Robbie Synge has been selected as Imaginate’s 2025 Accelerator artist.
Robbie’s Accelerator time is founded on national context and a fundamental question: since we are living in one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth – a result of human actions/inactions towards land use and care over centuries – and since our nation’s imagining of the land lies currently and predominantly in its future restoration, where are children included and how?
Robbie intends to work locally with young people and collaborators to develop a concept and test a performance that weaves participatory actions and performance in a playful and inspiring experience. It will draw upon the reality of landscapes, habitats, species and conservation work as well as imagined interactions and processes. It will respect and celebrate nature/culture and perhaps somehow touch on why we are doing what we are doing. It will be developed and presented in sites to be discovered.
It is likely that this performance will overlap or be part of other work that offers young people and intergenerational groups opportunities to participate and act in being physically engaged in land restoration or, at least, being included in these places. As we generally advocate for the benefits of “connecting with nature”, participatory opportunities and empowering actions can be viewed as restoring ourselves also.
The work will draw upon Robbie’s and others’ knowledge and experience within the conservation sector and ongoing experiments around proximity of connection. Design and technical elements are anticipated to be used in a performance context through remote sensing techniques such as field camera traps, audio monitoring or even live streaming. Work with local schools and/or extra-curricular groups will help in testing and shaping this.
For starters though, Robbie is grateful to have time to reflect on his many questions and possibilities and to build a plan.