PO Box 1389
Darlinghurst NSW 1300
Telephone 02 9319 5090
Mobile 0425 312 334
info@redroomcompany.org
ABN 35 103 464 446
MEDIA RELEASE
25 November 2009
BIG WAVE OF RESPONSE TO SEA THINGS
Neptune would be pleased.
Australians have responded to a call-out for their views on what the oceans and waterways
mean to them by submitting more than 300 poems, stories, images, videos and recorded messages to
the Sea Things project.
The six week long national project involved two duffle bags travelling on ships along both the east and
west coasts and collecting works of verse along the way. This “cargo” was expanded by works
commissioned from professional poets and submitted by members of the public online and through the
post.
The works were gathered and poems performed at stops in Hobart, Melbourne, Port Kembla, Byron Bay,
Brisbane, Cairns, Thursday Island, Fremantle and Darwin. Poems also came from Switzerland, England
and Wales.
The project aimed to build on Australia's maritime poetry tradition in a contemporary context, imagining
the nation’s sea history through new work that can be shared nationally and internationally through
print, audio, film and web forms.
The results of what Australians feel about the oceans surrounding them will be revealed and discussed
tomorrow at a finale performance on Sydney Harbour.
“Let’s face it, the sea invites intrigue and adventure, danger and politics. Not just the sea itself but also
the coastline, harbours and beaches…our island-continent speaks to rhythm, sound, image and
memory,” commented Johanna Featherstone, Artistic Director of project organiser The Red Room
Company.
“We thought what better medium to work in and on, and utilize to help lift the profile of verse and the
work of some of our best poets…and encourage the thoughts of the public at large.”
Poems were written on, among other things, sick bags, napkins, a hat, paper scraps, school exercise
books, embossed paper, coloured photos and laminated posters.
The works were evenly spread among males and females, and across age groups. Primary and High
School students were big contributors.
The combined distance travelled by the two duffle bags was 10,200 kms (5,500 nautical miles).
PO Box 1389
Darlinghurst NSW 1300
Telephone 02 9319 5090
Mobile 0425 312 334
info@redroomcompany.org
ABN 35 103 464 446
Published poets and writers taking part included:
Graeme Miles, Adrienne Eberhard (Hobart), Petra White
(Melbourne), Michelle Leber and Jenni Ivins (Port Phillip Bay),
Mairi Neil (Mordialloc), Luke Beesley (Brisbane), Sandra
Thibodeaux and Alan Whykes, (Darwin), Jewel Vercoe,
David J Delaney and Diane Andrews (Cairns), and Mark Miller,
Colleen Duncan, Ron Vale, Ali Smith and Casse Charlton
(NSW South Coast).
When: Thursday 26 November. What: Sea Things Finale Performance. Time: 6pm.
Where: The Royal Australian Naval Sailing Association, Sir David Martin Reserve, New Beach Road,
Rushcutters Bay
Media inquiries: Johanna Featherstone, Red Room Company, on 0425 312 334, or Graham Cassidy,
Cato Counsel, on 0419 202 317
The Red Room Company creates, promotes and publishes a spectrum of poetry by Australian writers, in unusual
ways. The company is not-for-profit and is supported by The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, The Australia
Council for the Arts, Arts NSW, The Ian Potter Foundation and The Keir Foundation.
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