I've lived in Melbourne for 30 of my 34 years. I've come to know the city quite well in that time with many places serving as a reminder of an experience I've had every time I visit it. But what happens when you can't see that place anymore? Dialogue in the Dark takes us on a simulated tour through some well known Melbourne locations with a twist: the tour is conducted in total darkness. Led by blind guides, we must touch, smell and hear our way around places that were once familiar to us.
Our host provides us with a white cane and we enter the pitch black venue fumbling in the darkness as we slowly making our way to our guide who is calling out to us. She introduces herself as Lauren and she sounds young - or younger than me at least. There's a warmth and confidence in her voice and I start to feel more secure in my surroundings, whatever they may be.
It's taken over four years and a collaboration with over twenty people for
director Jodee Mundy and Deafblind artists Heather Lawson and Michelle Stevens
to bring their live art performance Imagined
Touch to audiences. It’s a tactile and sensory experience that explores the
importance of the human touch and communication.
The show begins with Lawson - who was born Deaf and lost her sight - and
Stevens - who was born Blind and lost her hearing - introducing themselves to the
audience and recalling how they met. As they share a few stories with us, you
can’t help but start to wonder how they lead their day-to-day lives. But then the
imagination becomes reality as we are suddenly immersed into their world. We
remove our shoes and put on a pair of headphones and goggles. The soundscape in
the headphones created by Madeleine Flynn & Tim Humphrey remove much of the
sound in the room and the goggles obscure our vision, so all that we can see
are bright lights and blurry shadows.
