Join the Fun Run (More Fun Than Run) at Arts Centre Melbourne!

Arts Centre Melbourne is inviting Victorians to participate in Fun Run - a joyful community display of endurance, performance and celebration on 12 March 2017. Artist Tristan Meecham will run a gruelling 42 kilometres on a treadmill at Arts Centre Melbourne supported by massive visual effects, a sizzling soundtrack, a silky-voiced MC and hundreds of performers and athletes drawn from the local community.

The free interactive spectacle is Arts Centre Melbourne's fourth project in the Betty Amsden Participation Program and the work of acclaimed Melbourne-based performance company All The Queens Men. There will be shiny lycra, gleaming muscles, bouncing pom poms and a massive Fun Run Flash Mob that everyone can join. It is a joyous homage to the Greek messenger Pheidippides who was sent to Athens to announce the Persian's defeat in the battle of Marathon, running the entire distance without stopping. The Betty Amsden Participation Program, is a creative program supported by a $1 million donation which celebrates the creativity in all of us.

As Meecham continues his non-stop treadmill journey, individuals and groups from the community who have a physical practice; such as dance, sport or martial arts will perform on stage to help give the Marathon Man energy and gloriously traverse the finish line. They might be senior disco dancers, taekwondo champions, powerhouse pole dancers, cheerleaders, roller derby packs, line dancers, female doyenne drummers and mixed martial arts experts.

Arts Centre Melbourne, with support from VicHealth and in association with Circus Oz, will bring the event to life with the help of the community who are invited to join the Fun Run Flash Mobs on the day and take part in free rehearsals in January and February - or perhaps practice at home with the help of an online instructional video. Fun Run turns ordinary moves into the extraordinary, with non-stop action from the beginning to end. Audiences can arrive at the start, middle or stay, play and dance their way through the whole event.

Arts Centre Melbourne's Creative Producer of Participation Patrick Cronin said "Fun Run brings together artists, communities and the public in an outdoor extravaganza where sport meets art meets dance party. We invite all-comers to join us in this extraordinary celebration of the every-person and our creativity."

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said "VicHealth is proud to support Fun Run to help get more Victorians moving through arts activities, which evidence shows can be a powerful vehicle to improve physical health, mental wellbeing and build social connection."

Circus Oz artistic director Rob Tannion said the Circus Oz team will "work in schools to empower kids who are facing more challenging circumstances and invite them to fall in love with and share the benefits that both circus and the arts can offer."

HISTORY OF THE BETTY AMSDEN PARTICIPATION PROGRAM

In 2014, the streets of Melbourne were filled with music as 24 pianos beautifully decorated by community groups graced the streets of Melbourne for three weeks over summer for anyone to play and enjoy in Play Me, I'm Yours.

In 2015, 7000 little wooden houses, all individually decorated by people from across Victoria to represent our feelings of home, filled our streets, parks, favourite city spots and social media for Home.

In 2016, in an Australian first the Dominoes project saw a 2 km chain of more than 7000 breezeblocks snaking through the city to bring Melbourne to a stand-still for one day.

In 2017 Fun Run will be the first to get hips shaking and bodies moving!

Arts Centre Melbourne presents

FUN RUN

By All The Queens Men

Project IV Betty Amsden Participation Program

Supported by VicHealth

In association with Circus Oz

Sunday 12 March 2017

Arts Centre Melbourne Forecourt

4.30pm - 9.30pm

Free public Flash Mob rehearsals in January and February - details to be announced soon on the ACM website

www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

FREE

ALL AGES

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