MESS School / South West MESS
South West MESS – Plus 8 Community Program
Participate in a range of South West MESS programs for local creatives and the public. See below for free and ticketed open studios, workshops and shows taking place across Warrnambool!
Saturday, April 29
Studio Session
Workshops
Shows
Community Open Studio
10.00am – 1.00pm
At One Day Studios, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session, no prior registration required
Come down to South West MESS and explore some of the synths and other electronic instruments in the MESS collection. This is your chance to have a noodle, see what we’re all about and satisfy your curiosity about the wonderfully weird world of electronic sound. This session is FREE. No tickets are required; you’ll just need to register with us at the door upon arrival.
Workshop — Understanding Sound & Electronics
10.30am – 11.00am
At One Day Studios – The Clubhouse, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session
An introduction to the essential elements that connect our hearing, electricity and sound. In the session, you’ll understand what sound is like to work with as a medium and how electronic tools have irrevocably changed how we see and interact with our sonic environment. These workshops are free and no tickets are required however places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Workshop — Introduction to Synthesis
11.15am – 11.45am
At One Day Studios – The Clubhouse, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session
Sound synthesis is the way we use electricity to create sound from scratch. This session will introduce you to the different methods that have arisen as we chart the development of sound synthesis from before the 1920s’ to today. As well as referencing iconic instruments from the MESS collection, we will also demonstrate these various methods using off-the-shelf software, so you can go home and explore these methods yourself. These workshops are free and no tickets are required however places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Workshop — The Basics of Subtractive Synthesis
12.00pm – 12.30pm
At One Day Studios – The Clubhouse, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session
Despite the technical-sounding title of this session, subtractive synthesis is by far the most ubiquitous method of electronic sound creation. It is the sound of the “golden era” period of electronic music starting in the late 1960s up until the mid-1980s’, and sounds made using this method are recognisable as electronic sound. This session will guide you step-by-step through creating sounds using this method using both hardware and software. These workshops are free and no tickets are required however places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Private Studio Session
2.00pm – 5.00pm
At One Day Studios, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
$44.00 per person, BOOK HERE
Spend an afternoon in the South West MESS Studio. Just like our studio sessions in Melbourne, this is a chance for individuals or collaborators to book studio time for noodling, playing and recording on the gear we’re bringing to South West MESS. Instruments on offer include the Buchla Music Easel, EMS Synthi AKS, ARP Odyssey MKIII, Korg MS20, ARP 2600, Roland TR808, Roland Juno 106… and much, much more!
This is a small group session so places are limited and bookings are essential to ensure you get a spot. Our MESS team will be on hand to assist with setting up gear, troubleshooting and facilitating the session.
Sunday, April 30
Community Open Studio
10.00am – 1.00pm
At One Day Studios, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session, no registration required
Come down to South West MESS and explore some of the synths and other electronic instruments in the MESS collection. This is your chance to have a noodle, see what we’re all about and satisfy your curiosity about the wonderfully weird world of electronic sound. This session is FREE. No tickets are required; you’ll just need to register with us at the door upon arrival.
Workshop — Australian Innovation in Electronic Sound
10.30am – 11.00am
At One Day Studios – The Clubhouse, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session
In this historical session, you will hear two stories where Australian innovation was at the centre of two major developments in electronic sound; the creation of the first affordable electronic instruments and the development of what has been called “the most important instrument of the last 100 years.” These workshops are free and no tickets are required however places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Workshop — Digital & Analogue
11.15am – 11.45am
At One Day Studios – The Clubhouse, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session
While “analogue” electronic sound hardware continues to grow in mystique and appeal, the majority of sound we consume daily is created, distributed and reproduced with digital electronics. In this session, we will examine and explain the cultural and technical reasons why these two methods of electronic sound production continue to create debate and discussion from all sections of the electronic sound community. These workshops are free and no tickets are required however places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Workshop — The Future of Electronic Sound
12.00pm – 12.30pm
At One Day Studios – The Clubhouse, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session
In this session we to a rapid survey of recent and emerging technologies in electronic audio and speculate on what this means for the future of sound and music and creativity in general. These workshops are free and no tickets are required however places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thursday, May 4
Show — MESS at The Dart
From 7.30pm
At The Dart And Marlin (map)
FREE, no tickets required
Join us for a night of electronic sound at The Dart And Marlin with ambient live sets from Warrnambool and Melbourne-based artists. A fun, low-key gig at one of our favourite places in town! This is a free event, no tickets are required. A big thanks to The Dart for hosting us!
Saturday, May 6
Show — MESS in the FJ Gardens
10.00am – 12.00pm
At the Fletcher Jones Gardens (map)
FREE, no tickets required
Drop in, grab a coffee from the caravan and pull up a picnic blanket for a morning of ambient electronic sounds in the FJ Gardens. The perfect way to start your Saturday! This is a free event, no tickets are required and all are welcome.
Show — South West MESS Student Performance
5.00pm – 6.00pm
At One Day Studios, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
$5.50 per person, BOOK HERE
For the past week, talented young people from across the South West have explored the MESS collection, collaborating and creating new electronic sounds through the South West MESS Student Intensive program. Here’s your chance to hear and experience their creations!
Sunday, May 7
Show — South West MESS Student Performance
1.00pm – 2.00pm
At One Day Studios, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
$5.50 per person, BOOK HERE
For the past week, talented young people from across the South West have explored the MESS collection, collaborating and creating new electronic sounds through the South West MESS Student Intensive program. Here’s your chance to hear and experience their creations!
Community Open Studio
3.30pm – 6.00pm
At One Day Studios, Fletcher Jones Factory (map)
FREE drop-in session, no registration required
Come down to South West MESS and explore some of the synths and other electronic instruments in the MESS collection. This is your chance to have a noodle, see what we’re all about and satisfy your curiosity about the wonderfully weird world of electronic sound. This session is FREE. No tickets are required; you’ll just need to register with us at the door upon arrival.
About South West MESS
South West MESS is a celebration of electronic music and instruments in Warrnambool, Victoria.
South West MESS is a project developed by South West Local Learning & Employment Network, One Day Studios and MESS and supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria – Music Works, the Australia Council for the Arts and Beyond the Bell.
