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Snuff Puppets artistic associate Nick Wilson is excited for Footscray residents to meet the puppet company’s newest creations featuring in ‘SWAMP’, including a lyrebird and a thylacine. (Damjan Janevski) 305710_04
The long-extinct thylacine will be sharing the stage with a raft of other iconic Australian creatures and critters from a bloodthirsty mosquito to a 22-metre ouroboros serpent devouring the cosmos as part of the world premiere of Snuff Puppets’ 30th anniversary show ‘SWAMP’. Hosted over three nights at the Footscray Drill Hall from November 10 to November 12, Footscray-based puppet theatre company Snuff Puppets will be exhibiting ‘SWAMP’. The show will feature giant puppets, transforming sets, original music and large-scale projections. Snuff Puppets artistic director Andy Freer said the show will capture the ongoing cycle of life and death. “SWAMP is a darkly comic allegory of violent transformation on the cusp of the Anthropocene,” he said. “An oily primordial muck where life begins with blood and ends with ash.” Snuff Puppets will also celebrate the company’s 30th birthday following the final performance on Saturday, November 12. The company has toured 29 countries and attracted 650,000 online subscribers during the past three decades.
RSL’s future left in limbo By Matthew Sims
12533599-HC07-22
The Spotswood Kingsville Returned and Services League [RSL] Sub-branch has remained in limbo for more than a year, as lease negotiations with Hobsons Bay council continue. The RSL Sub-branch has been involved in negotiations with the council since October 1, 2021 concerning its lease of land on the Mary Street Reserve. While the RSL was meant to sign a lease with the council on Friday, October 21, the RSL was not satisfied with the conditions outlined. RSL president Gabrielle Prideaux said the new lease conditions would remove the car park and enclosed bowling green.
“Without the green and the car parks, we won’t be able to carry out the remit of the RSL,” she said. “We need to have a car park to be a business.” Major Prideaux said council had been “not transparent” during the discussions. She said the RSL was an essential sanctuary for returned veterans. “Veterans, when they come by or have PTSD, they need a safe space,” Major Prideaux said. “The theme of the club is family.” According to a Hobsons Bay spokesperson, council owns Mary Street Reserve and has allocated about $1.5 million toward its redevelopment alongside the Better Places Spotswood and South Kingsville consultation process. “The community has told us that it wants
us to redevelop this public space for broader community use,” the spokesperson said. “Council has always been consistent, transparent and fair throughout the lease negotiations, and has made several changes to the terms of the lease to meet the RSL’s requirements. “However, the negotiations have been protracted because the RSL wants to retain the old lease area, which would prevent council from meeting the community’s expectations for the reserve redevelopment. “The RSL now has the opportunity to secure a 10-year lease at a highly concessional rent for this valuable community facility, as well as continued use of the Memorial Garden and a new car park.” The spokesperson said the council has
“encouraged and welcomed” the RSL’s input into the plans for the Mary Street Reserve. “Council is supportive of all our RSL branches providing services to veterans and this will continue with a new lease,” the spokesperson said. “The redevelopment of the Mary Street Reserve is in line with community expectations and does not prevent the RSL from running its normal operations from the site.” The RSL has launched a petition advocating for the council to allow the RSL to keep its enclosed bowling green and car parks as part of the new lease, with the petition attracting more than 330 signatures at the time of publication. Details: www.change.org/ savespotswoodkingsvilleRSL
Kenyon-Smith Denture Clinic A family tradition for 60 years 100 Pier Street, Altona 9315 9231 • 27 Old Geelong Road, Hoppers Crossing 9748 8204
Dental Prosthetists Full dentures, Partial dentures, Repairs - relines • Victorian Denture Scheme • Veterans’ Affairs John, Andrew, Simon and Paul Kenyon-Smith