Fast Cars & Dirty Beats
FAST CARS is a community performance project that uses large-scale puppetry, comedic theatre and live music to explore diverse stories about the beating heart of Bathurst- the iconic mountain – Wahluu/Mt. Panorama and what it means to us all.
Over two years a series of events led by professional performing, visual and community artists will culminate in a high-octane brand new show premiering in February 2023. It promises to get your engines revving, your toes tapping and yours hearts racing.
MOUNTAIN TALES
Bathurst Winter Festival
Saturday July 2nd 5 – 9pm Tremain’s Mill
Mountain Tales is a magical, immersive event at Tremain’s Mill in Bathurst where unexpected local tales of belonging and beauty about Wahluu/Mount Panorama are shared around the campfire and under the stars.
Join the Lantern parade, groove along to the Fast Cars Drummers, watch the DIY film fest and enjoy food and wine to warm the cockles!
Featuring stunning new collaborative digital artwork ‘Wiradyuri Ngyirr Ngurambang– Sacred Country’ by local artist Nicole Welch Wiradyuri elder Aunty Leanna Carr-Smith, Wirribee Wiradyuri, with Director Kate Smith. Special guests- Maureen Bates -McKay, Alice Blackwood and Rob Shannon
LANTERN WORKSHOP + PROCESSION
Bathurst Winter Festival
Saturday July 2nd
Workshop 12 – 4pm – BMEC
Procession 6.30 – 7.30pm – Tremains’ Mill
Learn how to make beautiful, awe-spiring lanterns and giant puppets in one afternoon with Ikara Celebratory Events. Join the LANTERN PARADE with your hand-made lantern at Tremain’s Mills as part of Bathurst’s Winter Festival after the workshop and light up the night!
FREE event. ALL ages welcome.
No experience necessary.
Contact: boxoffice@bathurst.nsw.gov.au or 6333 6161
CREATIVE RESIDENCIES
Hill End + Bathurst 2021-2022
The FAST CARS project has developed throughout a series of regional creative residencies over the past eighteen months. These residencies have supported eleven professional artists to develop the production design, set and costume elements, lanterns, storytelling, scriptwriting and the creation of an original score and brand new songs for the site specific performance premiering in February 2023. Supported by Local Stages at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Hill End Residency Programme and Arts On Tour Residency.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Designer Annemarie integrated birdlife from Wahluu into the costumes, set and community lantern making design in response to writer Kate Smith’s comedic script. Lanterns are a source of light and we are imagining the lantern parade as flocks of birds, each lantern taking its colour and design from a single bird. We have chosen seven birds whose colours, spots, stripes, and speckles create a palette of colour and design. Each lantern uses fields of colour from that bird; stripes, spots or the whole bird. The flight and song of birds reminds us of coming together to dance and sing. Instead of darkening the sky at sunset, we will light the sky at night with our flocks of lanterns.
FAST CARS YARNERS
CALLING ALL KNITTERS + CROCHET CRAFTERS
June- October 2022
Supported by an Arts OutWest and a Country Arts Support Program grant, the ‘Fast Cars Yarners’ will create spectacular costume and set pieces with designer Annemarie Dalziel and the support of Kandos based artist Leanne Wicks, Joanne Albany of Rylstone and Michelle Bolt of Bathurst. Patterns provided and yarn donations welcome. Orr goal is to knit 300 beautiful native galahs, flounces for a drag queen costume and flower hub caps for the set! Pieces will feature in the premiere of the new musical FAST CARS & DIRTY BEATS in February 2023. Crafters can gather at The WAYOUT Cafe in Kandos or at The Victoria Hotel in Bathurst or create in the comfort and warmth of your own home! Get in touch with Michelle, Jo or Leanne for more information.
Leanne – songlarkstudio@gmail.com
Joanne – retroperspective@gmail.com
Michelle – scallymog.mb@gmail.com
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer/Director Kate Smith, First Nations Curator Aleshia Lonsdale, sculptor Harrie Fasher, designer Annemarie Dalziel, digital media artist Nicole Welch, physical theatre practitioner Adam Deusien of Lingua Franca and composer/performer Tim Hansen, performer Catherine McNamara, performer/ cabaret artist Jude Bowler, musician Rob Shannon, Community Artist, Phil Relf of Ikara Celebratory Events.
