The beliefs of hundreds of Melburnians will be on display as part of a large-scale sound and visual installation coming to The Substation in Newport in May.
The world premiere of Belief System from Ranters Theatre will be held at The Substation on Thursday, May 4 from 6pm to 8pm, with the free installation then running until Saturday, May 13.
Ranters Theatre artistic director Adriano Cortese said the installation includes recordings from about 400 people sharing more than 5000 beliefs throughout the installation
“I wanted to make sure I knew everyone,” he said.
“I wanted to have some kind of connection.”
Created alongside Ranters Theatre’s Anna Tregloan during a number of months, each recording is treated as anonymous and arranged into thematic groupings, with each recording then travelling though the installation’s 120 speakers.
Cortese said the participants range from a four-year-old to locals 80 and above, with the installation features a range of beliefs covering spiritual, social, personal and future-based beliefs.
“I didn’t have any input into what they should be,” he said.
A small weather station fixed to The Substation’s roof will trigger the direction of the recordings through the space, with wind speed, direction and barometric pressure building different rhythms and intersections.
Cortese said the experience of listening and interpreting the participants’ beliefs for the installation is “very special”.
“It was a kind of privilege,” he said.
“Hopefully, the audience will feel a little bit of that.
“It’s our differences that unite us in some weird way.”
Ranters Theatre is a group of Melbourne based artists that have been making work together since 1994.
Details: thesubstation.org.au/program/belief-system-ranters-theatre
Matthew Sims
