Local Host

Local Host is a program of new work development by three Western Sydney based artists/collectives.

We asked these artists to explore the theme Spatial Story Lab and consider how they might shift their relationship to space. What has followed has been a collaborative and fruitful process, leading to this testing session in which we take works in an early stage of development and test them with you.

A bit about the works...

The Geist by Challito Browne - 2pm and 6pm  

Audiences are invited to attend an intimate, local community arts exhibition. As their host guides them around the space, audience members discover clues left behind by a disruptive rogue agent: The Geist.

This Geist promises to lift the lid on a conspiracy cleverly concealed under the cover of ‘community arts’ and in doing so, open the doors to a better tomorrow for all of humanity. With no way for one audience member to gather all clues by themselves, the question left behind at the end of the exhibition is; can you work together to uncover the truth, and who can you believe?

A Serene Night’s Gleam by Liliana Occiuto & Bria McCarthy - 2pm and 6pm

An interactive multi-sensory offering that invites audiences to reconnect with play, imagination and respite. Using crafts, shadow-puppetry,  sound, lighting and storytelling we celebrate the beauty of the night sky and the sense of wonder that we all hold within ourselves. Offering moments of gentle revolution with a calm counterpoint to everyday chaos.

Canopy by Yana Taylor

In our urban environment, how quickly can we lose sight of the trees that surround us. In this new work, Yana Taylor explores the value that we place on the trees in the Parramatta LGA, and the real grief we can feel as they disappear. 

There will be two offerings: 

1pm - The Tree Walk, a guided tour hosted by Yana around some of the key trees in a small footprint of Parramatta. Bring your walking shoes! This walk lasts for 60 minutes.

2pm and 6pm - A reflection from Yana upon the walk earlier in the day, featuring further research and materials she has gathered during the process and shared within the 6pm session. 

Each session will be followed by drinks.