Bioluminescence @ Cobargo Folk Festival 2026
Bioluminescence was back for the fourth year at the 2026 Cobargo Folk Festival
The first couple of days were a blur of activity as the Bioluminoids shot and edited video from around the site, recorded sounds and made strange soundscapes from them and wrestled the LED lighting rig to work with the laptop via a USB to DMX box. Our canvas this year was the amazing lyrebird inspired textile artworks by Nicky Hutteman who dropped in to talk about the work and its creation.
The weather had been hanging over us all week and so the crew made the decision to enact our Plan B which was to relocate the scaffold towers and artworks into the massive KidBargo shed that has been our workshop space. Projectors were installed, lights bolted on and everything wired up. We testec the DMX lighting rig, the soundscapes and the mapped projections. Plus the smoke machine!! We were ready to open from 7pm Saturday, turn on the flashing lights and welcome the audience to come and hang in our immersive audiovisual installation!
Sometimes a compromise isn’t so bad! In fact having to move inside the KidBargo shed was an excellent outcome! It meant that the Bioluminoids had their own space to fill with lights, projections of their videos, experimental soundscapes and smoke machines!
Sitting behind massive tables of gear they put on a 3 hour show that continuously morphed and changed and had people of all ages entranced with the shifting kaleidoscope of coloured light and strange sounds. The audience reactions went from spellbound to making shadow puppets to lying on the floor to take it all in.
There were tech failures that required quick problem solving, impromptu pop up performances like the LED juggling pirate, an appearance of the @eye_candy_portals Beyard and lots of fun had by every visitor who found the space. Again it is amazing how quickly young people pick up the complex technology and use it to create joy! Thank you @cobargofolkfestival for the opportunity! The crew are already talking about how next year can be bigger and better!
Bioluminescence is assisted by the Australian Government through @creative.australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
Bioluminescence is delivered in partnership with the @cobargofolkfestival and thanks to @eye_candy_portals for all their hard work!!