Rankin, who lives on a part of the state's north-west that overlooks the roiling waters of Bass Strait, recognizes that the seafarers of the world do not have conventional or easy lifestyles. Rankin also knows that with no-one far from the coastline and many people living by it, Tasmanians have a strong connection to the sea. As a result, his most recent project seeks to express the message that the world should not take it's reliance on shipping, or its shippers, for granted.Currently, there are 1.3 million seafarers working around the globe, many in poor conditions. Ninety per cent of everything that most first world countries consume comes by ship. According to Rankin, "
A lot of the people that are bringing that are essentially invisible to us and slaves".
His latest production, Blue Angel, displays his typical award-winning features: multi-faceted and aimed at making a difference. Blue Angel not only celebrates the romance, mysticism and folklore of the sea but emphasizes the poor working conditions, economic pressures and shocking safety records of the international shipping industry.
Rankin states that, "Big hART wants to make that story visible and make a work of art, a theatre piece, and we also want to get the idea of fair shipping on the agenda in the same way as fair trade."
Next month, Blue Angel will have its world premiere in Hobart. In the following seasons it will premiere in Melbourne, Adelaide and Rotterdam.
From the website: "Exploring stories of the sea and joining the global push for fair shipping, Blue Angel premieres at the 2015 Tasmanian International Arts Festival in Hobart":
sources: http://bighart.org/#project/blue-angel/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-19/theatre-production-shines-light-on-maritime-industry/6090758
Author: Alicia Menendez
Alicia! Incredible photographs by Scott Ranking and his organization, Big Hart. What a terrific find. The maritime industry is certainly far from glamorous, but these photographs are absolutely sublime.
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