A ‘must’: Sacrededge calls audiences back to Queenscliff

GREGORY Lorenzutti does not think people should go to Sacrededge – he thinks they must.

The Brazilian-born choreographer and gardener will return to the Queenscliff festival for a third time this May, describing it as unlike anything else.

“There is such an interesting and engaging group of people living in Queenscliff,” Lorenzutti said.

“Sacrededge is such a special space. There is such a vibrancy, a positive energy, a supportive energy that is really inviting and keeps bringing you back to the place.

“It’s very special; I feel very lucky to be coming back.”

Lorenzutti will present Becoming Plants – Our Bodies as Ecosystems, a participatory work inviting people to move, reflect and reconnect with the natural world.

It serves as an invitation for people to experience their own bodies in motion, and to reflect on the way humans share their bodies with the space around them.

“My work is very much focused on understanding the ecology of the body and to experience our moving bodies, human bodies, as an intrinsic part of larger ecosystems,” Lorenzutti said.

“We talk about nature like it’s something that’s so far from us, from our realities.

“We are humans and we occupy this particular position in the biome that we live in. Nature is out there, something that we deal with, love, explore and exploit.

“My intention with this work is to bring our bodies back into the equation.”

Lorenzutti said no prior dance or movement experience was needed, and he especially encouraged those new to this kind of work to take part.

“People are so keen and eager to just be and put themselves in a place where they are unfamiliar by being very generous and open to an experience they might not have had before,” he said.

Lorenzutti’s work forms part of a broad Sacrededge program for 2026.

Now in its 10th year, the festival continues to platform diverse voices and perspectives through talks, poetry, music, movement and visual art, inviting audiences to engage in new ways of thinking and connecting.

For Lorenzutti, it’s an easy sell.

“They should go – they must,” Lorenzutti said.

“Do not miss this opportunity. It is just once a year for two days and if you miss one, you have to wait for another 12 months for the next one.

“You find things you are drawn to because there’s such a plethora of activities and opportunities to choose from.

“If you want down time, if you want to be with people that are doing good work, that have good things to say, I think it’s a great opportunity for people to recharge.”

Sacrededge runs from 1 May to 3 May.