About

In Place is an upcoming invitational piece of work that champions native flora and fosters a deep sense of connection to the land of Narrm. 

An ambitious, contemporary circus work – In Place is inspired by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ complex understanding of plants and the environment. 

Working closely with the Royal Botanical Gardens and Iramoo Grassland Centre Nursery at Victoria University, four local plant species and their unique histories form the core creative vision of In Place, inspiring the physical circus skills and movements within the show. 

One hundred local community participants will be invited to receive one of the four native plant species and be asked to care for it over a year (successfully or unsuccessfully). It is intended that the participant and their plant grow alongside each other, discovering a deep connection with the land, the work and themselves.  

After this time, In Place will be presented as an outdoor work during Melbourne Fringe at Footscray Community Arts, and in partnership Victoria University. The plants will be collected and used as part of the set, with all one hundred on stage, regardless of whether they are full-grown or an empty pot. 

The opening night performance will be reserved for the participants and their mob who joined the company on this journey, followed by five performances open to the public. 

After this, the plants will become part of Footscray Community Arts’ native garden where they will continue to grow and tell the stories of country in the West.

This project is being presented in partnership with: