The ACO Presents THE CROWD & I: A Cinematic Meditation On Our Crowded Planet

From the banks of the Ganges to the mosh pits of Coachella; sprawling refugee camps to ever-expanding metropolises, humanity moves in swarms across the globe in ever vaster numbers, to celebrate, worship, protest, destroy and build anew. This relentless activity takes an epic toll, as we demand huge transformations in our relationship with our planet and the way we live together.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra will explore humanity's complex existence on our densely populated planet in The Crowd & I, a profound cross-artform collaboration between Artistic Director Richard Tognetti, director Nigel Jamieson, cinematographer Jon Frank and film and image makers across the world.

With millions of people on the move every week - some by choice, many by circumstance - The Crowd & I explores the planet's extraordinary transformation during the most populous period of human history and the new ways in which we have come to live with one another, crowded together and separated from nature.

Tognetti says: "What is it we feel when part of a crowd? Is it fear or empowerment? Do we lose ourselves, or find our real selves? Is a crowd a mob, an ignorant mass of unthinking beings? Or is it an intelligent body, capable of thought processes and invention of which individuals alone would not be capable? We spend much of our life in crowds: when we go to the football or attend a concert, when we cross the street at peak hour, when we worship, mourn, protest or feast, we often do so as part of a crowd.

"The Crowd & I examines the nature of the crowd, in its many manifestations, both human and in the natural world."

Tognetti will direct the ACO live on stage, performing music from Shostakovich, Sibelius and Chopin to Osvaldo Golijov, Morton Feldman and his own new music, alongside striking imagery and footage captured from across the globe, from vast refugee camps, epic gatherings in the name of religion, and secular festivals where hedonism rules.

Jubilant, chaotic, and confronting in equal measure, The Crowd & I promises to be a life-changing experience.

ARTISTS

Richard Tognetti Creative Director & Violin
Australian Chamber Orchestra
The Song Company

Jon Frank Cinematography
Nigel Jamieson Film & Staging Director

DATES & VENUES

Canberra • Llewellyn Hall
Sat 6 Aug 8pm

Melbourne • Arts Centre Melbourne
Sun 7 Aug 2.30pm
Mon 8 Aug 7.30pm

Sydney • City Recital Hall
Tue 9 Aug 8pm
Wed 10 Aug 7pm
Fri 12 Aug 1.30pm
Sat 13 Aug 7pm

Sydney Opera House
Sun 14 Aug 2pm

Brisbane • QPAC Concert Hall
Mon 15 Aug 7pm