Striking portraits for performance space

THE Engine Room’s red doors have been adorned with the faces of local talent who bring creativity, character and charisma to the performance space.

The installation, titled Stages, is the making of central Victorian photographer Michael Wolfe.

He said the work was all about showcasing an industry that has faced significant challenges in recent times.

“Creative arts professionals, actors and performers have been amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic and this work demonstrates the changing faces of the Bendigo performing arts community,” he said.

“I asked each of these models to be expressive, to get into character, if you will. The result is a theatrically focused narrative featuring some of the users of this incredible building.”

A QR code is also included in the installation, which passers-by can scan to read more about the models and their organisations.

These include musicians and comedy acts, as well as youth theatre and dance companies.

Bendigo Pride festival director John Richards, who features in the artwork as one of 16 local faces, said The Engine Room was a personal favourite performance space.

“It’s intimate but still feels like you’ve had a night out at a theatre,” he said.

Acting manager of Bendigo Venues and Events, Jacoba Kelly, said the organisations represented in the street-facing artwork were varied.

“The diverse nature of these organisations demonstrates the scope of creativity generated in this well-loved and versatile performance space,” she said.

Sitting atop View Street, The Engine Room forms part of the red brick Bendigo Fire Station built in 1898 and for the past 30 years it’s housed theatre audiences in a black box-style setting.