The MardiGrass Organising Body (MOB) say Nimbin’s annual festival will kick off with the launch of a very special audiovisual book on Friday 3 May, Out There: a potted history of a revolution called Nimbin.
‘This is an exceptional effort by a very talented creative French couple who fell in love with Nimbin as I see it,’ says Michael Balderstone, president of the MOB.
‘They have spent years perfecting this book in an effort to catch Nimbin’s unique culture, photographing and interviewing 39 locals so you can immerse yourself and experience a multi-sensorial journey through their eyes.’
Out There will be launched in the Church of Aquarius at 2pm Friday the 3 May, with further happenings throughout the MardiGrass weekend in the Church at 90 Cullen St, including a photography exhibition and audio installation.
Including interviews, photography and art, the book ‘gives a strong voice to much of the philosophy and practices that have survived and flourished here while holding a lovingly realistic but inspirational lens to the Nimbin experience.’
Created by the duo of photographer Goff and musician Quentin Merlaud, the authors say, ‘This is the real Nimbin – naked, deconstructed and spontaneous – revisited through a unique concept that combines powerful photographs with poignant audio recordings and gripping soundtracks all individually crafted to each tale.
‘What’s more enriching than to have a yarn with rule-breaking visionaries, activists, dreamers, artists and self thinkers? Bursting with creativity and revolutionary ideas, a bunch of dreamers found shelter from the storm. With pure madness or for the sake of love, a small rural town started a big movement.
‘Out There chronicles 50 years of alternative revolution: the simplest, yet strangest journey ever undertaken; an insightful collection of 39 separate self-told stories that concisely capture different aspects of Australia’s counterculture movement.’
Craig Potton says, ‘Never before has this “alternative” community of Australians been so thoroughly documented with such style. It is not only authentic but it’s also a book full of love for its subjects, their philosophies, their sometimes seemingly wild and wacky ways and also their deep love of the land they and us depend on.’
Writer Gerard Hindmarsh said, ‘This book documents a never-to-be-repeated time that would otherwise quite likely be lost. A unique and vibrant look on a counter culture emblem!’
You can find out more about MardiGrass 2024 here.
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