The FIRING of “The Fortress of Fife”.
April 23, 2022 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Stratford arts trail and the opening of the 2022 Stratford Shakespeare Festival. In line with this milestone and the Dystopian theme a new sculpture will be added to the trail and located next to the Stratford Kindergarten.
With support from the Wellington shire council local sculptor Paul Gennings will be creating a large ceramic fortress with the building process taking place on site over several weeks through to the beginning of April. The highlight of the event will be the magical unveiling of the Sculpture while it’s still on fire. This style of public ceramic firing has not been seen in Australia since 1990 and the red hot 2m high fortress sculpture will be a spectacular event taking place from 5pm on the 23rd April along with festival style entertainment.
Come along and join in the free celebration as we create history in Stratford bringing our Arts trail out of the dark ages and launching our Dystopian festival.
‘SHAKESPEARE THROUGH THE AGES’
A 3km interactive experience created in 2012. An all abilities adventure in art, music and children’s discovery.
Image by Mick Sowrey
Thought Space 1:
‘The Globe’
Created by: Kathy Luxford-Carr
Stainless steel and local stone
Positioned outside the Literary centre of town Shakespeare’s globe indicates the start of the Arts Trial and highlights Stratford’s connection with the other sister city locations around the world.
Image by Mick Sowrey
Thought Space 2:
‘Unlucky Match’
Created by: David Howell
Ground Reclaimed brick and Mild Steel
Juliet sits perched on the balcony of her tower waiting for her Romeo.
Image by Mick Sowrey
Thought Space 3:
‘Garden for Humanity’
Created by: Stratford Community and “WOMB”
Timber, Ceramic and Cement Render installation
A collaboration of works created by the Stratford community, the Garden for Humanity is an evolution of local creativity and tells stories through indigenous art and other local creatives. It is truly a thought space in every sense.
Image by Gavin Roberts
Thought Space 4:
‘Torn Heart’
Created by: Gavin Roberts / Ken Free
Redgum and Galvanised Steel
Made from a local sacred Red Gum stump removed for road development “Torn Heart” tells not only of Shakespeare’s loves lost but the loss of heart through the destruction of our indigenous identity and history.
Image by Mic Sowrey
Thought Space 7:
‘Witches’
Created by: Gina Callander, Gavin Roberts
Mild Steel
Originally made by Gina Callander in 2012 the witches were and ephemeral sculpture that were replaced in 2021 with a work by Gavin Roberts. Macbeth’s witches sit around the original Cauldron.
Image by Shaun Anderson
Thought Space 5:
‘Tempest’
Created by: Anthony Powers
Mild Steel and Timber
The tempest is the most Shakespearean of all sculptures. In a major flood event Stratford becomes an island, This boat floats in the flood water shipwrecked on an island full of Magic and intrigue.
Image by Mic Sowrey
Thought Space 8:
‘Chink in Wall’
Created by: Kathy Luxford-Carr
Concrete and Hebel Stone
Wisper words of love or deceit through the mouths of the talking walls. Based on The Mechanicals scene in Shakespeare famous comedy Mid-Summer Nights Dream the talking walls have secrets to discover.
Image by Gavin Roberts
Thought Space 6:
‘Do you See what I see’
Created by: David Luxford
Concrete and Fibreglass
We all see things through different eyes, is “Boran” the big man looking into the distance or into the future. What do you see? This sculpture includes casts of the artists faces on the river side of the wall.
Image by Mic Sowrey
Thought Space 9:
‘Shakespeare’s Desk’
Created by: Gavin Roberts
Mild Steel
A place to write your own sonnets of comedy or tragedy on Shakespeare’s Stone Tablet, Or just sit in thought while watching the bustle of our little Hamlet.