Eve Jeffery
Almost 40 Cathys took to the turf in Spinks Park Lismore yesterday for the yearly flaunting of the flaming red dress in the annual Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever event.
Held in locations around the world, participants recreate the music video for musician Kate Bush’s 1978 song Wuthering Heights.
Lismore event organisers Donna Starr-Walker and Linda White from Lismore-North Coast Flash Mob, say though it’s a fun event, it has a serious message.
The inspiration for the event began when in 2013 UK performance artists Shambush!’ took their wuthering flash mob act to greater heights in The Ultimate Kate Bush Experience.
The viral success of their YouTube video has started a movement and in 2016 many sister events called The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever began.
Melbourne organisers Katherine Brandenberger and Maybelline Taylor ran with the idea of creating an annual event to raise awareness of domestic violence.
‘Whilst I’ve had a lifelong love of Kate Bush and her song Wuthering Heights, when I read Emily Bronte’s book as a teenager, my teacher called it “A Great Love Story”, says Brandenberger. ‘I was shocked and fascinated by how deeply unromantic and twisted it was!
‘To me it is a bitter tale of domestic violence and abusive relationships. When I heard about this event my immediate thought was, even though this day is primarily a silly and joyful homage to a great artist, given the disturbing findings of our recent Royal Commission into Family Violence, wouldn’t it be great if we danced for the cause?
‘I’d love to see a sea of Cathys united in ebullient dance against domestic abuse, I think that would be a very powerful and beautiful message.’
Donna and Linda were very pleased with the turn out of Cathys turning out their toes and whisping and weaving across the park and are already looking forward to next year’s event – stay tuned.
Ooh, let me have it,
Let me grab your soul away,
You know it’s me, Cathy…
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