LINEUP

// Katie Yap

// Emily Sheppard

// Bowerbird Collective

// Mindy Meng Wang

// Donald Nicolson
PLUS DJ sets by Julian Barnsley & Oliver McIntosh

Our world is filled with contradictions: technology affords us the opportunity to be the most connected we’ve ever been, yet we are the loneliest society that has lived; we proudly say we are a global, multicultural community, and yet there are barriers everywhere we turn. Our own identities are fractured, containing multitudes, struggling to create a single whole.

MULTITUDES is an antidote to these breakdowns in connection

Created by violist and composer Katie Yap as part of her 2023 Freedman Fellowship, Katie brings together an eclectic group of Australian artists for a special four-concert event, each based around one of the bird poems by beloved Queensland poet Judith Wright—a love Katie’s mother shared with her, along with a love of birds themselves. Presented over three days at VENTspace, MULTITUDES creates an intimate space for genuine, vulnerable sharing through two of humanity’s greatest tools: music and storytelling.

Thursday 24 July

CONCERT 1 • Night Herons • doors 6pm, music from 7pm

Like Katie, Emily Sheppard is a violist and singer. Becoming close friends, Katie and Emily bonded through their shared interest in combining folk and classical styles through instinctive improvisation—Night Herons captures the ephemeral quality of wonder that characterises this decade-long musical relationship.

Friday 25 July

CONCERT 2 • Passenger Pigeons • doors 6pm, music from 7pm

Passenger Pigeons features Bowerbird Collective, an outstanding example of artistic activists, combining research of our most endangered birds with captivating music, in a collaboration exploring Katie’s own love of environment and combining it with music-making.

Saturday 26 July

CONCERT 3 • Migrant Swift • doors 1.30pm, music from 2pm

Guzheng player and experimental artist Mindy Meng Wang champions the fusion of Chinese traditional and Western art music. As an Australian of mixed Chinese heritage, brought up with little Chinese influence and no language, Katie has spent her entire life trying to find ways to connect with- and express her background. Migrant Swift connects their music making with a deeply moving and intimate exploration of their shared heritage and the migrant experience.

Q&A, Workshop, Party [FREE] • 4pm

Join us for a special Q&A and Workshop with Katie Yap and her collaborators. And amongst it all, head to the bar to relax, featuring DJ sets by Dots+Loops’ DJ Night Shift artists, Julian Barnsley and Oliver McIntosh.

CONCERT 4 • Black Cockatoos • doors 6pm, music from 7pm

The beauty of the viola’s sound lies in its imperfection, and the baroque viola in particular conveys a profound intimacy and humanity. Judith Wright’s Black Cockatoos evokes an urgent wildness that lends itself perfectly to gut strings and electronics. This concert sees Katie joined by harpsichord and synthesiser player Donald Nicolson to explore their shared fascination with the combination of ancient and modern music and instruments.

Tickets

To make sure everyone can join in, tickets are Pay-What-You-Can-Afford, minimum $20 per concert. We are also offering a special 4-concert pass for $60, which includes 4x drink tokens which can be redeemed at the VENTspace bar!

We encourage those of you with the means to do so to pay more, enabling us to put this event on while keeping it accessible to those in our community who may be experiencing financial difficulties. If it is within your means, our suggested ticket price is $40 per concert. Every little bit helps support our vibrant arts community and the amazing artists in the Dots+Loops family.

This event is Family Friendly. Children under 6-years-old may attend for free when accompanied by a responsible adult.

We have an allocation of free and discounted tickets available for First Nations people and any people who can't afford the ticket price. To access these tickets, please contact us or send us a message on the Dots+Loops Instagram for more information.

Accessibility

VENTspace is wheelchair accessible. Access from the street is via a flat, wide curb ramp. The street, footpath and access path to the venue have a slight gradient.

There will be a mix of seating options, including sofas, rows of chairs, bar stools, and floor area for standing. Accessible seating options are available for wheelchair users and disabled patrons. Patrons are welcome to enter and exit the performance space as they please.

There are no wheelchair accessible toilets at the venue — there are 3x gender-neutral toilets, which are accessible without any steps, however there is a corner that may be difficult to navigate in a wheelchair.

No strobe lights will be used. There will be coloured effect lighting.

Please notify the us of any access requirements at the time of booking. You can contact us or send us a message on the Dots+Loops Instagram. This information will be passed along to the Front of House team who can then reserve seats as required.

For more detail on venue access, please see the Accessibility Details page:
https://www.dotsandloops.com.au/venue-access/ventspace

Dots+Loops exists for all members of the community, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity or economic background. Our shows are explicitly safe spaces, with no tolerance for bigotry, racism, queerphobia, transphobia, sexism, misogyny, or ableist behaviours or attitudes

Acknowledgement of Country

Dots+Loops is held on Jagera and Turrbal land. We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners and pay our pay respects to Elders past and present. First Nations communities have been creating and sharing music, art and culture here for thousands of generations, and we recognise the important ongoing contributions they make to our music and arts scenes. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

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This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

Dots+Loops is an artist-led non-profit organisation which is able to run thanks to the support of our community of patrons, supporters and audiences. We are so very grateful to the many generous individuals that have made donations to Dots+Loops, your support makes creating diverse, inclusive and accessible adventurous art possible for our community. You can make a tax-deductible donation through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Dots+Loops is supported by the Australian Cultural Fund and our partners the VENTspace, Cre8tive Nations, QUIVR, and the University of Queensland School of Music.