Disparate and often unheard voices … that speak eloquently to a sophisticated Melbourne theatre audience
WORLD PREMIERE
How do we come to live in a particular suburb, a nation? How did wealth end up on the other side of the river, on the other side of the ocean?
Outer Urban Projects vocalists, dancers and string orchestra, cohealth Arts Generator, Neil Ieremia—Black Grace and guest artists combine forces to create Grand DiVisions—an urban cantata with tales of wealth, poverty, privilege, neglect and unexpected journeys of falling in and out of love with Australia.
Grand DiVisions is balletic and symphonic in concept and communal in execution. Beat boxing, Indian tabla, darabuka and gospel collide with a string orchestra, vocalists from hip hop and classical genres support and drive contemporary dance as rappers and spoken word artists strive to make sense of the grand divisions that haunt and enchant us.
CREDITS
Grand DiVisions features:
Director/Composer Irine Vela
Choreographer for Suburban- A Hip Hop Concerto, Neil Ieremia, Black Grace
Conductor Mary Johnston
Harpist Natalia Mann
Lighting Designer Gina Gascoigne
Sound Designer Siiri Metsar
Performers: cohealth Arts Generator’s MASSIVE Fam and Benchmark Crew Ez Eldin Deng aka Izzy, E'ldro Kon, The Rudy V, Josephine Inia, Paulfactor, Geskeva-Lola Komba and Mary Quinsacara, Black Grace dancers Joash Tuugamusu and Sarah Baron, singers Jeannie Marsh & Lisa Marie Parker, musicians Bikram Mahler, Mark Grunden and Ken Harris and from Outer Urban Projects Divine Favour Gospel Quartet with Fakaoho & Tangata Paea Tupou, Ruci & Joanne Kaisila, musicians Natasha Hanna, Josef Hanna and Eugenie Lyons with the Grand DiVisions String Orchestra, rappers, beatboxers and spoken word artists Kevin Nugara, Babz Samoun and Yung Philly, alternative jazz vocalist & neo-beat poet Ileini Kabalan, dancers Angela Baklis, Victoria Canning, JJ De Melo and guest artists.
Outer Urban Projects Producers Irine Vela and Kate Gillick
Photo: Miguel Rios