Red Dust, Black Silk was not your typical usual sit down and watch theatre show.
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It wasn’t in a theatre for starters, and it combined two very different art forms for seconders.
And so on Friday night many people were intrigued to come along to North West Gymnastics hall for a joint production by Six Foot Circus’s Sabella Fuss and photographer Virginia Hills (who displays her work as Jemloco Images).
Both ladies are local and the show featured Six Foot Circus trapeze act hanging from the coloured silk while Virginia’s work featuring the iconic red dust of North West Queensland hung from the walls.
The event was part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival, a Brisbane-based festival that aims to take theatre out of its traditional environment.
Festival organisers contacted Ms Fuss about doing an aerial silk circus performance in Mount Isa.
“An aerial silk is a long piece of fabric hanging from the ceiling or when outdoors maybe a tree,” Ms Fuss said.
She then contacted Virginia Hills about a collaboration of their work and Red Dust, Black Silk was born.
“I loved the way Virginia brought out the colours of North West Queensland in her photographs,” she said.
The pair did a photo shoot at iconic local locations such as the Heywood Granite Mine and Sabella’s near namesake Sybella Creek a few months ago with her performing aerial silk trapeze hanging from trees.
Now nearing term for her second child, she was happy to let her students perform on Friday at North West Gymnastics which is their training home.
The performers were Lili Grimaldi, Keyanna King, Olivia Greenhalgh, Nina Barker, Maddison Dolzan and Sienna Hilton and while performing they were accompanied on violin by Kristina Glindon.
Ms Fuss said she was delighted with the event.
“It was a test for me to see what people think,” she said.
“I’d like to do something for Anywhere next year either back here or in some other space.”
Ms Hills was also pleased with the night. “I was happily surprised by the support we received,” she said.