the indirect Object: Carnival of the Here and Now

THE CARNIVAL OF THE HERE & NOW
The Carnival of the Here & Now is an
experimental performance / interaction
project by Creature Tales launched in
the Eliza Purton Aged Care facility,
Ulverstone, Tasmania October 2011.
We participated as roving clown /
puppeteers and hosted the lunchtime
performance that brought residents,
staff and carnival members together for
a shared meal - with spectacle. A
veritable Feast of Fools with shared
laughter where residents, staff and
carnival participants played together.

Director and Creator Chris Mead says
that Here and Now seeks to immerse
both residents and staff in a multi-
sensory experiences while remaining
focused on "intimate one on one resident
interactions, playfulness and personal
moments".

Drawing from the philosophy of the topsy
turvy world of the carnivalesque,
The Carnival of the Here & Now sought to
suspend time and routine at Eliza Purton,
and celebrate the residents with laughter
and feasts as the kings of the carnival in
the here & now.

“...an attempt to make Carnival the
revolutionary moment. Placing “what
could be” in the path of “what is” and
celebrating the “here and now” in the
road of the rush for “there and later”...
It is an expansive desire; for freedom,
for creativity; to truly live. This desire,
for the present social order, is
revolutionary..."
(‘Reclaim the Streets!’,1997).

Carnival of the Here & Now is an ongoing
project, a documentary film of the Eliza
Purton Carnival is in the works.