Beacon and Scaff II (2000)
Beacon, Moomba Festival, Melbourne (2000)
S300994 / Bambuco Archive
Beacon and Scaff II were performed as part of Moomba in Melbourne in 2000. Beacon used bamboo scaffolding that attached to and morphed out of the structure of the Melbourne Town Hall. It clambered precariously up the clock tower and leaned over the pedestrians at the busy intersection. It was a collaboration with performance company Redirected Baggage.
Scaff II was a reworking of Scaff I, this time nestling within the architectural protrusions of the Melbourne Town Hall. It became the stage for two performances of The Bells by 5 Angry Men.
This experience changed the way Bambuco would work in the future. Company policy changed so that the crew no longer worked directly above the audience or pedestrians for safety reasons. Aerial performances also placed immense strain on the structures, undermining their integrity and placing them into mere support/scaffold territory. A decision was made to no longer work with aerial performances that had no direct relationship to the structure.
“We became much more aware of the performance possibilities and the limitations of our structures. It was important to keep the integrity of our installations intact.” Simon Barley
Beacon, Moomba Festival, Melbourne (2000)S301074 / Bambuco Archive
Scaff II, Moomba Festival, Melbourne (2000)S301061 / Bambuco Archive