No one believes in God anymore, but everyone believes in Bach
Mauricio Kagel
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones
John Cage
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30 January - 2 February, 2019, Waldheim Seven Oaks
Ars Acustica - our avant-garde theatrical music fair in the woods.
Surrounded by trees and orchards in the heart of Waltham, we invite you to join us for our first theatrical adventure in Waldheim, Seven Oaks (Waldheim is the Germanic version of Waltham, which translates literally to “home in the woods”). Ars Acustica builds on our earlier successful collaboration The Mauricio Kagel Project (2015), which was presented in the Christchurch Arts Festival. Featuring works by Argentinian composer Mauricio Kagel including “Exotica” and “Ballet for Non-Dancers”, Ars Acustica now also delves into Kagel’s major influence, the pioneer of avant-garde music - John Cage. Directed by Peter Falkenberg in collaboration with UC School of Music under the curatorship of Mark Menzies, NZSO conductor Hamish McKeich and the CSO. Instrumental Theatre Workshops and Symposium In the lead up to Ars Acustica we offered a series of Instrumental Theatre Workshops where the participants created their own Instrumental Theatre performances and this also provided an opportunity for them or their creations to become part of the project themselves. A free public Symposium also took place on Saturday 2nd Feb in the TSB Space at Turanga Central Library providing an opportunity to hear the collaborators talk about their experience creating Ars Acustica. |
The sort of respectful, yet daring-do that the Free Theatre leaders bring to their collaborations, allow for the sort of unexpected touches of artistic sunshine we all long to bathe in, once it is understood such things are possible – even here in Aotearoa. |
One shouldn't go to the woods looking for something, but rather to see what is there 
Get yourself out of whatever cage you find yourself in 
What right do I have to be in the woods, if the woods are not in me... 
Promotional film
Audience FeedbackThanks Free Theatre!! I loved it! The setting, Waldheim, incredible! The performers amazing!! It was a feast of the senses! Una fiesta de los sentidos!! Thanks for an awesome night, really enjoyed it 
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We performed Cage’s 4’33” during one of Free Theatre’s Ubu Nights when I was down for the project in 2015, these guys really get Cage and his works still have the power to shake up our expectations, to really engage an audience. 
What I'm trying to do is something that I love, what I like, and think I need. In that moment, you have to be very honest... If you try to be honest with yourself, and write what you think you need, not what you think other people need, or music critics, or colleagues, you will then. be trying to communicate your truth. If it has that truth, then it will be interesting ReviewsHere in Waldheim, on a balmy summer night, we have the perfect venue for such a venture, so that even works that I've encountered before take on an engaging, thought-provoking and far more meaningful character. For example, Mark Menzies' 'bird' compositions have previously struck me as rather impenetrable, but here they become entertaining, alive and even, at times, moving.... suddenly I'm aware that throughout the night we've laughed and wondered and even talked in a way that we don't always feel we have permission to do in conventional music-making contexts. It's half past eight, golden hour, on the evening of one of the hottest days of summer, and we're being led along paths beaten through scruffy fields by masked performers.... It's a stunning way to spend an evening.... the performances are presented with intelligence and wit.... The orchards, gardens and ramshackle, overgrown greenhouses that we are drawn through act as environment and sanctuary; this is the first Free Theatre show I've been to that could be described, at first, as 'gentle'.... environmental sounds, which include wind, far-off sirens and the distant revving of cars and motorcycles, are augmented by the comforting smell of straw and the damp of the vegetation surrounding and creeping in to the 'concert hall'. It's a special experience. The way the light of the setting sun, the sound and presence of the trees, grass and abandoned greenhouses are harnessed is wonderful, and proves an inspiring setting for the presentation of atonal, dissonant and aurally challenging music. The compositions performed make far more sense in this context than they might if dialled up on spotify while driving your car.... The evening was a constant stream of unexpected, occasionally hilarious and occasionally disturbing twists.... The ensemble and dancers continue to evoke terror, dissonance and wonder.... It was tempting to drop in another one of those tired adjectives and call Ars Acustica an otherworldly experience, but on reflection it was very much of this world, this city, and a thorough exploration of some of the parts we might rarely visit in our day to day. 
InterviewsFree Theatre may have found a new home in time for Christmas
Logan Church, RNZ Checkpoint Friday 21 December, 2018 Interview- Ars Acustica RDU with Matt Orchard on The Morning of Absolute Truth show Thursday 24 January, 2019 
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