PO Box 1389
Darlinghurst NSW 1300
Telephone 02 9319 5090
Mobile 0425 312 334
info@redroomcompany.org
ABN 35 103 464 446
MEDIA RELEASE
9 November 2009
STUDENTS ADD THEIR POETIC TOUCH
Dozens of Darwin high school students have been letting
their imagination run wild on verse to do with the oceans,
ships and maritime history in recent weeks as part of the national Sea Things
literary project.
Their collective work will now join hundreds of poems collected from commissioned poets and
the general public along both the east and west coasts of Australia over the past month to help
celebrate Australia’s entrenched love affair with the sea.
The works of pupils from St John’s College and other Territorians have been added to two
duffle bags that will travel this week to Thursday Island for a grand opening festival on 16
November.
A send-off ceremony tomorrow on Stokes Hill Wharf will involve readings by a selection of the
students and commissioned Darwin writer Sandra Thibodeaux, plus local writer Alan Whykes.
Sea Things is a scheme that aims 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.
“Darwin’s response to the call-out for poems and stories has been incredible, and all those
works will be a special part of what we are calling the ‘Big Revelation’ on Thursday Island,” said
Johanna Featherstone, the Artistic Director of not-for profit firm, The Red Room Company, the
project organiser.
“The contents are being kept secret to all, so we don’t know what contributors have been
saying. But given the nature of the travels we are expecting the works to contain many voices,
themes and surprises.”
People can still submit poems by email to bonny@redroomcompany.org until Wednesday
November 11th
.
Or:
1.
Turn up to the live events that occur at either the arrival or departure of the duffle bags
2.
Post them on the POOL website:
After events on Thursday Island the complete set of works will be flown to Sydney for a finale
public performance on Sydney Harbour on 26 November.
What: Poetry readings to mark the departure of the Sea Things Duffle Bag. Time: 11am
When: Tuesday, 10 November. Where: Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin
Media inquiries: Johanna Featherstone, Red Room Company, on 0425 312 334, or Graham
Cassidy, Cato Counsel, on 0419 202 317
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