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Set to light up the winter night along the banks of Dyoondalup Point Walter, the City of Melville are warming up for the annual Melville Midwinter – a free artistic festival of the changing seasons and the winter solstice, during the Noongar season of Makuru, on Saturday, 24 June 2023.
In a celebration of life and seasonal change, eventgoers will be encouraged to pause, stop and begin again, whilst reflecting on the year that’s been and the year to come.
Now in its third year, Melville Midwinter is set to inspire wonder amongst its audience, with an evening filled with song, dance, theatrical and spoken word performances. The musical line-up, programmed by Lyndon Blue, will feature roving and station performances from Jet Kye Chong with fellow percussionist Euphina Yap, an installation sound work by Jake Webb and the compositions of Julia Wallace.
The hill will be brimming with new works
from Brooke Leeder and Dancers, story and shadow puppetry by Rickeeta Walley, up-close puppet work from Tessa Laing, and first time performances from recent graduates from the Stories under the Stars workshops, facilitated specifically for the event by City libraires and the Storytellers Guild of WA.
City of Melville Creative Producer Pete Stone said this year’s event is a chance to embrace the magic of the longest night of the year and revel in the warmth and light that comes with being part of a vibrant and creative community.
“As we approach the end of one season and welcome in another, it is important to take time to pause and come together to reflect on what has been and what is to come, through music, artistic performances and story-telling,” said Mr Stone.
For the evening finale, the atmospheric band and jazz ensemble, Vanishing Island Group, will perform never-before-heard music that has been specially composed for the occasion. Drawing inspiration from experimental, post-rock, the ocean and more, audiences can expect a memorable show that will capture the essence of the wintery night.
As in years past, the evening’s events will culminate with an invitation for audience members to partake in a symbolic gesture of new beginnings by taking a plunge into the cool, refreshing waters of the Swan River. Participants will make the awakening swim from the jetty to shore, signifying a release of the past and a resetting for the year ahead.
Mr Stone said he hoped the Midwinter experience would be a memorable one, with programming staff and co-curators, Anjea Travers, Marcus Dickson and Lyndon Blue carefully curating each performance to generate a thought-provoking response.
Details here: http://www.melvillecity.com.au/things-to-do/events/our-annual-events/melville-midwinter