THAW

THAW resonates with us all, as we each grapple with our own role in the climate emergency and commit to our collective obligation to a sustainable future.

Performed by three artists throughout the day, you are invited to gather at any time to witness the ice melting beneath them.

Beyond the show, THAW calls on audience members to funnel their energy from witnessing the spectacle of the work towards taking real tangible steps to climate justice, inviting you to participate, have your say, support grassroots campaigns, and green-up your own act.

Join anytime for as long as you want and don’t miss the grand finale!

WHERE CAN I EXPERIENCE THAW? 

Just on the wharf next to and behind The Styx restaurant on Wakefield Quay. Parking available down Vickerman Street, or park at the Trafalger Centre Car Park and take a nice wander down!

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Legs On The Wall are on our own journey towards carbon neutrality and environmental best practice:

• We’ve converted to a carbon neutral energy supply at our Lilyfield home base.
• For THAW, this has meant both freezing our ice and conducting rehearsals from carbon neutral power.
• Sydney Opera House, who hosted our world premiere are certified carbon neutral.
• For each version of THAW, water used to create the ice sculptures is sourced locally with care, to ensure the melt into local waterways is not impactful.
• We seek partnerships with festivals and organisations who are also looking to make a difference.
• We offset our flights.
• Legs are embedding sustainability in our future planning, considering unconventional recycling options in set and costume design, as well as considering further works with an environmental message.

We’re not saying we’ve got it all sorted out, but are sincere about evolving our practices and think that things have gotten urgent enough to make a call to action that we don’t see ourselves separate from, aware of our own imperfections.

Nelson Arts Festival is committed to taking action to combat climate change. We’re on a journey on this and would welcome any feedback.

Port Nelson’s Environmental Policy note their goal is to undertake present and future activities to minimise the Port’s environmental impact, whilst complying with applicable legislative requirements, and striving for continual improvement in environmental performance.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

Measure your household carbon footprint and learn practical everyday ways to reduce and offset the impact of your lifestyle to help combat climate change.
Free calculator

Reduce waste, plastics & packaging at home. Could you switch to corn starch garbage bags, or bar soaps & shampoos? Tish King, who represented Seed Mob at Cop26, has lots more suggestions here.
Be a workplace climate leader and take the charge to track workplace emissions, reduce where possible and purchase offsets to achieve carbon neutrality.
Learn more & act here.

Accompanying THAW, this year’s Nelson Arts Festival has included projects designed to further the conversation and action on climate change and what we can do now:

JOIN US IN EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION 

Make your own iceberg and contribute to a community generated artwork designed by visual artist extraordinaire Gabby O’Connor, hear four of our brightest minds discuss where we are now in The Crucial Decade or find other ways to enact your own climate action alongside experiencing THAW.

Join us in this journey – let the art be only the beginning!

MAKE A DAY OF IT 

Make a day of it and attend one of the four extraordinary jazz concerts in Sun Song Suites at The Boathouse around THAW. Attend one or all four, as they reflect on the different stages of the sun at 10am, 1.30pm, 6pm and 8pm.

With heartfelt thanks to our friends at Lift N Shift for supporting THAW with their crane.

THAW has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. 

Legs On The Wall is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW. 

Image Credit: Prudence Upton | Performer in the image: Jenni Large