The Rise and Fall of Saint George

George was a pioneer. A trailblazer. An icon. He was our saint. Two of Australia’s leading queer artists, electro-pop icon Paul Mac and playwright Lachlan Philpott, have teamed up with director Kate Champion to tell the story of Saint George through the eyes of our community at Hamer Hall – Arts Centre Melbourne this January.

A choice selection of collaborators, including Ngaiire, Joyride, Brendan Maclean, HANDSOME, Marcus Whale, Andrew Bukenya and Jacqui Dark, join him alongside a giant community choir. Merging song, text and banging electronica in a show of community, solidarity and freedom.

To celebrate the life of a much-loved star, a beautiful mural (pictured below) appeared across a wall in Sydney’s Inner West. It became a local shrine, bringing a smile to the faces of thousands of commuters who passed every day on the train. It stood for eleven months with no hint of complaint or controversy. The dark forces unleashed and forced upon our community by the Marriage Equality campaign changed that.

One day after we heard YES, a day to celebrate and heal after the divisive campaign, the mural was destroyed in a series of attacks. The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a celebration of queer achievement, a thank you to allies and an urgent call to arms to never let our hard-won rights go.