A child opens the gate and steps into a garden. Months ago, she planted seeds – ideas, hopes, memories – and left them to grow. Will she take the obvious path, stopping to marvel at each plant in turn? Or will she explore, become distracted, and deviate to find something new? Will she follow the blackbird?

In June 2016, flautist Naomi Johnson and Forest Collective invite you to Blackbird in the Garden. This whimsical concert piece brings together music and dance in a multidisciplinary performance based on Andrew Aronowicz’s flute miniature series Following the Blackbird. Here, Naomi becomes a child in a strange garden brimming with musical gems, as she follows the trail of an elusive and capricious dancing blackbird. Come, join us at the garden gate, and ready yourself for this most delightful and curious journey of playful discovery.

The Project
We premiered Following the Blackbird for flute and live electronics in a recital in 2014. This year, we’ve been invited by Forest Collective to present the series of miniatures again, as part of a larger curated work. Each flute miniature will be paired with a contemporary chamber work, from both established and emerging composers. Part chamber concert, part installation, Blackbird in the Garden will invite audiences to experience the music we’ve chosen in a uniquely designed performance space. Drawing together an exciting team of musicians alongside a dancer who will embody the character of the blackbird, these performances will be presented at the Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, 24th to 26th June 2016.

The Funds
We are already excited to be supported by Forest Collective in the presentation of this project. Through this partnership, we have secured a fantastic venue at the Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, along with marketing and technical support, and key artist contacts.

However, in order to fully realise Blackbird in the Garden, we are seeking funding support from you. Your donations will go twice as far thanks to Creative Partnerships Australia’s MATCH program; every dollar you give to this campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to our target of $1540, giving us a total budget of $3080. These funds will be used for the following:

• Commissioning of a new miniature in the Following the Blackbird series
• Payment of artists
• Venue hire for rehearsal purposes
• Consultation with a visual artist to create a unique and engaging performance space
• Creating and lighting the performance space
• Documentation of the project for future performance opportunities

We value each and every contribution made to this project, and, in keeping with our philosophy of creativity and whimsy, every donation will become a physical leaf in the garden it has helped to grow.

We are particularly keen to talk with incredibly generous donors about further ways they can share in the creative process of this project. If you would like to find out more, please get in contact with us via the links provided.