By ALANA MITCHELSON
Geelong residents will have the opportunity for 10 seconds of fame when The Democratic Set returns to Geelong.
Bruce Gladwin’s team from Back to Back Theatre will capture four hours of film with the public invited to take part in the contemporary community theatre installation.
Participants could either prepare or improvise a short creative sequence to be shot in a purpose-built “neutral” set, he explained.
The Democratic Set had been filmed in more than 25 cities around the world to explore themes of equality, Gladwin said.
“The concept behind The Democratic Set is to capture amazing moments.
“People can sing, play an instrument, dance or simply stand still.
“We encourage people of all ages, too.
“It’s usually most effective when we get a variety of performers.
“What’s great about it is that the end result is completely reliant on who turns up on the day.
“You never know what ideas people will bring to the table and sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised with what people come up with.”
Each performer would have about 15 minutes to explain their idea and prepare before shooting their 10-second scene.
“The parameters are the same for each performer – there’s no star of the show as such,” Gladwin said.
“The film empowers anyone in the community to have a voice and to be seen or heard.
“We include everyone we film in the final product. The films are then published online to be viewed worldwide.
“People are welcome to come and watch the film in the making, even if they don’t want to feature in the film itself.”
Gladwin said his team had already locked in a 40-piece Geelong choir, a brass band and a bagpipes player.
He hoped to attract musically minded people and was especially keen to feature a drummer.
The Democratic Set will take place between 6pm and 10pm on Friday night, 6 May, at Geelong’s Old Courthouse Building.
The film will be available this month at democraticset.backtobacktheatre.com.
