Costume Exhibition

Costume Exhibition

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    Live Darwin Hub, Darwin City

    August 2019

    Tracks took over the Live Darwin Hub to bring to life a costume exhibition highlighting 3 costume designers from 5 major Tracks shows and was open throughout August 2019.

    Following on from the success of the 2018 Tracktivation project and as part of the NT Government's Activate Darwin project to 'help Darwin City realise its potential as an attractive, bustling and connected capital city', in 2019 we wanted to tell our Tracks story through costumes.

    The costume exhibition showcases five performances, Struck (2008), The Cook, the Queen and the Kelly (2010), Crocodile Man, Pineapple Woman (2011), 8 to 80: The Architecture of Age (2012) and In Your Blood (2018), which have incorporated original costume designs by Ann Gibb, Lynn Ferguson and Tim Newth.

    The Designers

    It was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the work costume designers do behind the scenes working with choreographers, dancers and Artistic Directors to bring to life our major performances. We reached out to each of the designers to hear from them about their experience and memories working with Tracks.

    Ann Gibb

    Has costumed for Tracks the Opening of the Arafura games (2007), You Dance Funny (2007), Struck (2008), Crocodile Man Pineapple Women (2011), Eight to Eighty  (2012) Zombies in the Banyan Tree (2013) and Global Positioning (2019) as well as many costumes for Tracks’ over 60 dance group, the Grey Panthers.

    “Working with Tracks is always an exciting challenge. They have large casts and I often need to make sets of costumes, like the 70s outfits for Crocodile Man or the nurses' uniforms in Struck. Each show is so different. Crocodile Man Pineapple Woman was based on my parents' story so that was an emotional ride that touched my heart. One of the most challenging was Eight to Eighty, each of the 34 dancers was costumed individually, it was like designing a fashion show. Tim and I worked closely, looking at not only the size and shape of the dancers but also the cultural and dance backgrounds of each. It was hard work but like with all the shows I have worked on the outcome is something I am very proud of. I am honoured to be part of the Tracks team, they see my worth and I feel totally valued”

    Lynn Ferguson

    Costumed Endurance (2009) and The Cook, The Queen & The Kelly (2010).

    “The emphasis for the costume design for “The Cook, The Queen & The Kelly” was to establish a strong silhouette that would make the characters recognisable & support a clear narrative through the dance. Cook‘s costume comprised of the full naval uniform of the late 1700s, a coat with gold braid and buttons, ivory waistcoat & breeches, powdered wig & tricorn hat. The coat was particularly heavy being made from ‘Melton’ wool; with the wig & tricorn hat this was a challenging costume for Daniel to wear. The Queen’s costume was a 1960s vintage find, the sleeveless shift dress a soft yellow worn with a floral turban style hat. Often an exciting costume find is as satisfying as a costume build & this one was for me, I loved how the colour sat so well within the car that Jessica performed in, allowing her arms to be focused on to form beautiful pictures. The Kelly costume was a mixture of made costume and finds, I loved the strong image Nick struck in the iconic helmet and ankle-length duster coat. The Kelly gang boys all wore voluminous period shirts cinched in by high-waisted trousers and a body-hugging waistcoat. At first, the high waist fit was very alien to those break dancers; they were used to a low-slung crotch, but I believe they really liked them in the end."

    "I established a workspace under the elevated house I lived in, setting up tables to pattern draft, cut out on & sew on, open to the elements & surrounded by a tropical garden. Working in Darwin with Tracks Dance Company was a wonderful, unique experience.”

    Tim Newth

    As Artistic Co-Director of Tracks, Tim has designed all the company's major works since 1988. The costuming of a performance is a balance between artistic vision, function, meaning and collaboration with performers and the artistic team.

    “A costume adds meaning and context to both the performer and audience alike. For the majority of Tracks dancers, this is not their profession. Often it can be someone's first performance experience. If you are asking someone to dance in front of their community, be that in remote Aboriginal Lajamanu or for Tracks major season within the Darwin Festival, they need to feel good about what you are doing and how they look. A costume can connect the performer their heritage, add to a sense of self or take one beyond oneself, to be larger than life.” 

    Exhibition Team

    Curators and Coordination: Jessica Mellor and Tim Newth
    Production: Duane Preston
    Styling Assistance: Ann Gibb
    Display Design: Backslap Design & Don Whyte Framing

    Thank You

    Cotton On Darwin and Casuarina, Bardot Casuarina and Big W Gateway.

    Company Partners

    Tracks Inc is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; and is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government.

    Supporting Partners

    Activate Darwin - NT Government

    Tracks 2019

    Artistic Co-Directors: David McMicken and Tim Newth
    Company Director: Adelaide Wood
    Administrator: Jessica Mellor
    Production Manager: Duane Preston
    Dance Animateur: Kelly Beneforti
    Associate Artistic Director: Jess Devereux
    Bookkeeper: It Figures

    Committee Members: David Taylor (Chairperson), Mary Durack (Outgoing Chairperson), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), Michael Grant, Ken Conway, Venaska Cheliah, Sudha Coutinho, Max Dewa Stretton. David McMicken, Tim Newth, Adelaide Wood (Ex-Officio Members)

    Public Fund Trustees: Dr Anita Toth

    Patron: Her Honour the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran AM, Administrator of the Northern Territory

    In Your Blood Costumes (2018. Photo Duane Preston
    In Your Blood Costumes (2018). Photo Duane Preston
    The Cook, the Queen and the Kelly Costumes (2010). Photo Duane Preston
    The Cook, the Queen and the Kelly Costumes (2010). Photo Duane Preston
    Crocodile Man, Pineapple Woman Costumes (2011). Photo Duane Preston
    Crocodile Man, Pineapple Woman Costumes (2011). Photo Duane Preston
    8 to 80: The Architecture of Age Costumes (2012). Photo Duane Preston
    8 to 80: The Architecture of Age Costumes (2012). Photo Duane Preston
    Struck Costumes (2008). Photo Duane Preston
    Duane Preston. Photo Jess Devereux
    Jessica Mellor. Photo Jess Devereux
    (l-r) David McMicken and Ann Gibb. Photo Jess Devereux

    Explore Further

    Iconic Tracks Works

    Responses

    "It was nostalgic to walk through our past costumes and take ourselves back to that time and place" - Past Performer

    1200 people visited and witnessed the exhibition throughout August 2019.

    Tracks Dance Company Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

    Tracks Inc is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government.

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