Camp Horror Meets Climate Disaster Fears

Sludge Bank is a co-devised theatre performance about an inner-city, upper-class apartment building that is slowly filling with a mysterious sludge. The Sludge, who is the physical manifestation of rapidly progressing climate disaster, has been lurking in the pipes of this newly erected Meanjin (Brisbane) development. It has finally subsumed enough waste from the apartment that it’s become sentient and realised the potential of just how big it could grow. The Sludge distracts the tenants with body-corporate bureaucracy, paleo vs vegan diet debates, and affirmative action via Instagram, all the while oozing and sliding into every house plant, kitchen compost bin, and keep-cup in the building. The apartment tenants embody what drives climate disaster: colonialism, capitalism, and ineffective climate activism. In a hyper-stylised catharsis, audiences will be delighted to see the likes of anti-vax mummies, mansplaining conspiracy theorists, and performative activists slayed by the monster they have been feeding.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
C, The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
6
Considerations

Strong Language Stylised Violence

Chance Collective is a Meanjin based, contemporary theatre ensemble. As a feminist collaborative partnership we create works under the ethos of experimentation, accessibility, and sustainable practice. We live firmly in the blended theatre space, working with various forms, including cabaret, visual art installations, and immersive experiences. Chance is founded on subversion and rejection of tradition, and on the celebration of what comes after. We are chaos conjuring, body celebrating, fearless and love-filled storytellers.

Company Website
chancecollective.com

Unique Selling Point

What is often depicted when it comes to climate disaster is flooding in non-western countries, melting of far away ice-caps, and scenes from the Amazon forest. Climate Disaster is coming for everyone, yet the most privileged will feel it last. Sludge Bank theatrically explores the impending climate chaos in a way that centres class - specifically middle class consumption habits. The show uses comedy to make the concepts accessible and approachable for audiences, setting it apart from other projects about climate disaster. It breaks down stylistic barriers of high-art and low-art by experimenting with b-grade filmic conventions and camp performance styles.

Marketing Materials

Marketing material available to presenters Video Trailer Hero image Additional show images Performer Headshots BTS Images DL Flyer Design Poster Design Behind the scenes interviews both audio and visual can be recorded on presenters request Teacher/education resources are able to be made available on presentation partners’ request.

Community Engagement

Curated Events As part of a season of Sludge Bank, Chance Collective can curate special events engaging local artists and audiences. These events would be a community party featuring a diverse range of performances from local talents and would engage drag, circus, music performers, and DJs . Our objective in this is to strengthen Chance Collective’s presence within the local community and support local talent. These events would create a queer space and allow new audiences for both our presenting partners and Chance Collective.

Visual Art Installation

Created in partnership with Tallara Gray (Public Programs Coordinator at the IMA) this installation can be scaled up and down depending on space and funding available. The installation provides a complimentary experience to Sludge Bank, visually achieving the concepts a stage play cannot.

Q&A This event would be hosted directly after a performance for ticket holders and running for approximately 45minutes. The Q&A provides the opportunity for a community discussion of our practice as a collective as well as the themes and presentation of Sludge Bank.