Fishy tale helps bring Barangaroo Winter Camp to life

Illuminated fish, puppeteered by school children, will weave around trees and dart into local restaurants at Barangaroo as part of Vivid Sydney.

Raylene BlissEntertainment & Lifestyle Editor

2 min read

May 23, 2019 - 12:00AM

Inner West Courier Inner City

Illuminated fish, puppeteered by school children, will weave around trees, pop into local restaurants and take a curious interest in the crowds at Barangaroo as part of Vivid Sydney.

Each night during the Vivid Sydney, from May 24-June 15, Exchange Place will be transformed into a Winter Camp inspired by the changing seasons.

Nick O'Regan and Albert David with their glowing fish. They will be performing in Winter Camp at Barangaroo as part of Vivid. Picture: John Appleyard

First Nations choreographer and dancer Albert David said the changing seasons theme represented both the Aboriginal people’s winter journey from their inland homes to the coast where there was an abundance of food from the sea, including mullet, as well as the mullet’s own journey from their home in Sydney Harbour, where they spawn, around Australia and back again.

Nick O’Regan fom Marrickville-based Erth Visual & Physical Inc, which is part of the artistic collaboration team behind Winter Camp, said the storyline was an extension of last year’s Liminal Hour, featuring the six-metre tall Mirri Dyin – meaning “Great Woman” in the Eora language - who is back this year to share stories of the land and its relationship with First Nations peoples.

One of the largest puppets constructed in Australia, Marri Dyin, will hunt and gather along Barangaroo’s Wulugul Walk on Thursday – Sunday from 6pm to 9pm during Vivid Sydney.

Winter Camp will be a place to gather, reflect and honour the fact that Sydney stands on the land of the oldest continually living culture, according to Erth artistic director Scott Wright.

“With her return we are reminded of our responsibility to deeply respect and value not just one another but First Nations people all over the world, and of the intangible value of this country’s Indigenous heritage,” he said.

Marri Dyin is a feature of Vivid Sydney at Barangaroo. Picture: Steve Christo

“We are welcoming children into Marri Dyin’s nightly ceremony this year, because it is the children that will take what we share with them into the future, ensuring the preservation of ancient knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.”

The children featured come from high schools across Sydney including Marrickville, Kogarah, Burwood Girls, Mt Annan, Mosman, Penrith and Mt Druitt.

Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase said in 2018 Vivid Sydney welcomed 2.25 million attendees and delivered over $172 million in tourism spend to the NSW economy.