Across Silence | Orchestra Victoria
Description
Across Silence is a collaboration the first of its kind in Australia. Delivered in Auslan, Walter Kadiki and Marnie Kerridge perform poems set to music and haptics.
Walter Kadiki is a master of weaving signed poetry and visual vernacular into poetic performance. He is known for his profound and engaging signed poetry and storytelling that bridges cultures and is accessible to deaf and hearing audiences.
In Across Silence, Walter’s powerful poem Little Fledgling is set to music composed by Andrea Keller, with the vibrational connection created via a vibro-tactile haptic vest worn by Walter in the performances as a key focus of the composition. This concert will also feature the world premiere of Little Fledgling #2, composed collaboratively by Walter and Andrea using the haptic vest throughout the compositional process. Songs from Andrea's Still Night album round out the program, signed by Marnie Kerridge and sung by Gian Slater.
This new collaboration between Orchestra Victoria and Newmarket Collective sees Andrea's compositions orchestrated by Mark Buys for chamber orchestra featuring musicians from both organisations featuring Andrea herself on piano, and singer Gian Slater performing alongside Walter and Marnie.
Throughout the performance, Walter and Marnie wear vibro-tactile haptic vests created by Music: Not Impossible. Consisting of a body pack, wrist bands and ankle bands, this state of the art technology allows the performers to receive vibrations across 24 touch points on the body by specially preprogrammed software, to feel the individual instruments and connect to the music live on stage. A number of vests will also be available for the audience to wear and connect with the performers.
Lineup
Walter Kadiki
Walter Kadiki is a master of weaving signed poetry and visual vernacular into poetic performances that bridge cultures and are accessible to Deaf and hearing audiences. He has delivered workshops in Deaf slam poetry for young people across Australia, worked with community groups, and collaborated and performed for the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Federation Square, the Melbourne Deaflympic and the Australian Parliament, among others. In 2017, Walter collaborated with US-based interdisciplinary dance and design company NOW-ID; his powerful poetry was the impetus and focus for their original contemporary dance–based piece ‘A Tonal Caress’, which was performed at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in July 2018.
Andrea Keller
Born of Czech parents, Andrea grew up in Sydney, Australia. She studied piano, flute and saxophone at the Sydney Conservatorium High School. Inspired by her older brother, she penned her first compositions at the age of 10 and received her AMusA with distinction on piano at age 14. It was around this time that she was introduced to jazz music and the art of improvisation. Continuing to explore classical, jazz and original musics throughout her teenage years, her musical path became more defined when she moved to Melbourne as a lone teenager in the 1990s to study improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts. Committed to creating new music with an emphasis on improvisation and collaboration, she has released twenty-three albums as bandleader since 2000, and has performed on many other albums, including those by the Black Arm Band Company, the Australian Art Orchestra, the Vanessa Perica Orchestra, Sam Anning Septet, and Eddie Perfect. Andrea has also been invited to compose works for a variety of artists and ensembles – most recently for ‘Across Silence’ (the art of music, Auslan and haptics), the Monash Art Ensemble, Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire, and Ensemble Offspring. Highly lauded for her music, Andrea has received numerous awards over her career. In 2022 she was the HC Coombs Fellow at ANU Canberra and received the Art Music Luminary (Victoria) Award. Previous recognition includes three ARIA awards, multiple Australian Jazz Bell awards, a Music Victoria award, multiple Art Music awards, the Merlyn Myer Composing Women’s Commission, the Melbourne Music Prize – Beleura Emerging Composers Award, an APRA Professional Development, an Australia Council Fellowship, and the inaugural MCA/Freedman Foundation Jazz Fellowship. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Music in Improvisation (Honours) from the Victorian College of the Arts, a Master of Arts (Research) from Queensland University of Technology and a PhD from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney University. A champion of Australian creative music and a nurturer of emerging musicians, Andrea curates Monday nights at the Jazzlab, runs the educational program Gender Defying Jazz and is Head of Jazz & Improvisation at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne.
Marnie Kerridge
Marnie has a Bachelor of Arts (History and English), Diploma of Education (Secondary), Post Graduate Diploma of Education (Special Education – Deaf), Bachelor of Education LOTE (Auslan), LBWR Alumni (Leadership Ballarat Western Region), and Foundations of Theatre Interpreting (Twice!). Her favourite shows are Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera – ‘I have a thing for pathos and doomed romances’. Her other favourite things are being a Ba-Nana (‘my grandmother name’), playing cricket, and Netflix Bingeing.
The Newmarket Collective
The Newmarket Collective are the dedicated session musicians of Newmarket Studios. Each bringing extensive experience in sharing stage and studio with Australia and the Worlds’ greatest artists, The Collective bring their collaborative energy to the unique, creative vibe of the recording studio.
Nicholas Buc
Nicholas Buc is an Australian composer, conductor, arranger, violinist and pianist, currently based in New York.
Orchestra Victoria
Orchestra Victoria is a transformative ensemble committed to bringing stories to life across ballet, opera, concert repertoire, musical theatre, film and video games. Built on a foundation of artistic collaboration since 1969, Orchestra Victoria is a dedicated partner of The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera. This deep-rooted spirit of shared knowledge and talent ensures our musicians are finely attuned to the drama inherent in every score and the ever-changing energy of a performance. Whether responding to a dancer’s elevation or a singer’s subtle shift in tone, our musicians move and play as one sound. This heightened awareness and openness to moment-by-moment inspiration makes our concerts truly special.
Accessibility information
Please don't hesitate to contact Orchestra Victoria directly on (03) 9694 3600 or info@orchestravictoria.com.au if you have any questions regarding venue accessibility.
For further information please click the accessibility button at the top of this page for detailed information on accessibility in the venue, and accessible transport options, including parking information. Please note any requirements that you and your guests may have when prompted and checkout.
About the Venue:
The performance space located at The Meat Market, a hub for creative arts and cultural events, on Blackwood Street, North Melbourne.
To see the accessibility options for the performance space (listed as the Flat Floor Pavillion), please view the Meat Market's Mobility Map.
FAQs
- Am I eligible for a concession ticket?
Concession tickets are available to holders of the following proof-of-concession cards provided that the card is valid at the time of purchase: Australian Government issued Seniors Card, Pension Card or Healthcare Card, State Government issued Seniors Card, or Public Transport Victoria Concession Card.
You may be asked to provide proof of concession to venue staff when attending performances.
- Does Orchestra Victoria support the National Companion Card Scheme?
Yes, Orchestra Victoria supports the National Companion Card scheme. For more information about the Companion Card, visit www.companioncard.gov.au. To book tickets using your Companion Card, please phone Orchestra Victoria on (03) 9694 3600.
- Is there someone I can speak to about my or a family member's specific access requirements?
Yes, please phone Orchestra Victoria reception on (03) 9694 3600 or email us at info@orchestravictoria.com.au to discuss your access needs.
- What are the seating arrangements at the performance?
Audience seating for this performance is general admission.
- Can my child attend this performance?
Orchestra Victoria are delighted when young people attend our performances. In order to ensure the safety and supervision of children in compliance with government child safety regulations, children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. Children aged 3 to 18 years are entitled to our Child price type.
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