Utp is delighted to invite you to a showing of Deity, a work in development by Travis de Vries.

Date: Wednesday 20 November

Time: 2-4pm (including post-show conversation)

Location: RS1, 5 Olympic Parade, Bankstown

About the work

Deity is a new film by Travis De Vries which explores the other within the idea of community. This concept of the other draws from ways of positionality within traditional community structures that include people who live apart from the core community. The folklore of the witch, the wise woman(or man), the shaman and spiritual beings of First Nations cultures have a certain level of fear attached to it.

The project will juxtapose the concepts of Artificial Intelligence as a modern cosmic horror entity with the reverence and complexity of a First Nations deity. It will delve into how both are perceived — as powerful, often unknowable forces, with AI embodying the unknowable terror of a cosmic horror, and the First Nations deity symbolising a potent spiritual presence, deeply connected to land, culture, and existence.

About the artist

Travis De Vries, founder and Executive Director of Awesome Black, is a versatile cross-disciplinary artist and award-winning visual artist.

Travis’s artistic journey spans from performing with Bangarra Dance Theatre globally to crafting bespoke community programs for Indigenous performers at the Sydney Opera House. His practice, rooted in storytelling, has manifested in solo exhibitions across the UK and Australia, blending various forms like paintings, drawings, projections, and experiential sculptures. By reinventing Indigenous and Western Mythologies, Travis explores themes of Indigeneity, violence, love, and more, creating a unique and familiar experiential style.

Travis De Vries participated in the ALWAYS: Call and Response residency during March 2024. This solo creative development project will build on work from the collective creative development.

Cover image credit: Teresa Tan

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Utp (Urban Theatre Projects) is a charitable institution and all donations over $2 are tax deductible.

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- Access Notes -

TRANSPORT

Public Transport – Utp is located very close to Bankstown train station. It is 300 metres, and about a 7-minute walk away. There are several crossings on this walk. Please beware that the Dale Parade car park generally has cars coming in multiple directions.

Parking is available at the Olympic Parade car park and Marion car park nearby. There is also a minibus drop-off zone at Dale Parade, 25 metres to the Arts Centre's main entrance.

VENUE

Wheelchair Access – You can enter the Arts Centre via the front of the building at Dale Parade. There is a lift that can take you from ground level to the courtyard. There is a ramp to get to all rooms but there is no ramp into the inner grassy courtyard. The step down from the courtyard is around 10cm high.

We will maintain wide and clear pathways at this event.

Accessible and all-gender bathrooms are in the foyer of Bankstown Arts Centre. There are also two more that can be accessed via Rehearsal Rooms 1, 2 and the Theatre. They are equipped with a handrail and an assistance button. A baby-change station is available in the foyer bathroom.

Guide Dogs and support animals are welcome at Utp and Bankstown Arts Centre. You can take them into RS1.

For detailed access information to the venue, please visit the Access page on our website.