RISING in Melbourne will return to energise the heart of the city and mark the start of winter in 2024.
The first flagship work in the 2024 programme is a free, Australian-exclusive world premiere – the international dance floor phenomena SHOUSE.
SHOUSE will conduct a rapturous coming together of a choir of hundreds, to sing, dance, and make sound vibrations for vibration’s sake, with Communitas, beneath the ceilings of St Paul’s Cathedral.
It’s set to be a unique celebration, bringing together the beat of drums, a chorus of voices, and a mass of humanity. The band has a long history of bringing together music-makers – their biggest club anthem ‘Love Tonight’ was the sleeper hit that dreams are made of.
RISING invites participants to become the voices, instruments and performers of Communitas. There’s no audience – only a congregation of people taking part by using handmade instruments, made for the event by Jon Madin, and the choreography of Deep Soulful Sweats. SHOUSE will release a single after the festival, with all participants receiving a share in songwriting credits.
SHOUSE
RISING celebrates its third year in 2024, as it looks to build both on its leading reputation, embodying what tomorrow looks and feels like, and on last year’s success – the event saw a record attendance of 753,000 people.
“Music connects and moves people in a way that is a kind of magic,” RISING Co-Artistic Director Hannah Fox says. “In Communitas, everyone gets a chance to take part in making music with no experience or skill level required.”
“This sort of invitation to get directly involved in culture is at the core of what RISING is about. The collective voice of many members of the community young and old, in an epic chorus of vocals, percussion and dance is as old as the hills yet couldn’t be more timely.”
RISING is on in Melbourne from 1-16 June 2024. Communitas is on at St Paul's Cathedral on 15 June.
