Geelong objects to tell their stories

The city’s latest Arts Industry Commission project aims to answer the question: what would Geelong’s landmarks have to say, if they could talk?

Creative Geelong, in partnership with Barking Spider Visual Theatre, are inviting the public to discover the answers when The Object Monologues – Geelong launches online at noon tomorrow (Friday, July 16).

Six sites were chosen by the community, identifying objects that might have a thing or two to say about Geelong.

The fountain at Eastern Beach (voiced by Gretel Sharp); a horse on the carousel (voiced by Angie Hilton); the cartway door at the back of the National Wool Museum (Gore Place, voiced by Jane Bayly; a lion at City Hall (voiced by Benji Groenewegen); the rotunda in Johnstone Park (voiced by Tom Molyneux) and the pedestrian bridge at Geelong Station (voiced by Tom Halls) feature in this delightful homage to the city.

Key creatives on the project are Penelope Bartlau (writer and director), Vicki Hallet (sound design), Sarah Walker (photographer) and produced by Luisa la Fornara for Creative Geelong and Barking Spider Visual Theatre.

The Object Monologues is a free, geo-located audio experience, where the personality, idiosyncrasies and passions of six Geelong landmarks are brought to life through the wonders of the modern world.

It is Barking Spiders latest iteration of the concept, with the first launched last year across the City of Darebin in Melbourne.

The project will be delivered via the ECHOES interactive sound walks app, which is free to download.

“I conceived the idea of a whimsical ‘Object Monologue’ during the 2020 COVID lockdown,” Barking Spider artist, writer and director Penelope Bartlau said.

“I was thinking about how to share stories, how we can have enlivening and magical experiences that enable us to feel connected even when we are by ourselves.

“The Object Monologues – Geelong is the outcome of my musings.”

The project is supported by the City of Greater Geelong through the Arts and Culture Arts Industry Commissions, created following advice from the city’s COVID-19 Arts Recovery established in response to the devastating impact of the pandemic on the local arts, entertainment, creative and cultural industries.

“To bring to life some of the most loved parts of the city is yet another clever and creative way that our artists are reimagining spaces and places in Geelong,” Geelong deputy mayor and Creative Communities and Culture portfolio chair Trent Sullivan said.

“Take the time to rediscover these special landmarks and be entertained by what they have to tell you about living in Geelong.”

For more information on the project, head to the Barking Spider Theatre website.

For deaf/hard of hearing accessible scripts, email [email protected].