Colourful Collective aims to build a collective consciousness around social and environmental issues, through artistic projects using plastic waste as the main medium.

Projects presented & produced by Colourful Collective, in collaboration with artists, environmentalists and asylum seekers and other community members in Melbourne

School

of

plastic Fish

5th June 2020

UPCOMING EVENTS

PAST PROJECTS & EVENTS

BEFORE PLASTIC - A Colourful Collective documentary:

DEBRIS (2018/19)

D E B R I S is a multidisciplinary performance inspired by urgent environmental crisis and the power of the arts to invoke positive reactions on how our mindless plastic waste and consumerism destroys our planet.

DEBRIS transports the city-dweller to an echo of a tranquility only nature can provide, and interrupts this beauty with jarring imagery and sounds of plastic waste, reminding the viewer of those habitats which are most threatened by the colossal, destructive trail of plastic debris we are leaving in the world.

Past performances of DEBRIS:

Nov 2018 at Longplay Theatre

Feb 2019 at Magnet Gallery

Sept 2019 at Chapman & bailey Gallery

D E B R I S

DEBRIS set

Plastic Fish

Plastic Fish

Rose and Fish

Asha in performance

Erin in performance

Ben in performance

Rose in performance

Asha in costume

Audience interaction

Sophie w/ performers

Sleeping whale

Plastic fish

Soph & Alex 'speeching'

Soph & Alex divert from script

Erin, Rose, Asha in Costume

Rose, Erin, Asha in costume

Plastic fish promo shoot

Rose in costume

Poster girl

'More plastic then fish'

DebrisPromo.mp4

It is a stunning multidisciplinary collaboration weaving together footage of nature and plastic waste, a mini documentary with the elderly, hand-crafted recycled plastic costumes, plastic soundscapes, live music, dance and spoken word, to create a fluid and immersive performance.

Independent artists coming together to raise awareness of environmental crises. D E B R I S is presented and produced by Colourful Collective, and features collaborations with stellar artists of Melbourne’s live music and independent arts scene.

DEBRIS collaborators

Click photos to see artist bio

Rose de La Montaña

Rose de La Montaña is a fingerstyle guitarist with a love for solo Latin American guitar music, where classical and popular guitar styles meet.
Aside from her work as a soloist, Rose is also a dedicated private guitar teacher, and forms part of two exciting projects founded in 2018.
Firstly as bandleader and manager of Hermeto Magnético, an octet who uncover the music of the legendary Brazilian improviser and virtuoso Hermeto Pascoal,
and with Colourful Collective to present D E B R IS.

Asha Henfry

Melbourne-based flautist on the forefront of cross-genre, improvised music in Australia. As an honours graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Per- forming Arts (WAAPA), she masterfully merges her extensive knowledge of classical, jazz and world music stylings and challenges the traditional boundaries of the flute.

Erin Kersing

Erin is a Flautist and educator based in Melbourne with a Masters in Music degree at the University of Melbourne.
When she is not performing or teaching, Erin likes to draw portraits, spend time with her cat and alternative glasses of coffee and red wine.
More recently she has been performing in various ensembles, including Hermeto Magnetico.

Ben Hickey

A freelance writer based in Melbourne currently studying an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. Armchair anarchist and dilettante.

“A revelation.” – Benjamin Hickey

“Shrill political vitriol.” – Former Facebook Friend

“This is not my forté. Wait, that wasn’t my review.” – Housemate

“…trendy sniggering things that pass for laughs these days.” – Some Dude Called Flint Who Commented On A Post Two Years Ago

“…good…” – Dad

Julia Calasso

Julia is a performance artist, Actress, dancer,
and art director, originally from Brazil, based in Melbourne.
Founder of arts platform 'Always Uneven' she perceives art as a powerful tool to question aspects of our society and provoke critical thinking in the audience.

Rose de La Montaña

Rose de La Montaña is a fingerstyle guitarist with a love for solo Latin American guitar music, where classical and popular guitar styles meet.
Aside from her work as a soloist, Rose is also a dedicated private guitar teacher, and forms part of two exciting projects founded in 2018.
Firstly as bandleader and manager of Hermeto Magnético, an octet who uncover the music of the legendary Brazilian improviser and virtuoso Hermeto Pascoal,
and with Colourful Collective to present D E B R IS.

Asha Henfry

Melbourne-based flautist on the forefront of cross-genre, improvised music in Australia. As an honours graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Per- forming Arts (WAAPA), she masterfully merges her extensive knowledge of classical, jazz and world music stylings and challenges the traditional boundaries of the flute.

Erin Kersing

Erin is a Flautist and educator based in Melbourne with a Masters in Music degree at the University of Melbourne.
When she is not performing or teaching, Erin likes to draw portraits, spend time with her cat and alternative glasses of coffee and red wine.
More recently she has been performing in various ensembles, including Hermeto Magnetico.

Ben Hickey

A freelance writer based in Melbourne currently studying an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. Armchair anarchist and dilettante.

“A revelation.” – Benjamin Hickey

“Shrill political vitriol.” – Former Facebook Friend

“This is not my forté. Wait, that wasn’t my review.” – Housemate

“…trendy sniggering things that pass for laughs these days.” – Some Dude Called Flint Who Commented On A Post Two Years Ago

“…good…” – Dad

Julia Calasso

Julia is a performance artist, Actress, dancer,
and art director, originally from Brazil, based in Melbourne.
Founder of arts platform 'Always Uneven' she perceives art as a powerful tool to question aspects of our society and provoke critical thinking in the audience.

Audience feedback & reflections

Audience feedback & reflection

Audience feedback & reflection

Audience feedback & reflection

Audience feedback & reflection

Audience feedback & reflection

Audience feedback & reflection

Audience feedback & reflection

Colourful Collective

SCHOOL INCURSIONS

Watch our short film red carpet Entry for ACMI with our workshop series at Doreen Primary School

Curriculum Goals

To promote an ethical understanding around the problem of throw-away consumer society, in the context of social ecology.

To encourage critical thinking around solutions to the problem of a throw-away consumer society.

To provide a foundational understanding of sustainable design & technologies by illustrating how waste can be a resource and discussing the circular economy.

Colourful Collective

MUSIC

Gordon Koang

Gordon Koang with Colourful Collective

Gordon Koang

Alex & Sophie play fiddles

Alex & Sophie

'Asylum Seeker' by Gordon Koang, featuring his cousin Paul Biel and Colourful Collective!

Colourful Collective loves to dabble in music and promote musicians from marginalised backgrounds, in late 2018 we held a concert in collaboration with musicians who are seeking asylum in Melbourne; Gordon Koang (South Sudan) and Mani (Iran).

Update Gordon Koang and his cousin were recently granted their permanent residency, and we are soo happy for them!

Musicians

Click photos to see bio

Gordon Koang

Widely popular musician from South Sudan, Gordon Koang uses his musical genius to foster peace and harmony for the World at large. Inspired and influenced by traditional South Sudanese rhythms, Koang creates his own compositions weaving an underlying message that people should 'love one another' and 'strive for peace'. Koang is currently seeking asylum in Melbourne.

Paul Biel

Paul is a dedicated disability carer and part time accompanist for his cousin and friend Gordon Koang (Koang is blind). They are seeking asylum together in Melbourne.

Mani.

Iranian Musician seeking asylum in Melbourne. He prefers his identity to remain anonymous for his safety.

Gordon Koang

Widely popular musician from South Sudan, Gordon Koang uses his musical genius to foster peace and harmony for the World at large. Inspired and influenced by traditional South Sudanese rhythms, Koang creates his own compositions weaving an underlying message that people should 'love one another' and 'strive for peace'. Koang is currently seeking asylum in Melbourne.

Paul Biel

Paul is a dedicated disability carer and part time accompanist for his cousin and friend Gordon Koang (Koang is blind). They are seeking asylum together in Melbourne.

Mani.

Iranian Musician seeking asylum in Melbourne. He prefers his identity to remain anonymous for his safety.

BLOG

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Chapter 3: But what kind of business?

To those you do not judge us.

Starting a business with $0.

Chapter 2: From Little Things Big Things Grow

Colourful Collective: A History.

Gordon Koang

Widely popular musician from South Sudan, Gordon Koang uses his musical genius to foster peace and harmony for the World at large. Inspired and influenced by traditional South Sudanese rhythms, Koang creates his own compositions weaving an underlying message that people should 'love one another' and 'strive for peace'. Koang is currently seeking asylum in Melbourne.