Art and stories to illuminate basement

THE basement beneath the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is opening to the public this month as part of an immersive live arts experience.

Presented as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival over 21-24 May, Lantern Vaults is the creation of artist Amanda Western.

Visitors will step below street level to move through a sequence of historic rooms guided by shifting light, sound and voice.

Drawing on research into the BMI’s past, the work shares stories shaped by the building and real people connected to it.

Western said small groups will encounter a series of scenes that unfold quietly and gradually in an experience that runs for about half an hour.

“This is about stepping into the building’s memory,” said Western who has collaborated with electronics engineer Zlatko Balazic and award-winning voice artist Tabitha Rickard to bring the show to life.

“You’re not just looking at history, you’re moving through it and meeting the people who lived and worked here.”

Western wrote and directed Lantern Vaults after being inspired during a tour of the BMI basement vaults.

it features her linocut artworks, some in sculptural form and others transformed into projected images by Balazic, in a move that is visually impactful but protects heritage-listed surfaces.

Bookings are free but essential due to limited capacity, with tickets through Humanitix.

A special paid evening preview on Tuesday 19 May offers the chance to take part in a conversation with the three collaborators.