We are spending more time than ever looking down at the screens in our hands, but tonight we are being encouraged to look up at the stars in our skies.
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It has been months in the planning, organisation and construction, but Mother Nature will be the star attraction as Bundanon hosts Niteworks, a celebration of space, astronomy and the night sky.
“The night is half of our life, and this year’s event is a celebration of that,” said Deborah Ely, chief executive Bundanon Trust.
“We’ll be talking about everything from traditional Aboriginal cosmology, up to the latest scientific ideas about space.”
Niteworks this year takes over from the annual Siteworks event. Held each year on the picturesque Bundanon estate, this weekend will see a range of celestial-themed activities from stargazing sessions with celebrated astronomers and fireside storytelling, to art installations of UFOs and radiowave transmissions from outer space.
“Niteworks is about the real sky and the real night-time things that happen. It’s both the ‘real’ space, and the imaginary parts of outer space too,” Ms Ely said.
“We have some artists turning one of our buildings into a giant antenna, capturing sounds from deep space like a kind of artistic antenna.”
Camping facilities are available, with one of the entertainment centrepieces being ‘Celestial Radio’, a yacht covered in 60,000 mirrored tiles that will be sailed down the river broadcasting sound art pieces and music.
Also performing will be Jeff Duff, creator and star of Ziggy, the hugely successful production of David Bowie’s life.
“You can experience the night in an amazing way from this site. There is no light from the city or streets, because it’s out in the deep bush, so you have a spectacular view of the stars,” Ms Ely said.
Niteworks is on tonight, from 6pm-midnight at the Bundanon estate in Cambewarra.
For more information, see here.
