Local help needed to co-fund script project

Community artist Margot Edwards is leading efforts to raise $5000 to fund six poets and song-women to adapt powerful local story The Tipping Point, into a soaring poetic performance script for production.

The Australian Cultural Fund is supporting the project with a matched-funding incentive on their crowdfunding platform, where all donations by June 30 deadline are fully tax-deductible and will be doubled up to the value of $5000.

Former Shire President, community arts worker and volunteer, Pam Townsend was one of 40 local women who helped create the story.

“I really feel that this project is part of us taking storytelling back and making it a community-based, organically grown story that we can craft to give us hope,” she said, during the fundraising launch at Fair Harvest on International Women’s Day.

“If we can imagine a beautiful future, we can make a beautiful future. If we just let doom and gloom and stories that are twisted take us over, then that’s where we’ll go.

“We need to create our beauty and take it forward. So, if it means a bit of fundraising … $5000 it’s nothing really … we can get this show on the road.”

Up to 70 locals have been exploring writing, poetry, movement, dance and puppetry, to unpack their climate anxiety together in the last 15 months.

Margot has been reaching out to locals with workshops and conversations during the last 90 days with the final event this Sunday evening.

Soup, Song and Soul invites locals to join a circle of conversations, while decorating bush masks with Caralynn Hoft, at Witchcliffe’s beautiful new venue at The Witch and the Windmill on Redgate Rd.

Songs and poems will feature throughout the evening with Miranda Aitken, Nina Suriya, Anu Grace and Ana Brawls, all who will be involved in creating the script once funds are raised.

“We have raised 25 percent of our target but now have under two weeks to reach $5000,” Margot said.

“We are appealing to locals with a pressing interest in changing the climate change narrative, or a personal connection to the project to help top-up our ACF campaign to the capacity they feel able.”

To make a donation before June 30, to support this story of hope, and the subsequent local community production, follow the link: artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn000005bapd/the-tipping-point-script-development