Crimson Rosella Creative Adventures is a new creative enterprise based in the South Coast of NSW. We’re calling out for expressions of interest from performers in our community (seasoned and aspiring) to participate in Dead Horse Gap, a new music and storytelling experience being created here in the Bega Valley. Help us make the show! We’re seeking adventurous performer/participants from the local community who are keen to learn new creative skills.

Dead Horse Gap is a dark trippy Western with music by Heath Cullen. It’s a noir comedy revelling in odd characters, surreal twists, fire and flood, set on the South Coast of NSW in the 1860s. It’s a ballad – told through actual historical and invented events and people – of the mysterious disappearance of an optimistic travelling photographer and a criminal adventuress. Drawn to the town of Dead Horse Gap by a mystery benefactor, Charlie and Addy soon encounter the outcasts, drifters and fortune-seekers of the Colony who form a desperate diaspora, oblivious to the dark secret of the Dead Horse Hotel. Until now.

Find out more about Dead Horse Gap on our website HERE

Q: Dead Horse Gap? Isn’t that a place in the Snowy Mountains? A: Well yes, it is. But we liked the name so much we’ve borrowed it as the fictional setting for our show.

Q: Who else is involved? Dead Horse Gap brings together a terrific group of professional artists and musicians, as well as community members from the South Coast region. You can read about the project and creative team on our website.

Q: How can I get involved? We’re seeking 12 adventurous performer/participants who will be Dead Horse Gap’s ‘chorus of outcasts, drifters and fortune-seekers’ in an intensive creative development process. Our 12 community participants will rehearse with professional actors and musicians to perform key scenes from Dead Horse Gap in a public showing at the Cobargo Showgrounds Pavilion.

Q: Any catches?
• There’s no cost to participation, but no payment either. Participation is voluntary.

• We do need a commitment: participant registration and full attendance on the dates below. We know this is a busy time of year, however this project demands some complex logistics and coordination of people, outcomes and documentation. We hope you’ll understand that we’re seeking everyone’s full availability for both weekends.

• You need to bring a sense of adventure, experimentation and collaboration, an open mind, voice and body. We’re looking for participants of all ages who are physically fit and ready to sing and move. If you can juggle or play an instrument, even better!

• Participants must be 18 years or over. Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate minors on this project.

• We’ll be asking participants to sign a video documentation release and to give us some feedback afterwards.

Dates/Activity

Weekend 1 – Sat 23 and Sun 24 Nov (10am-5pm both days) Cobargo Showgrounds Pavilion
We’ll be working on the set, diving straight into learning material and rehearsing key scenes from the production in readiness for the following weekend.

Weekend 2 – Sat 30 Nov and Sun 1 Dec (10am-5pm both days) Cobargo Showgrounds Pavilion
Community participants will be joined by the actors and musicians who have been rehearsing with us all week. We’ll introduce projections, video, lighting and sound into the pre-rehearsed scenes. Once we’ve shaped all the scenes in sequence with everyone, we’ll rehearse for our public Showing/Sharing.

About the Showing/Sharing: 4pm on 1 Dec
This showing allows people supporters and community members to see, hear and experience our progress so far on Dead Horse Gap. It enables the creative team to see which parts are working, and which need more work, and it is our best opportunity for video and photo documentation of the work for the creation of promotional material, grant acquittals, our website etc.

Send us an email: If you’re keen, or if you have more questions, email us an expression of interest to: community@crimsonrosella.com.au (Subject title: Dead Horse Gap EOI)

Tell us briefly (in around 300 words) who you are, about your experience to date as a performer (or even simply your interest and aspiration to perform) and what interests you about this project. Detail any additional access support you may require that will enable you to participate in the project.

Deadline for expressions of interest is 8 November. If we’ve missed anything here, just ask.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Lindy, Andrew and the Crimson Rosella team

 

Dead Horse Gap development in 2024 is supported through funding from the Regional Arts Fund, Create NSW and the Community Enterprise Foundation (Bendigo Bank).

Image from the Holtermann Collection, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales