Octopus's Garden by Asha Sym
It’s a colourful, creative performance not to be missed – the Wearable Art Mandurah Showcase events will be held next month, putting an awe-inspiring collection of handcrafted garments into the spotlight.
Returning to the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre in 2022, the Wearable Art Mandurah Showcase will be a theatrical spectacle combining dance, design and audio-visual elements while highlighting the skill and ingenuity of the local, national and international designers behind the garments.
The premier Showcase events, presented and organised by the City of Mandurah, will be held on October 15 and 16 as part of the 2022 Mandurah Arts Festival program (October 14 - 16).
The Showcase garments have been lovingly crafted over the course of the year-long competition program, and are made from a huge variety of materials – from traditional fabrics to books, packing foam, surgical masks and teabag tags.
This year’s Wearable Art Mandurah competition attracted a record number of entries from emerging and professional designers. From there, 64 garments were accepted into the Preview ‘22 judging events in July, which were judged by a professional panel and presented to an intimate audience at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. During the judging process, each garment was professionally styled and modelled by Metro Agency.
The judging categories include Paper, Avant Garde, Tertiary, Youth and special conceptual category – Elemental. The are also special prize categories including Artist of the Year and the Creative Reuse award.
Following the judging process, the garments have been narrowed down to 39 pieces which will take to the stage for a spectacular performance in the Showcase events.
The winners of each category (Designer Awards), plus additional special prizes, will be announced at the Wearable Art Mandurah Showcase on Saturday, October 15 at 7.30pm. The Showcase on Sunday, October 16 at 1.30pm will be an accessible performance featuring audio-description, Auslan interpretation and small adjustments to the performance to suit young families and those with sensory processing needs.
Renowned producer, director and choreographer Helen Duncan will be the Creative Director behind this year’s Showcase events. Helen has an extensive resume spanning local, national and international projects. Helen brings a wealth of experience to the role of Showcase Creative Director, having previously taken up the mantle from 2014 to 2017, and is delighted to lend her artistic vision to this exciting production once again.
Wearable Art Mandurah is a year-long program, with selected garments also featuring in a number of exhibitions and activations throughout Mandurah.
Launching at the Wearable Art Mandurah Showcase on October 15 will be In the Fold – a Paper Category exhibition at Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery. This exhibition will feature six incredible garments made of 90 percent paper, created for the 2022 competition. This exhibition provides an exciting opportunity for the public to get up close to the amazing artworks and learn more about the way they have been created.
Tickets are now available for the unique Showcase events. To purchase tickets and for more information about the competition go to wearableartmandurah.com
