Ripairian Livestream

Keywords

socially engaged art, socially engaged performance, live art, livestreamed performance, liveness, liveliness, place-based performance, environmental performance, ecological art, new materialism, performance studies, digital performance, technologically mediated performance, relational care, site-responsive art, urban waterways, river ecology, environmental humanities, immersive exhibition, community arts, participatory arts, ecological aesthetics, environmental stewardship, contemporary performance, creative practice research, Mandoon Bilya, copresence, public art, sustainability

Document Type

Performance

Date of Publication

2025

Research Statement

Research Background

This socially engaged artwork in conversation with a vulnerable urban waterway was presented as a livestreamed performance. Developed by 28 artists and Mandoon Bilya river system over two years, we responded to ecological and social complexities to investigate liveness and liveliness in a site where limits to access and its intrinsic affordances presented risks and opportunities.

Research Contribution

In an era dominated by technologically mediated performance, liveness debates in performing arts are imbricated with new technologies. New materialist perspectives deepen our understanding of place relations, but research has paid less attention to how material conditions and atmospheres of place participate in technologically mediated performance. Situated in contemporary performance studies and new materialist approaches to place, the research draws together these strands to investigate what constitutes liveness and liveliness in a place-based artwork centring relational care. By innovatively extending applications of now-conventional technologies (videoconferencing, smartphones) to livestream to a theatre audience, supported by an immersive exhibition the research demonstrates how technologically mediated performance can generate liveness and copresence in performance while protecting a vulnerable place. Our choices contrast with commercial and local government approaches to land management that externalise costs to riparian ecologies.

Research Significance

Excellence in arts industry and scholarly recognition:• Awarded $63000 cash & in kind (DCITS, MJAC, WAAPA)• 4 published reviews (SeeSaw, Garland, Dispatch); 5 additional articles• Invitations to present: University of Sydney Environment Institute Symposium; International Federation of Theatre Research conference• Invitation to contribute to Routledge book on Philosophies of Socially Engaged Art• Ongoing partnership with Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association.

Medium

Livestreamed performance

Publisher

Vahri McKenzie

School

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts / Centre for People, Place and Planet / School of Education

RAS ID

88750

Event Dates

28 September, 5 October 2025

Event Venue

Midland Junction Arts Centre

Duration

45 mins

Documentation Statement

This record presents a documented representation of the research output, including the research statement and associated contextual metadata. The creative work itself is not included. Where available, external links are provided to representations of the work.

Content Type

Documentation only

Recommended Citation

McKenzie, V., Terren, M., & Tytler, C. (2025). Ripairian Livestream[Livestreamed performance]. Vahri McKenzie

This record provides metadata only. No file is available.

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