Hello, I’m Gabi Orosz, the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Events Manager. I thought this would be a good place to tell you about my latest project – it’s been really rewarding to work on and is something I hope you will all find entertaining and stimulating.
Gertrude Street in Melbourne’s Fitzroy – it’s always a hive of artistic activity and a vibrant place to be, but maybe the chilly winter air is currently keeping you on the couch and indoors in the evenings. Well, here’s a good reason to rug up and head out after dark – the annual Gertrude Street Projection Festival is on this from this Friday 22 July to Sunday 31 July, and for the very first time, the Brotherhood will be part of the occasion!
So what is the Festival all about? Well, the buildings along Gertrude Street (or very close to it) will be used as canvases on which amazing light displays will be projected – moving images, photos, artworks, etc. Here are a few examples from last year’s Festival.
Here at the Brotherhood we’re calling our lighting installation ‘Faces of Fitzroy’, as it will feature portrait photos of some of the people who have relied on the Brotherhood’s help in one way or another over the years. They’re stunning shots, and I can’t wait to see them up in lights in the front windows of our head office building (at 67 Brunswick St, near the corner of Gertrude and Brunswick Streets) from this Friday night.
Of course it takes a load of technical expertise to get such a project off the ground, so I’ve been working closely with lighting and design specialists Bluebottle, who have generously offered their services to make sure our installation looks nothing short of wow!
The theme for this year’s event is Hidden: Places and Spaces. So how does this fit with what the Brotherhood does? Well, many of the people we work with are at risk of being socially excluded; of being hidden members of our community. One of the key things we do here at the Brotherhood of St Laurence is work towards building a more socially inclusive society for all: everyone deserves the right to be an active member of society, and we work hard to make this a reality.
Those wonderful faces you’ll see up in lights as part of ‘Faces of Fitzroy’ are representative of the many people the Brotherhood has helped bring out of hidden places and spaces to enjoy full, productive and happy lives during our 80 year history. It celebrates the cultural diversity and the rich and wonderful lives of people in this area.
So wear a scarf! Put on a beanie! Throw on your snuggie! Just be sure not to miss the Gertrude Street Festival this July, and especially the opportunity to see the faces of some of those whose lives we've helped to improve, up in lights!
No comments:
Post a Comment