PROPEL PROJECTS SHOWCASE + AFTERPARTY

JERRAH PATSTON | GOING PLACES

Going Places is the live presentation of the new album by Jerrah Patston, made with collaborator Sam Worrad and producer Chris Hamer-Smith. Going Places is a song cycle of destinations including Kiama, the Nepean River, Old Bar and Springwood, although it's no simple travelogue; Jerrah’s lyrics touch on the comforts of home, the experiences of disability in the workplace, and imagining ideal locations. Visual accompaniment to the songs is provided via projected artwork from Liza Kaplan. Going Places is Jerrah’s second solo album, following on from Sounds Like Rain (2020).

MAIZY COOMBES | STRANGER TIMES

Violinist and singer/songwriter Maizy Coombes’ Stranger Times has created a rustic, cinematic soundscape beneath wholesome lyricism. Inspired by her experience with grief, intensified in isolation, and remedied by her circle of musical friends, this original work reflects the inner workings of the artist’s mind during a period of turmoil, rearranged over the top of calming strings. With a backdrop of art and images celebrating her community of creatives and range of performance experiences, Maizy has developed this piece into a loving tribute to the Blue Mountains musicians and creatives that have helped on her own performance journey.

KATYA PETETSKAYA | HEAD WHALE FIGURE TRANSFIGURE

A visual artist working in performance art, Katya Petetskaya, creates a new work responding directly to the Blue Mountains Theatre space. Performed by a single performer, the work takes the viewer on a dream-like journey to uncover the theatre space from a surprising angle. Often invisible or ‘unseen’ theatre objects are given new light and centre stage. Familiar travels to unfamiliar, funny becomes unsettling and a bat turns into a whale, the demarcation between the viewer and the performer is being questioned.

YALIA | PILOT

Dancer and physical performer Emily Yali and singer-songwriter and producer Alia Sharp have joined forces to create a sound and body work that explores themes of virtual reality, climate change and social isolation. Titled ‘YALIA’, this collaborative duo plays with the boundaries between music, theatre and dance in order to create a unique means of storytelling and give voice to the human experiences of whimsy, desire, loneliness and loss. Combining complex beat making and eclectic vocals with ethereal dance and video projection, this piece offers a glimpse into a surreal world that is unsettling, beautiful and at times, humorous.