 |
The Splash! Story - waterworks, communities and waterways Prelude
A call is heard from the island. Drums answer from the land. Visitors from other river catchments arrive and parade across the bridge, everyone dressed in the colors of water. Chapter 1 Our Gowiththaflow Town
On the banks of a river that likes to move around and change course, there is a mythological town. Each time the river moves, Flowtown just packs up and moves to another location. A parade of audience and participants, depicting the river, weaves from place to place on Chambers island to view the many different guises and faces of our town. Willy Wagtails try to lead us astray. Chapter 2 The Pouring of the Waters
Finally Flowtown comes to rest for a while. The Pouring of the Waters ceremony, hosted by the Glossy Black Cockatoo town mayor, is a ritual that honours the carers of the local environment. Environmental volunteers each pour a vessel of water into a common water pot, created by many hands for Splash!, amidst a display of water collection and carrying ceramic pots from many cultural inspirations. Chapter 3 A River Lament 3a Desolation
But the mangroves and vegetation are diminishing up and down the river; the mud crabs prevalent in old Murri time, have nearly gone; creatures are leaving, the sea grass has gone, the swans have up and left. The river is metaphorically drying up. The flow has stopped, the interconnectedness has been broken, the river meander can't weave. 3b Lament
A haunting lament is heard. Maroochy, the black swan, is singing grief from the top of a mountain. To bring back the swan, we need sea grass. To bring back the creatures we need to restore habitats. An Ark. To maintain diversity we need to preserve a diversity of habitats. The connections, the ripples. The river flow cycle and spin keep the river energised and healthy and the estuaries need the slow, cool mangroves. Chapter 4 The Kookaburra Laughs
The local Gubbi-Gubbi create fire and the Kookaburra laughs igniting celebration. The Gubbi- Gubbi dance about the connection between the animals and people. We celebrate; air, fire, water, earth. Chapter 5 Celebration - Get into the Mangrooooove
A grandiose finale explodes. Bring back the spin, the spiral, the cool slow groove, the natural river flow in all its different moods. Tree planters, water testers, environmental carers join the multilayered Mangrooove .......showing what we are doing towards this goal. We notice and honour the achievements happening around the Sunshine Coast catchments. We view images of what is still here. Some waterways are still healthy. Mangroves are seen again, creatures are
spotted from many places. The Sacred Kingfisher, a story of optimism, arrives on her annual migration. Huge puppets, dance, music, creatures, party time for the animals and people of the town and river. As the music dies to a gentle finish, the white screen is painted and a swan emerges from the colours. She has returned. Organic boats carrying the elements, are released....and we watch a shadow play depicting past, present and future, but which is which? 
| | The Splash! 2002 Story - waterworks, communities and waterways |
|
Email this page
Print-friendly copy
