News — M~M

Extreme Arts

The journey of discovery begins at You Yangs big rock

As Mountain to Mouth 2016 approaches, we thought it was time to take a closer look at the Artists and District Coordinators who are guiding different aspects of the journey.

THE BACKGROUND: Six District Coordinators coordinate the twelve Songline Stations across the 80km walk in the Geelong and Queenscliffe regions. Each Station features a walking circle punctuated by an installation, which range from a mixture of audio, interactive, visual and performance arts that interact with and reflect the diverse environments they are set in. Each of the walking circles express the unique nature of its locality and community, playing a significant role in transforming the walk into a journey that encourages its participants to discover extreme arts and the surrounding environment.

SONGLINE STATION 1: YOU YANGS, BIG ROCK. The District Coordinator overseeing the development of the first songline station and walking circle at You Yangs Big Rock is Esther Konings-Oakes, a Geelong based artist who is passionate about the environment and her community. She brings a wealth of experience which includes a previous stint as a District Coordinator and artist at Mountain to Mouth 2014 and Geelong After Dark 2015. She describes the event as a mindful journey that is both literal and figurative, connecting people to the land through thought provoking art.

You Yangs Big Rock is a historically and environmentally significant site, described by Esther as a spiritual place that has been used by indigenous ancestors for thousands of years as a gathering place. It is geologically unique in its structure, with a granite rock base that features an ancient hewn rock well and mysteriously fertile soil that is uncommon for the location. 

You Yangs Big RockPhoto by Willie Wonker

You Yangs Big Rock
Photo by Willie Wonker

The first walking circle is designed by Kerrie Black, an indigenous artist from Geelong with Wemba Wemba and Wathaurong heritage, giving her a special connection to the local area and the land in which she lives. She believes art to be an important part of life, particularly in keeping indigenous stories alive for future generations and to educate the public about her culture and history with the ultimate goal of unifying the community through understanding.

Her installation, "Dance Circle & Fallen Feathers", is a contemporary ceremonial, ground in sand and decorated with bird patterns in ochre. The space is designed to echo the ceremonial spaces of the area that have been danced in for thousands of years. Large fabric feathers referencing the graceful birds, of which the You Yangs are home to over 200 species of, feature at the entrance of the Big Rock to guide walkers to the Gathering of the Elders ceremony at Dance Circle.

From here, the ephemeral sculpture, Canoe, begins its 80 kilometre journey carrying water from the ancient hewn rock well to the mouth of the Barwon River. This event marks the beginning of Mountain to Mouth's journey as a "contemporary songline". A songline is a path across the land recorded in traditional songs, stories, dance and painting. It is said that a knowledgeable person is able to navigate across the land by repeating the words of the song, which describe the location of landmarks and natural phenomena.

Gathering of the Elders ceremony at Mountain to Mouth 2014Photo by Anne Buckley

Gathering of the Elders ceremony at Mountain to Mouth 2014
Photo by Anne Buckley

This first songline station gives participants the opportunity to begin their journey experiencing something beautiful, meaningful and culturally significant, allowing them to connect with the land, its people and its history like never before.

Mountain to Mouth is Geelong's multi-award winning journey of discovery, an 80km walk over two days and 11 stages. Register now.

5 Minutes With M~M Artistic Director, Meme McDonald

Meme McDonald

Meme McDonald

Growing up in sheep and cattle country in western Queensland, Meme McDonald has always had an affinity with the land, and in 2016, she continues in the role of Artistic Director for Geelong’s Extreme Arts Walk - M~M. She speaks here to the crew at M~M HQ  about her passion for land, walking journeys and the Geelong region.

M~M HQ Crew: Meme, describe what M~M means for you?
M~M is a golden opportunity to walk the land. An opportunity to take part in a rare moment that only happens every two years, when it is possible to walk a pathway from the eagle’s view at You Yangs Big Rock to the watery mouth of the Barwon River. And to be inspired along the way with stunning vistas of industry, nature and extreme art in some rather unusual places.

M~M HQ Crew: How did M~M come about?
Extreme times call for extreme art. In 2007, I was engaged as Artistic Director of Connecting Identities by the Arts & Culture Department of the City of Greater Geelong.

My brief was to take the issue of the rapid change that municipality of Geelong was facing, with its sizeable impact on local identity, and create an arts programme that could have a positive effect on people’s perception of themselves and their place.

The first question I asked myself was, ‘what connects us?’ One answer is, 'the land'. I have a long-term interest and respect for the Aboriginal cultures whose footsteps we follow. The traditional songlines that criss-cross this entire continent are rich food for the imagination. Early discussions with elders in Geelong endorsed the concept of creating a contemporary songline – M~M.

In its pilot stage in 2009, M~M went up stream from the mouth of the river to the You Yangs. When we changed to go with the natural flow of water downhill in 2014, the whole timing of M~M fell beautifully into place. M~M2016 will consolidate this flow.

M~M HQ Crew: For those who experienced M~M2014, what is different about this iteration?
We are following in the footsteps of indigenous ancestors who walked songlines – walking journeys that stretched across the country – from southern Victoria to Cape York. At 80 kilometres, our M~M contemporary songline is a baby, barely born. It will take tens and maybe hundreds of years until it becomes a songline of significance. M~M2016 will see a consolidation of this songline and a strengthening of the extreme arts that walkers will experience along the way.

M~M HQ Crew: Why should people be putting M~M in their 2016 calendars?
M~M is an extreme arts walk - that is unique to Geelong, to Australia and perhaps unique even further afield. M~M is not intended to be easy. It takes courage to walk this land and to commit to such a physical challenge. But for those who take a chance, the opportunity to discover the region by taking an extreme arts walk, is a uniquely local experience that is not to be missed...

M~M returns 6-7 May 2016. Registrations will open soon.

M~M's Inaugural Think Tank

M~M’s inaugural extreme arts Think Tank was held on February 12th 2015 at the Arts and Culture Department in the National Wool Museum. Bold ideas abounded from the inspirational speakers and the gathering of M~M and Geelong After Dark Alumni of Artists.

It’s not too late to be a part of the Think Tank. We welcome your ideas and thoughts on the kinds of arts projects or themes that you would like to see embraced in future M~Ms or at this year’s Geelong After Dark on Friday May 8th. Please send your inspired thoughts on the form.

Check out the websites of the seven panelists who presented as part of the M~M Think Tank 2015.