Arts House to Stage REFUGE: Creative Preparation for Local Relief Centre

In an emergency situation, the home of Arts House - the North Melbourne Town Hall - is one of the City of Melbourne's eighteen designated Emergency Relief Centres (ERC).

Over a weekend in July, a flood disaster simulation event will take place where Arts House will host Refuge - a 24-hour artist-lead disaster preparedness rehearsal that will see the North Melbourne Town Hall turned into an actual ERC.

In an Australian first and over a five-year period, Refuge will directly investigate the role cultural organisations and artists can play in preparing and connecting communities as they brace for the increasing concern of climate-induced disaster.

Arts House artistic director, Angharad Wynne-Jones, explains that Refuge has been designed to open an ongoing dialogue as to how local communities and residents can collectively respond in the face of a disaster.

"At a time when communities around the world are affected by unprecedented natural and human-induced disasters, and as we stare the long emergency of climate change in the face, a conversation about preparedness, resilience and recovery could not be more pertinent," explains Wynne-Jones.

"As a community, how can we come together to collectively adapt to the real impacts of climate change? How should cultural spaces respond to such emergencies? What role should the arts, and artists, play in planning for such events?" asks Wynne-Jones.

In collaboration with Red Cross and Emergency Management Victoria, six artists, from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, have developed artistic responses to the needs and functions that arise within an ERC.

During the real-time flood disaster simulation setting the artists will investigate the provision of food; light and warmth; wellbeing; wayfinding/communications; and sleep.

Latai Taumoepeau will conduct bodies through action to make power in Human Generator 57 (Hg57) - one person is energetic and a collective body is a power station.

Kate Sulan will create Nest, an evolving landscape of nests and refuges built over the 24-hour period throughout the ERC, housing music for a disaster - music that inspires a sense of safety, hope and refuge.

Hannah Donnelly's response Dungin explores sleeping on country and acknowledging sovereignty in times of emergency and disaster, through listening, writing and sleeping between two fires.

Information Flood is Lee Shang Luns' narrative about the ways we communicate during emergencies and considers how technology has affected the way people experience and manage disasters.

A delightfully disturbing take on food distribution and regulation systems during periods of conflict, Dawn Weleski and Jen Rae's Fair Share Fare explores historical, contemporary (and inevitably) future food rationing.

Over the weekend, Refuge participants can expect to partake in games, build shelters, conduct search parties, listen to campfire yarns and taste a specially commissioned blend of Arts House tea.

Refuge is featured as part of the Performing Climates curated public arts and cultural program - a new partnership with Arts House and the University of Melbourne, which will run alongside and in conjunction with, the Performing Studies International (PSi) conference.

Arts House artshouse.com.au

Refuge http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/arts-and-culture/arts-house/whats-on-arts-house/Pages/refuge.aspx

Dates 9 - 10 July 2016
Times Saturday 9 July: 12pm-10pm
Sunday 10 July: 9am-12pm (community breakfast, 9am)
Address North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Tickets FREE Bookings artshouse.com.au or (03) 9322 3713

Photo Credit: Randall Hill