WARRNAMBOOL’S Botanic Gardens will be transformed next month as part of a community art event.
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Dubbed Hangin’ In The Gardens, the event on September 21 is open to any individuals and organisations who want to take part.
Among those will be local vocal group the Red Tent Singers, who are in the middle of creating a huge collection of lanterns that will be hung from trees in the botanic gardens.
“Our installation is in support of the 230 Nigerians schoolgirls who were taken at gun point from their school (in April),” Red Tent Singers member Annie Murphy explained.
The group is making a lantern for each of the girls that was kidnapped, and Murphy said the issue was still just as important five months on.
“Not only is it so sad, but no more progress has been made,” she said.
“People have forgotten about it, but we want to bring it back to the fore that these girls are still missing.”
The Red Tent Singers will also perform a song called Bring Our Children Home — written by Murphy — and register their support with the growing online protest against terrorist group Boko Haram.
But the lanterns and song performance will be just one installation in Hangin’ In The Gardens, which has been organised by south-west arts collective Art4.
Art4’s Laurene Dietrich said the group received funding from Warrnambool City Council for a community art event in the gardens in the botanic gardens.
“Our definition of community art is where the community actually makes the art,” Dietrich said.
People or groups interested in making an artwork for the event must submit a plan to determine whether it is suitable for the day — artworks must not damage the garden, must be safe and able to be set up and taken down within an hour.
Art4 will be holding its annual general meeting at The Artery on August 31 at 1.30pm which will feature an information session on Hangin’ In The Gardens as well as a workshop session.
Contributors have been making plaits over recent months which will be used as part of the community art event, which takes place as part of the Friends Of The Gardens’ Spring Festival between 11am and 3pm on September 21.
For more information contact Dietrich via laurenedietrich@gmail.com or 0439 011 175.