Set in Stone

Honouring the stories of the Stone Building

Stories from the historic Stone Building at Inveresk will be brought to life in a performance by University of Tasmania theatre students.

Students enrolled in Theatre and Performance have interviewed past and present Art School staff and students about their experiences in the building, which was originally part of the Launceston Railway Workshops before becoming the Launceston home of the Art School in 2002.

The production, Set In Stone, will be a promenade style of theatre, meaning the audience will be on foot, touring the Stone Building and being guided to various locations that the students will activate.

The Head of Theatre and Performance, Dr Asher Warren, said the performance aimed to capture the stories and experiences of the Art School in the Stone Building, and keep those stories alive.

“In this sense it’s a bit of a ‘mystery tour’ that will be enriching for audience members whether they know the Stone Building and its history or not,” he said. Art school alumni will recall the excitement of the working foundry, the great flood of 1926 and the flood threat in 2016, and the legacy of inspirational teachers of the past.

“The Stone building is full of so many memories and experiences for students, staff and the public – and it is so important to commemorate them,” Dr Warren said. “There has been a real investment and attachment to this building that we want to celebrate, but also note that many people feel a sense of loss – and it is important to recognise this as part of significant change. We want to capture the spirit and creativity of the Art School, which will continue in the new studios as a central part of the Campus transformation.”

Well known Tasmanian actor Jane Longhurst (last seen in Launceston in Happy Days by Samuel Beckett for Mona Foma, January 2021, and Ghosts of the Olympic Theatre by Jane Woollard for Junction Arts Festival 2019) is the director and project facilitator of Set in Stone in collaboration with Dr Warren. “I’m excited to see the audience’s curiosity in the Stone Building brought to life by our hard-working students. It’s a very impressive building and truly the end of an era, but also the beginning of something new,” Ms Longhurst said.

With the transformation of the University’s Inveresk campus under way, disciplines from the School of Creative Arts and Media will move from the Stone Building into new purpose-built studios with students in Architecture and Design and TasTAFE. The Stone Building will be renovated to house the University Service Network, including 300 professional staff, a business incubator space and innovation labs. The Annexe Theatre will remain at Inveresk to support students in creative performance practices for years to come.

Set in Stone performances

Friday 28th May (6pm and 8pm)
and
Saturday 29th May (6pm and 8pm)
2021
Academy of the Arts
Inveresk