A dream-like world filled with curious characters, live performances, a pop-up gallery and unexpected spaces, the suburban arcade of Watton St Plaza in Werribee is being transformed into RED ARCADE this December.
RED ARCADE has been created specifically for the Plaza by leading creatives Neil Thomas and David Wells – who have worked together for over thirty years including performances at events including the Sydney Festival, Perth Festival, Melbourne Festival and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival amongst others.
Their Urban Dream Capsule – which premiered in the Myer windows at the 1996 Melbourne Festival, was a durational installation performance which went on to be presented between 1996 and 2006 at a variety of international festivals and won numerous international awards.
“RED ARCADE is an immersive environment that people step into and forget themselves,” explained creators Neil Thomas and David Wells. “From the everyday into the extraordinary, the arcade will be transformed into a new world bathed in light and sound and fantastic imagery. It’s a holiday in our own backyard and Werribee’s finest folk, fable and fiction will be on display.”
“Neil and David are national arts treasures. From their work on the Urban Dream Capsule in the Myer windows which changed the landscape of installation performance in Australia, to their most recent artist in public places residency at Arts Centre Melbourne, they always create brilliant interventions that truly break the mould,” said Donna Aston, Coordinator of Arts, Culture & Events at Wyndham City Council.
“RED ARCADE is a large-scale community engagement arts project unlike anything seen in Wyndham previously. Our arts & culture team are working with community to transform Watton St Plaza into a creative hub with performance, art and participation to the max and of course something for everybody,” she added.
Wyndham City’s Mayor Cr Peter Maynard said that RED ARCADE would transform the space into a buzzing destination during the festive period. “Stepping into the arcade will feel like stepping into a new world, where the floor beneath your feet, the walls and even the windows are full of surprises,” said Cr Maynard.
“Local residents in particular, will get a real thrill out of seeing familiar spaces, of walls walked past a thousand times suddenly come alive with music, performances and fun. It’s fantastic to bring a project of this calibre and scale to Wyndham, pairing some of Australia’s most celebrated artists collaborating with local artists, passionate community members and businesses to bring fun and creativity to our city spaces.”
RED ARCADE
Watton Plaza, 28 Watton Street, Werribee
Continues to 9 December 2018
Information: www.wyndham.vic.gov.au
Free entry
Image: Red Arcade – photo by Imran Abul Kashem