Polar Force

A multi-form immersive performance direct from the polar regions.

About

Immerse yourself in the sound of Antarctica. Polar Force evokes the beauty and infinite complexity of Antarctica through an immersive and multi-sensorial performance work presented in an inflatable performance space.

Imagine being on the Antarctic ice shelf, housed inside a temporary shelter where you are intimately observing aural experiments using the raw polar energies collected from outside.In an investigation of extreme wind and ice, pristine Antarctic field recordings combine with live industrial percussion to envelope the audience in a visceral soundscape and performance environment.

Unsure whether you’re witnessing a sinister activity, cutting edge scientific research or part of a dangerous polar expedition, Polar Force makes us rethink our relationship to the natural world and explores notions of human fragility and isolation from the perspective of the coldest, windiest and driest continent on earth.

New high fidelity field recordings made in the Australian Antarctic Territory are augmented by custom built musical instruments made to manipulate pressurised air, water and ice.

Polar Force Art Book Essays

Upcoming Performances

30 Aug 2023 - 02 Sep 2023

Now or Never Festival

Chunky Move Studio
7:00 pm, 9:00 pm
$10 - 40 BUY TICKETS

Past Performances

12 September 2019 - 12 September 2019 

Transart Festival

Bolzano, Italy
6.30pm & 8.30pm
5 September 2019 - 15 September 2019  

Ars Electronica, OK | Cyber Arts Exhibition

Linz, Austria
all day
28 August 2019 - 30 August 2019  

Ruhrtriennale

Ruhr, Germany
7pm & 9pm
23 August 2019 - 24 August 2019 

Noorderzon Festival

Groningen, Netherlands
4pm, 7.30pm & 9.30pm
21 January 2019 - 24 January 2019 

National Tour

PICA, Perth
7.30pm
24 November 2018 - 1 December 2018 

Premiere

Arts Centre, Melbourne
7.30pm
25 - 27 November 2022

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Fri 25 + Sat 26 November: 11am - 4pm, Sun 27 November: 11am - 2pm
6 January 2023 - 8 January 2023 

Sydney Festival

Carriageworks, NSW
Fri 7.00pm | Sat 12.00pm, 4.00pm, 7.00pm | Sun, 12.00pm, 4.00pm

Artists

Concept, Co-Director, Composer & Instrument Design
Eugene Ughetti
Co-Director
Clare Britton
Sound Artist & Field Recordings
Dr Philip Samartzis
Performer
Eugene Ughetti
Performer
Matthias Schack-Arnott
Lighting Designer
Keith Tucker
Sound Design, Audio System Design, Instrument Design & Construction
Nick Roux
Production & Technical Manager
Megafun
Producer
Sheah Sutton
Inflatable Design and Construction
Steve Howden
RMIT Industrial Design Atelier Leader & Air Consultant
Malte Wagenfield
RMIT Industrial Design Atelier Student contributors - 
Air Table
Aston Chadwick, Phoebe Richardson, Remi Freer, Thomas Grimshaw
RMIT Industrial Design Atelier Student contributors - 
Air Supply
Will Makarainen, Vasilios Pittas, Edward Sims
Tilman Robinson
Sound Engineer
2017 students
Mengyu Chen, Damian Dehne,  Jed Kelly, Sara Wan Fen Kiew, Xue Miao, Billy Orozco, Dionisius Satriawan Pangkey, Jacob Sandom, Timothy Secombe, Edward Sims, Sebastian Sincich, Akil Wahid, Todd Ward, Ceren Ozcan
2016 students
Jacob Aldrich, Rosemary Boddam-Whetham, Michael Efford, Pan Heyuan, Ian Bunyi, Aidan Chen, Dayne McMahon, Claudio Da Silva, Anthony Dinh, Izaak Madsen, Daniel Robbins, Orlando Seelander, Darcy Jones, Felix Taylor

Supporters

Polar Force would not have been possible without the support of the following people and organisations.

au-council
Australian Council for the Arts
c-v
Creative Victoria
city-of-melbourne
City of Melbourne
city-of-darebin
City of Darebin
department
Victorian Department of Education & Training
art
Arts Centre Melbourne and David Anderson
stephen
Stephen Whately for commissioning support
aus-gov
Australian Antarctic Division
b-sco
Bogong Centre for Sound Culture
rmit
RMIT School of Art for their support for Dr Philip Samartzis’ field recordings
family
Bensen Family Foundation
apra-amcos-horiz-left-grey-rgb_large
APRA AMCOS