DETAILS
SUNDAY 27TH NOV – SUNDAY 4TH DEC
OUTSIDE THE MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE
(CNR SYDNEY & GLENLYON RDS, BRUNSWICK)
Contact: brunswickbeach2011[a]gmail.com
PROGRAM OF ITEMS
SUNDAY 27th – Beach opens
MONDAY 28th – CLIMATE CHANGE RISK: Playwright Fregmonto Stokes and entrepeneur Alex Turnbull mastermind round 3 of their variation of the popular board game. See what happens in our near political future when the effects of Climate Change become unavoidable. (10am, dur: all day)
MONDAY 28th – SPASMOSLOP [a.k.a. Nik Kennedy]: A NOISE VORTEX for the end of the world concocted out of a potent beach cocktail, a mike and who knows what else. (7:30pm, dur: 30 mins)
WEDNESDAY 30th – CLIMATE CHANGE UTE MUSTER/RUN TO THE SEA: Richard’s country friends will join him for an attempt at the world record for largest number of registered utes in one place. Those politically opposed to this can join Sonja for a run to the sea (1:30pm, dur: 60 mins)
THURSDAY 1st – THE OCCASIONAL QUARTET AND COBRA DEMOCRACY: The sexy Melbourne-based Occasional Quartet will trial the process of consensus-based Democracy, systematically flashing naval flags at each other to create the best sound possible. (6:30pm, dur: 60 mins)
THURSDAY 1ST – CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR BRUNSWICK? This forum, run in collaboration with Zero Carbon Moreland, is about the here and now — how do we adapt to climate change today and in the near future in Brunswick? Bring your ideas and a beach towel to sit on. (7:00pm, 1 hour)
FRIDAY 2nd – UNTIL THE POWER RUNS OUT: Writer-in-residence Eli Glasman performs a laptop relay of events on the beach with autosave turned off. When the battery reaches critical, he will begin to read the document. When the battery runs out, the document will be lost forever. (4:30pm, dur: 4 hrs approx)
SUNDAY 4th - THE PHOENIX PROJECT: Local jazz/improv group The Phoenix Project, formerly the Moreland City Band, will attempt to find a musical phrase that represents Climate Change. Afterwards the phrase recorded into musical Christmas Cards and sent to Australia’s 10 heaviest emitters. Bring your instruments and be part of the impossible! (3pm, dur: 60 mins)
MONDAY 5th – Beach closes
The beach is a public space. If you would like to run an event there, you just have to make an inspirational appeal to us in the comment section. It will probably be approved, no matter how inexpertly it is pitched. Mind you, we have very high standards.
THE MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE
Mechanics' Institute in 1968. Photograph courtesy of the State Library of Victoria
...and in 1996. Photograph courtesy of Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria Inc.
- …and now
This is a lady I met outside the Mechanic’s Institute when I took the following photos. She was taking photos of roadworkers and I was taking photos of her. We exchanged stories — she was born in 1933 and grew up in Laura St around the corner. She was taking photos of the roadworkers because she’s seen the spot change so many times she wants to retain its chameleon history. She reckons she has photos of the site from the 70s but she doesn’t know where they are (bummer!)
She liked our idea of building a temporary beach on the corner but maybe my exuberance kind of excluded any other type of reaction.
The Mechanics’ Institute itself was built in 1868. Like other Mechanics’ Institutes across the colonies, it was a community gathering point and contained a concert hall and a lecture. Back in the Gold Rush days it was the first night stop on the way out of Melbourne to the goldfields — prospectors on their way out would camp there overnight. As trade in the area grew, the Institute was used for concerts, lectures, dances, receptions and meetings.
- Magazine cover design by Noel Counihan
- Mechanics’ Institute building facade and lamp
- Monument to Freedom of Speech (explained in next image). The Brunswick Beach will occupy the tanbark island behind the monument.
- Graffiti on the top of the floodlight
I really like her outfit.
The site seems great. (Shame we can’t do it at Hooper’s though)
Yeah she was rockin. Best pink coat ever! The site is awesome…
Hey Sonja & Rich,
It’s Justina (viola penguin from Lyndal’s quartet), I’ve just been talking to my ute muster friends and they were wondering what date/time exactly (is it the Wed 30th one?) They love the idea!
xx
Hey Justina! super and thanks a million, how many ute muster friends do you have, you lucky lady? Yeah Rich put 1:30pm, which is technically difficult because I am working then and will miss the event so I guess I will just run to the beach after work.
Reckon you can rally em up?
Hi Justina yeah what Sonja said. The Ute muster is my brainchild to compensate for a lack of representation from the country in the debate surrounding cliamte change. Maybe it’s important to let your friends know that although it is a utemuster we don’t want too many utes there because of parking restrictions and traffic congestion on Sydney Rd (I think they’re just 1 hour parks out the front of the Mechanics Institute)
it ain’t a great place for a ‘muster. Also it’s just a waste to have them come all the way in with their utes??
But I don’t want to discourage anyone from stuff. Also can you please ask them what actually happens at a utemuster apart from breaking the record?
There will definitely be someone wearing a bikini.
WEDNESDAY 30th – CLIMATE CHANGE UTE MUSTER/RUN TO THE SEA!!!!!!!
Hysterical!
Fantastic, I can not wait, the summer is kicking off in Brunswick, great work Sonja and Richard. Saves on travelling all the way to the beach to get some sandy action. Thanks
I am coming tonight hooray!
Can’t wait to see you there miss!