Now Available to Tour!

Taking bookings from February 2024

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Tanabata: Star Village with Slow Art Collective

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This magical art experience inspired by the traditional Japanese star festival is perfect for all ages! Families and communities are reconnected by recreating Tanabata customs like writing ‘tanzaku’ (wishing cards) and engaging in special storytelling and craft workshops led by bilingual educators.

 

The immersive backdrop of bamboo, scaffolds, and colourful yarn crafted by Slow Art Collective* creates an enchanting ‘village-market’ atmosphere, where participants can add their works to the galaxy. 

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Tanabata: Star Village offers ways for us to remain hopeful and happy during times of uncertainty by making, writing, dreaming and wishing!

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This evolving participatory artwork is also perfect for sharing online.

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“With large-scale, participatory projects you’re placing a lot of trust in the curators to both manage a big audience and ensure the artists can deliver a high-quality artwork. With Tanabata they did it.

Slow Art Collective’s ‘village’ scaffold elevated the crowd-made work to a gallery-standard installation. It was a magical space, and engaged deeply with our audiences at the Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Observatory.”

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- Dolla Merrillees,

Former Director & CEO, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences

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“More than just ‘fun’. It beautifully combined play and creativity, with layers of meaning and culture.”

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– Ellie Power (mother)

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“There is nothing else like this in Sydney.”

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– Marilla Senti (participant)

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*Slow Art Collective is Melbourne-based Chaco Kato & Dylan Martorel.

Tanabata: Star Village was first commissioned by The Japan Foundation, Sydney.

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