birds.

11am session: Performance
12pm session: BoilOver Q&A and Workshop

Please be aware that there are voting booths for The Voice Referendum at Abbotsford Convent on the day of this performance. This means parking is more limited than usual.
We encourage you to take public transport or ensure that you leave additional time for parking.

The performance will commence at the Convent Courtyard at 11am and conclude in the Sacred Heart Courtyard, followed by the BoilOver Q&A and Workshop at 12pm at the Community & Linen Rooms

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

About BoilOver Performance Ensemble, Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health

BoilOver is one of Victoria’s most exciting inclusive physical theatre companies that blends dance, physical performance, and circus arts into creating visually bold and captivating performances.

5AngryMen are a globally renowned public space physical theatre company. They have been collaborators with the BoilOver ensemble for the past 3 years. This latest collaboration with BoilOver, 5AngryMen continues to explore the connection between audiences and public space performance.
Alon Ilsar and Ciaran Frame are composers, sound designers and instrument designers working to bring accessible inclusive music-making experiences to the broader community, particularly those with disability.

sunburycobaw.org.au

  • Duration: 60 minutes

  • Event Accessibility: Deaf or Hard of Hearing Rating: Partially Accessible, English no barrier

  • Age suitability: G

  • Event warnings: Some Infrequent/Low Pressure Audience Interaction.

This performance is a non-seated event. Audience members will move with the artists through the open space of the Convent.

11am session: Performance
12pm session: BoilOver Q&A and Workshop

  • Free Event

*Prices are subject to change without notice. Standard terms and conditions apply.

Sessions: In Person Events

Date Time Venue

Saturday, 14 October 2023

11:00am

Abbotsford Convent - Courtyard Arches

 Past Event

Saturday, 14 October 2023

12:00pm

Abbotsford Convent - Community & Linen Rooms

Sold Out
 Past Event

Note: This session is a Q&A/workshop

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