Father and daughter ignite Geelong arts scene

GEELONG’s reactivated arts scene features live performances from a famous father and his daughter this month, with Skyhooks guitarist Bob Starkie playing a celebratory show of the band and Arabella Frahn-Starkie debuting her new solo contemporary dance work.

Pictures & Ghosts is the dancer’s first major choreographic work and combines mixed media with live performance in a show based on the idea of how to capture something – such as dance – that is ephemeral and living.

“I went back and did my Honours (degree) focusing on archiving and documentation, particularly because I’m a performer I used dance as a lens to view those concepts through,” Ms Frahn-Starkie said.

“How do you preserve intangible and ephemeral material, like historical dance, and how do you capture that?”

Working with a lighting designer, composer, photographer and cinematographer, Pictures & Ghosts explores the process of assembling recollections and traces of dance through the accompaniment of photography, video and notation.

“I’m predominantly a dancer for other people’s work,” she said.

“Working on my own is a very different experience than working with a team, but I did bring a brilliant group of artists to assist who I’ve worked with in the past.”

Her shows at Platform Arts are a week before her father plays The Wool Exchange, but they are linked by more than blood.

“Dad’s always been so supportive of me and I’ve always been so inspired by his dedication to the craft, he helped me build the set design for the show,” Ms Frahn-Starkie said.

“Sometimes I perform in work that he doesn’t really get, but he likes this work, which is good.”

Bob Starkie is very much the proud father, noting his daughter’s recent performances at the Venice Biennale and inclusion in others that have been staged in New York and Paris.

“I had tears in my eyes when I saw the show… it’s just phenomenal,” he said of Pictures & Ghosts.
A Geelong resident, ‘Bongo’ is similarly pleased with the talent he’s surrounded himself for the coming Skyhooks show that’s been 10 years in the making.

The band features Sean McLeod on drums (Taxiride), Kim May on bass (Hey Hey It’s Saturday band) and Laura Davidson on vocals.

“To be honest there’d be no show without Laura, I wouldn’t bother doing it with anyone else,” Starkie said.

“Guys just can’t cut it… she (Laura) has the range, Shirl had such a high range, he could go almost go falsetto; she’s scarily good.

“We’ve got the Skyhooks sound right down.”

Bob Starkie and band bring the Skyhooks to the Wool Exchange on October 15 and Arabella Frahn-Starkie performs Pictures & Ghosts at Platform Arts on October 6 and 7.