What can you turn into wearable art? The answer seems to be anything that you can imagine.
Shearwater is celebrating the the school’s fifteenth wearable arts extravaganza and is calling on creatives around Australia to enter costumes.
‘Costumes, which must be relevant to one of the event’s five sections, can be sewn, riveted, welded, glued, painted, collaged, knitted, woven, built and assembled from metal, leather, rubber, natural fibres, industrial waste and recycled objects,’ said Kate Hamilton the schools communications coordinator.
The title of this year’s event is ‘Homecoming: Labyrinth of Twists and Turns’. Entries will be assessed by a panel of independent industry judges and vie for a prize pool of almost $8,000, making the event one of Australia’s largest.
According to WAVE (Wearable Arts Vision in Education), production coordinator Joshua Rushton, it is always an exciting moment when the intricate and extravagant garments begin arriving at the school, where they are embraced by the student-led production, an all-singing all-dancing theatrical spectacular.
‘The story is always drawn from the life of teaching and learning and is deeply concerned with the passage of students from adolescence to adulthood,’ says Rushton.
A highlight of the school’s performing arts calendar, the event is also a ton of fun, with around 200 students taking on roles as musicians, actors, writers, filmmakers and editors, lighting and audio technicians, carpenters, dancers, singers, tailors, artists, set and prop designers and makers, choreographers, photographers, graphic designers, stage hands, models, judges, ushers, and caterers.
‘The students’ engagement in the experience teaches them logic, consequences and cause and effect; encourages and fosters heartfelt idealism and cultivates will, so they can go into the world as responsible, confident and capable adults,’ said Rushton.
The performances will take place from November 7 to 10. All entry forms must be received by October 16. A late entry fee will apply to entry forms received after September 27. Closing date for costume entries is October 22.
See the Shearwater performing arts website for section descriptions and an entry form for the 2018 event, as well as an explanation of what defines wearable art and photos and video of previous Wearable Arts performances at Shearwater.
If you require any further information about Wearable Arts, please contact costume entry supervisor Praba Manning [email protected] or phone Shearwater on (02) 6684 3223.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
