WMS Digital installation at Pātaka 2021

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The digital installation of Where Memories Sleep recorded at Pātaka in July 2021

Because of the wrap-around scale of the installation, this video displays the full projection at the top and detailed views at the bottom.

Where Memories Sleep is an immersive cine-dance production that tells the imagined legend of the Aurora in Antarctica. Blurring the lines between dance, theatre, music and film this exciting installation is a creative output inspired by the 2016 Scott Base, Antarctica residency by visual artist Jason O’Hara and musician Warren Maxwell.

Extensively researched, the project draws upon traditional non-written storytelling from around the world, celebrating the international constitution of Antarctica while retaining a New Zealand perspective and adding a contemporary twist. It reinterprets the story of our scientific relationship with Antarctica with beautiful creative licence.

The narrative centred around the epic adventures of a young explorer who answers the call to venture south where she discovers an icy realm of exotic creatures, falls in love and is gifted the memories of the world by a powerful kaitiaki. It concludes with her return home leaving her heartbroken love to sing a song of lament so beautiful that it lights the night sky until her return.

Both Jason and Warren teach at Massey University College of Creative Arts and share a passion for encouraging and mentoring young people. This ethos can be seen in the outstanding team of young dancers and production creatives they gave surrounded themselves with to bring their vision to life.

The focus on inspiring and educating extends to include the environmental and scientific themes which fuelled the narrative.
The cast has strong female roles and a bias toward māori and Pacifica dancers. O’Hara says this was a deliberate act to give these young creatives a voice while hopefully helping to counter a low representation of women and māori/pacific people within science.

Credits:
Jason O'Hara is the Where Memories Sleep project lead and creative director. He is an internationally exhibited and awarded multi-disciplinary designer/artist. He has been to Antarctica twice and was instrumental in the 2011 art-science project "Kermadec - Nine Artists Explore the South Pacific". O'Hara is currently part of the "What if climate change was purple?" project, and the design team for the National Erebus Memorial with Warren. Jason is a Senior Lecturer at the Wellington, School of Design, Massey University.

Warren Maxwell, Composer/musician. Warren has been a professional working musician/composer for the better part of two decades (Trinity Roots, Little Bushman & ex. Fat Freddys Drop). He has taught as an itinerant tutor at various secondary schools and tertiary providers including NZSM and UCOL. Maxwell owns and engineers a recording studio where he composes for television and film. His group Trinity Roots was awarded ‘Best Roots Album’ at the 2015 NZ Vodafone Music Awards. Warren is Associate Professor, at the School of Music, Massey University.

Principal contributors
Director of Choreography: Conner Ooshcon Masseurs
Dancers: Ngaere Jenkins, Zaniah Fae, Samara Reweti, Joesph Tunupopo, Connor ‘Ooshcon’ Masseurs, Trent Omeri, Montell Nickel, Stela Dara, Jay Mita and Braedyn Togi.
Costume design: Sue Prescott.
Makeup: Alana Best.
Makeup assistant: Ellie Buchie
VFX: Ruben O'Hara
LED lighting: Antony Neven
Production crew: Lauren O'Hara, Morgan O'Hara, Rachel Neser, Adam Dransfield, Virginia Ghiglione and Durgesh Patel

Many thanks to Massey University, College of Creative Arts, Pātaka Art + Museum, Antarctica New Zealand, Creative New Zealand, University of Waikato and Space Place.

Many thanks to the dancers and crew of WMS Fulldome (2018): Renee McCarthy, Phoebe Smith, Aroha Watene, Jared Hemopo, Toa Paranihi, Jasmine Grace, Millie Gribbin and Grace Potter:

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