Stories of the Collie community the key behind The Bystander Project’s performance as part of Festiv Arty 2023

When most performing shows do a tour, it is a repetition of the same content in a different venue and location.

It is rare to have a production localise a show, let alone get to know the community.

But those two things are a key part of The Bystander Project, which will perform in Collie on Friday and Saturday night as part of a five-day festival celebrating arts in the town.

The show is a collaboration between Perth-based artists Mark Storen, Georgia King, Holly Garvey and Luke Dux, merging together original songs, photographs and stories to create a multi-sensory experience highlighting the experiences of Collie residents.

King said the idea for the project came from their background creating traditional theatre shows in Perth and then replicating them in regional towns.

“We kept getting feedback from regional communities that they wanted something that had a more meaningful connection to their people,” she said.

“We discovered the Headphone Verbatim style of performance from our colleague, Alex Nell, and thought it might be a great tool to help tell the stories of real people in a community.

“We added live music and photography to help tell those stories and elevate the stories of ordinary people.”

As part of the preparation for the performance, the team has spent the past three weeks in the town collecting personal stories from those who make up the community’s fabric.

King admits she has found the town “a little cold”, but have been enjoying their time in the community.

“The beauty of the nature has been a real surprise,” she said.

“We weren’t expecting that and the people, they have been warm, welcoming and friendly.”

The project has held shows in a number of locations across regional WA over the past three years, including Harvey, Augusta, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

When asked about how their experiences in Collie had differed from other locations, King said there had been “a real positive message” resonating within the town.

“Our sense is that Collie may have had a bad reputation in the past and the people who live here are aware of that, but don’t believe what you hear,” she said.

“It’s a lovely little town filled with people who are supportive and protective of their community.”

The performances make up just a small portion of Festiv Arty 2023, a celebration of arts, culture and the Collie community which begins on Thursday and runs through to Monday.

Other activities include a Sunday street fair, visual arts exhibitions, creative workshops and a trail of 12 open studios in the town and surrounding areas.

For more information, visit festivarty.com.