Last year, the biannual Cementa Festival (originally slated for production in October 2021) jumped a generation to May 2022.
This was not the end of Cementa21.
To honour the passing of Cementa21, we staged a virtual event in the spirit of (what would have been) C21 and from this online play-space evolved Cementa’s inaugural program of live-streamed live art.
Set design by Gus Armstrong | Photo: David Ryan
2021 was a time of great uncertainty. During the pandemic, Covid19 ravaged global populations and like many other arts and culture producers, Cementa was determined to care for the wellbeing of all our stakeholders: artists, audiences, art-workers, the residents of Kandos, and ourselves.
Throughout the lock-down winter of 2021, a nimble production team worked closely with artists to develop and curate a smorgasbord of experimental programming. We observed that care in online spaces requires a similar attitude to caring for Country IRL (in real life) and was mindful not to colonise virtual space in the same way that Dabee Country was stolen IRL. Sovereignty has never been ceded and So21 virtual space was held with great respect.
Livestream as waterfall, 22 Aug 2021 by David Ryan
The Spirit of ‘21 (So21) was live-streamed to the world on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th October 2021.
So21 is at once a memorial to the spirit of Cementa21, and a celebration of the irreverent, fun-loving and undiscouraged community soul of our artists and our festival.
Over the next few months, we look forward to sharing with you several remarkable live performances including a special divinity class with Sister Glitternulius, Wendy Murray’s workshop for poster-making activists, a fabulous backyard wild food hunt with Diego Bonetto, Shammgods launching their limited edition couture range, Kath Fries meditates while walking mindfully, a real-live journey into Tom Buckland’s neurology and other digital shenanigans.
Expect a fresh So21 segment to be dropped weekly.
NEXT SO21 POST | 31st August 2022 | Welcome to Country by Uncle Peter Swain
Our Host prepares at WAYOUT studio | Photo David Ryan
So21 production credits
technical producer: Gus Armstrong | social media moderator: Bridget Baskerville
marketing: Tammy Brennan | production manager: Gabrielle Bates |
general manager: Ed McEgan | graphic design: Huy Nuygen & Oskar Backent
creative producer: David Ryan | associate producer: Nina Stromquist | host: Alex Wisser
funded by CreateNSW