Friday 14 February 2014

Melbourne: KAGE's Forklift performance


After an absence of about 15 years, I was back in Melbourne for a few days stay, followed by more travelling to other cities. The Qantas flight was smooth (transit via Brisbane) and my first airbnb accommodation was good.

At the Melbourne Airport, I bought a return airbus transfer to the city centre, where the journey time 35 minutes.  At the bus terminal (or at convenience store), remember to purchase a myki card which will come in handy when you take public transport in Melbourne.

My first event for the day (aka Valentine's Day) was catching KAGE's Forlift at the Arts Centre Melbourne.




The few raindrops threatened the delay of the performance, held at the open space of the building. Thankfully, the weather held up and the audience were treated to a different kind of arts performance.

According to KAGE's Kate Denborough, Forklift is about "anti-stereotype, throwing caution to the wind and discovering something luminous where you least expect it"  The performance was presented by Arts Centre Melbourne.
The production itself did not have a strong narrative - a folklift operator's encounter with 2 objects that sprang to life after she had moved them around.  However the creative team had effectively fused acrobatic arts and dance and exploited the possibility of creating something interesting with a forklift.  It was an ordinary object that appeared in the most mundane place, and proved to audience that arts could be created in this manner.   The 6:30 pm performance drew a mixed group of audience, partly due to the novelty factor but more importantly, the arts centre's effort in attracting non-traditional audience.  The 3 performers and creative team exploited the machine and the site well, enabled us to see acrobatic arts in a new light.  The 60 minute performance was just the right length in sustaining audience interests.

A good introduction to those who were new to the arts.  Hopefully, this production could tour to other areas to reach out to more audience.




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