events

Cobargo Folk Festival

March 22, 2023

Bioluminescence @ Cobargo Folk Festival saw eight students from Bega and Narooma High schools along with their teachers, plus one home-school student, joined Scott Baker and Isaac Lynnah on the first Bioluminescence workshop and event for 2023.

Energy and enthusiasm was high at the Cobargo Folk Festival site on Thursday as students participated in workshops covering an introduction to imaging technology including waterproof cameras, digital SLRs and a drone.

They engaged in different approaches to capturing the natural world around the site, settings to explore and how to get better footage through composition, body positioning and camera angles.

The team explored and captured video from along the creek and through the bush as well as some of the amazing decorations made by the Festival volunteers.

Using a variety of editing tools on laptops and devices including Adobe Premiere, Premiere Rush and iMovie, the team edited their raw footage into short clips and loops, changing speeds, adding effects and learning about video file formats and compression in preparation for the live performance.

Friday was focussed on performance preparation. Safety and site selection, video mapping techniques, projector technology terminology such as throw distance and how brightness is measured in lumens along with the safe operation of the technology kicked off the day. There were introductions to VJ software Resolume Avenue, a video synthesizer application called Lumen and then hands-on experience learning video projection mapping software HeavyM.

Friday night, after a feed from local Sitta’s Woodfired Pizza Van, the team set up at designated site, The Chook Shed, in the middle of the Festival grounds. Safe ways to run leads, connecting midi controllers, levelling the projectors and then finally mapping the massive wall of the shed were the tasks completed followed by a rehearsal including managing the light pollution from the rest of the site.

On Saturday the team met for more pizza at the projection site, undertook a safety briefing, were allocated roles and responsibilities, donned their high-viz vests and prepared for the performance.

The Chook Shed provided the perfect screen for the stunning, geometric, layered projection designed and executed by the young team who kept the content shifting and morphing for the two-hour performance.

They took turns operating the four different content stations – HeavyM effects, triggering their video clips using Resolume, manipulating the Lumen video synthesiser and providing an ambient audio background manipulating field recordings of the site using the iPad app Samplr.

When not operating the technology they engaged with the audience answering questions and talking about the skills they had just acquired.

The audience of all ages saw kids rolling and playing in the soft grass making shadow puppets, adults dragging chairs out to just sit and watch and others stopping to watch as they moved around the site.

An extra bonus was people engaging with Isaac Lynnah’s interactive wrist mounted projector – the Beyard.

Students said they had fun learning the technology and presenting the show. The participating teachers picked up a bunch of skills and also engaged in the performance while festival director Zena Armstrong dropped by and was thrilled, commenting that it added a whole new dimension to the festival.

The Bioluminescence Project is designed to empower young people, to expand the options for broadcasting their voices through developing their technical skills, give them hands-on experience in giving back to the community through performance and engaging them in the natural world around them.

Participating student James “was really engaged and excited by the whole experience. He was proud of his efforts and felt like he had finally found his kind of people.”

Final words from participating Narooma High teacher Christina Potts who says “as a teacher I was impressed at the level of new skills and confidence that our students developed.”

Bioluminescence is presented in partnership with the Atlas of Life and is supported for 2023 by the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation.

Montreal Goldfield

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March 22, 2023

Bioluminescence @ Montreal Goldfield Bioblitz was held over three days in September 2022, 2 days of workshops and 1 day of event delivery, students from Narooma and Bega High Schools, along with their teachers created a spectacular visual addition to the evening nature events at the 2022 BioBlitz, Montreal Goldfield.

Over the 15, 16 & 17 September 2022, Scott Baker, assisted by Isaac Lynnah and Jess Taunton, began workshops that culminated in a Bioluminescence projection event.

Students from both Bega and Narooma High Schools undertook 2 days of workshops, plus a day of setting up for the Saturday night performance.

10 students and 2 teachers joined facilitators Scott Baker and Isaac, with nature photographer/videographer Jess Taunton of Navigate Expeditions.

On day one, Thursday, students were introduced to the objectives, and underwent a short masterclass delivered by Ms Taunton. They captured some video footage of the goldfield’s environment, then edited and prepped the video for projection and mapping.

On Day 2, students dived in to the projection mapping and tried out the software. They planned for the Saturday event covering OH&S risk assessment, roles and responsibilities and mapped out the event. They then went out and began to set up the site, testing equipment.

On day three they set up the necessary leads, lights and projectors, and went over all the safety aspects.

They went over their shared roles of trail guides and video operation, and did a final set up and mapping fine tune.

Then came the performance.

The outcome was a visual feast in the bush surrounding the Montreal Goldfields History Centre. Though on a relatively small scale, it was plain to all that the future scope of such an event was infinite; that the mapping of trees and structures and the lighting, imagery and sound elements were just a taste of what is possible.

Some of the feedback from the students and teachers:

“Everyone should do this!”

What did you like best? – “The hands on learning of new skills”

What didn’t you like? – “Too short”

If this happened again what would you like to learn about – “Nothing else, just more time to

Practice”

Would you be involved in future workshops? – “Hell yes! Sign me up!”

Final thoughts from participating teachers were that students were really proud and excited about what they were able to create, and have had eyes opened to new possibilities.

The Atlas of Life was thrilled to be able to assist in the hosting of this event, a project that is all about skilling up young people of our region.

Crew & supporters:

• Lead facilitator – Scott Baker

• Technical support – Isaac Lynnah

• Video support – Jess Taunton, Navigate Expeditions

• Media & Promotion – Lisa Herbert

• Thanks to the volunteers of Montreal Goldfield

• In partnership with the Atlas of Life in the CoastalWilderness

• Supported by Inspiring Australia and the Atlas of Life – Far South Coast

Tathra Wharf

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March 22, 2023

The original Bioluminescence @ Tathra Wharf was all youth led stemming from a group of young people that were documenting the marine life on the wharf pylons before they were due to be replaced. The group ‘Life Under the Wharf’ wanted some way to be able to share the amazing biodiversity that was living on the pylons and group member Minka Waratah’s father, Luke Hamilton, approached Scott Baker to develop a way to project onto the Tathra Wharf building.

The Atlas of Life and Bournda EEC, and our Regional Science Hub joined in to assist in the presentation. Bioluminescence was born.

After the successful creative development these young people expressed the desire to do a larger event at the wharf after the pylons have been replaced, and to also take the program inland to share the experience and the skills with other young people in the region – to capture their environment and present it back to the community as a celebration of their environment with light and sound.

Words about the event by Lisa Herbert:

On a recent chilly night in Tathra, if you had wandered on to the historic wharf, you will have witnessed a wonderful moment as Atlas of Life and Inspiring Australia’s ‘Our Place Our Species’ project participants gathered under the setting sun along with the Regional Science Hub, Life Under the Wharf, Bournda EEC, plus various community groups, as we tested a concept along projection wizard Scott Baker and facilitators Navigate Arts, local musicians and synthesiser tinkerer Chris Korvin.

This was Bioluminescence, a pilot project involving spectacular VIVID style projections of ‘under the wharf’ marine life with all its glorious colour and fascinating creatures, onto the 160 year old shipping warehouse of Tathra’s historic wharf.

Using a 6000 lumen projector, images of the abundant sea life under the wharf flashed across the weathered boards, accompanied by music from Corinne Gibbons, while we were surrounded by the smells and sounds of the ocean beneath us.

Intrinsic to the project is a young Tathra woman called Minka and her dad Luke Hamilton, who on hearing about the wharf renovation lobbied Bega Valley Shire Council to mitigate the damage and effects of the renovation project and construction. Minka and Luke along with other local diving groups set out to investigate, document, collect data on and attempt to save as much of the rich marine life that exists on the under-water pilings as possible before the wharf renovation.

Attending the event was local Marine Botanist Nick Yee who has been advising the renovation project managers. He said “it’s important to preserve as much of the existing life as possible for re-colonising when the pilings are removed and/or cleaned in the planned wharf refurbishment.” He commented that community led projects like the Under Wharf data collection “help people feel like they’re doing something, that they are being proactive.”

Scott Baker, of Bermagui, projects images onto all kinds of buildings and objects, and he was surrounded by young people wanting to have a go on the software, Heavy M, so they could map onto the beautiful old Tathra Wharf building.

Mr Baker said “Bioluminescence is the perfect intersection of science and art. But even better is that it is grass roots and community led. Tathra locals shooting video under their wharf to share the biodiversity of life living on the wharf pylons. In the true spirit of ‘as above, so below’, the idea was to take the video and images and projection map them onto the wharf building.

“With a limited budget the decision was made to utilise locally accessible technology and push forward with a creative development to test the hypothesis of the idea.

“With a half dozen young people providing stunning images and another half a dozen on the wharf deck learning the video projection mapping process the building was mapped and the prototype was successfully delivered.

“The team are now seeking funding and support to deliver a larger public event for the community by the community.”

On the night, a couple of the fishermen wandered over to ask what was happening and where the beautiful images came from… “from right under our feet, right under these boards!” was the answer. The looks of surprise on their faces was priceless and somewhat satisfying. The huge illuminated images had worked their magic.