Vitalstatistix shares archival treasures in an ‘incredible snapshot of history’:
When Vitalstatistix prepared to celebrate its 40th anniversary last year, it soon became apparent that after four decades of progressive and community-based theatre making, the company had enough history to fill every nook of its century-old home.
“We have so much stuff in the building, and the archives are just such a treasure,” Vitalstatistix artistic director and CEO Jennifer Greer Holmes tells InReview.
“I’ve been in the role of artistic director and CEO for just gone eight months now, and [I’m] really feeling the responsibility of being a custodian of that incredible building and wanting to also honour the archive and make sure that we’re looking after things in the best possible way.”
Cleaning out the Waterside Workers Hall — Vitalstatistix’s home since 1992 — meant more than a decluttering exercise, with the 40-year milestone inspiring a thoughtful reflection on the company’s history, having formed as Vitalstatistix National Women’s Theatre in 1984.
Running from April 30 to May 3, The Art of Work is a Work of Art will bring that legacy to life, turning the hall into an immersive installation and audio experience that Greer Holmes calls “an incredibly innovative archival research project presented in a really dynamic and engaging way”.
The Vitalstatistix archive reveals decades’ worth of community events and theatre-making. Photo: Supplied
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“Vitals turned 40 years old last year, and the project was commissioned to celebrate four decades of the company, and focuses on interviews with the three founders, Margie Fischer, Ollie Black and Roxxy Bent.”
Lead artist Kim Munro recorded these conversations with Fischer, Black and Bent as they were handed back boxes of years-old archival material, from production photos to box office reports, grant acquittals and tour manager rundowns.
“That might sound really dry, but looking backwards 40 years — even just looking at the typography and the handwriting and the types of details that one might include then versus now — it’s really fascinating, whether you work in the arts or you’re an artist or not.”
Munro also collaborated with musician and sound designer Zoë Barry to supplement the conversations with a soundscape inspired by the venue’s location and history, from field recordings of the Port River to the harmonies of the Born on a Monday choir, who regularly rehearse inside the hall.
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“It’s this incredible snapshot of history, and Port Adelaide history, that is presented in a really humorous way.”
Photo: Supplied
Included among grainy old film photographs are glimpses of early pop-up performances on The Ghan train, and the company’s old truck emblazoned with period-appropriate branding. (“They were a big touring company in the 80s, lots and lots of regional and schools touring,” Holmes says. “So they bought a truck, which is pretty rare now, and loaded it themselves.”)
“A company like Vitals has this incredibly unique legacy in in Adelaide and in Australia, more broadly,” Greer Holmes reflects. “There’s a lot of talk about the past, there’s a lot of people that were there in the beginning that are still there now, as our audiences and as our artists.
“So there’s a beautiful hat tip to the founders and the subsequent artistic directors in everything we do. We’re always thinking about, how to honour the industry while maintaining relevance in the present.”
The Art of Work is a Work of Art runs from Wednesday April 30 to Saturday May 3 at Waterside Workers Hal