Fabric of Memory: A Multimedia Synthesis of The History of Cockatoo Island

Abstract

Fabric of Memory is a creative exploration of the history of Cockatoo Island. This practice-based research project thesis comprises a written dissertation and an artistic multimedia work. The written dissertation explores the concept of identity and connection to site as a poetic idiom in multimedia composition. I will explore how my research into cultural and historical perspectives of the island has informed my creative response to the site. In documenting the creation of this composition, I hope to offer new insights into sonic exploration, multimodal artistic expression, and strategies to engage with place. Fabric of Memory comprises a long-form multimedia composition that explores four eras of Cockatoo Island. The Pre-European-Indigenous era, colonial era, Industrial and my personal experience of living surrounded by a working shipyard as an island resident for eighteen years. Each composition shares a consistent conceptual approach of reconnection to place and identity via the inclusion of site sound as a component of the work. The multimodal composition aims to create an audience experience that opens new possibilities and dialogue around history, culture, and our place in the material landscape. An important outcome is to produce a strategy for other historical sites. A context of composition, sound design, and multimedia for other places to create content and improve audience engagement with the lands on which they live. I propose the concept of an ‘empathic bridge’ as a model to enhance audience engagement with the site.