Port Phillip EcoCentre Fundraiser with Keith Badger

EcoCentre team
EcoCentre team

I attended another special fundraising event at The Deck Brighton hosted by Port Phillip EcoCentre featuring author Keith Badger with an introduction to his book ‘Joining Loose Ends’.

At the age of 58, Keith Badger suddenly found himself with a dream and desire to leave behind his corporate job and return to his birthplace in England, and walk. It was a simple plan, to walk from one end of Britain to the other with his wife Debby. And yet as they traversed the country over 139 days and 2,801km, Keith and Debby found themselves confronting far greater challenges than the landscape and shocking weather.

Port Phillip Baykeeper on the effects of plastic  pollution in Port Phillip Bay

‘Joining Loose Ends’ at one level is an adventure story about a long walk that stretched a couple to their limits. However, in candidly sharing his life story and vulnerability, Keith reveals with great honesty how in walking and connecting to nature for the first time in his life, he found richness in the world beyond his former business and consumer lifestyle, eventually learning what it means to be human.

Keith is now an Iceberger, swimming in the Port Phillip Bay every morning. He is the long-standing Treasurer of the Port Phillip EcoCentre, a leading community-managed organisation with a dedicated team of scientists, educators and volunteers who design and implement innovative environmental programs, with expertise in Port Phillip Bay health and the urban ecology of Greater Melbourne, within the traditional lands and waters of the Kulin Nation. The EcoCentre’s vision is to create an empowered and engaged community actively cultivating long-term social and environmental well-being, and do this through a range of education, research, citizen science, public advocacy, and volunteering programs. 

If you are interested in getting involved by volunteering your time or  perhaps you would prefer to make a donation, please click this link  https://ecocentre.com for more details.

Students from Caulfield Grammar in Melbourne participating in rubbish collection activities with the EcoCentre at Elwood beach.

Beachside Stories **** Open Media review

Gasworks Arts Park and Melbourne Writers’ Theatre present

Beachside Stories – 13 – 22 June 2019

Review & images by Kerrie Pacholli for Open Media Australia

Rating

****

Selling out fast! Link to bookings : Beachside Stories

Dick Gross & Alex Gilbert image © PationPics
Dick Gross & Alec Gilbert

 

The ghost of Dick Gross (played by Dick Gross, Mayor, City of Port Phillip) shares the stage with actor Alec Gilbert who actually plays Dick Gross. Both Dick Grosses engage in a robust conversation about his life in public office, his fears of past failures, frustrations, love of family and his hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future.

Beachside Stories is described as a series of duologues  by Clare Mendes, Producer and Company Manager of Melbourne Writers Theatre; commissioned by Gasworks to create, write and produce this highly entertaining window into the lives, loves, successes and vulnerabilities of five extra ordinary local community Stars.

Carolie Ling & Emma Cox image © PationPics
Coralie Ling & Emma Cox

Rev. Coralie Ling joins the stage with her much younger resonation in Emma Cox.   We learn about Coralie’s relentless and successful battles with the establishment regarding her ambitions in becoming the first women to be ordained as a minister in the Methodist Church in 1969.

Giovanni Piccolo & Peter Logan image © PationPics
Giovanni Piccolo & Peter Logan

We find out about the struggles that community activist Peter Logan has endured since 1996 with regards to Save Albert Park group along with proven deceptions by the Grand Prix and government officials.

Karissa Taylor & Melisand Box image © PationPics
Karissa Taylor & Melisand Box

15-year-old Albert Park College student Melisand Box (right) totally embraces the opportunity to show us just how talented, ambitious and naturally confident she is in her role as a conniving savant surgeon who operates on American actress, and her personal idol, Ann Hathaway played by Karissa Taylor.

Sarah Hamilton & Tony Adams playing Tony Manago © PationPics_6337
Sarah Hamilton & Tony Adams

Last but definitely not least was the touching story of Tony Manago played by Sarah Hamilton & Tony Adams. Known as the ‘ The Singing Butcher’ of South Melbourne Market. Tony’s life took an amazing turn at age 38 when he was approached by an Italian maestro whilst, singing at the market, to eventually become a professional Opera singer touring Rome and Sicily.

Tony Manago image © John Edwards
Tony Manago image © John Edwards

The grand finale sees the real Tony Manago singing an Italian Opera, Pavarotti style.

Elizabeth Walley, Resident Director at Melbourne Writers Theatre directed this collaboration which features plays written by five MWT writers who first interviewed and then wrote scripts for the Local Stars: Bruce Shearer for ‘Only Ghosts Can Second-Guess’ (Uncovering Dick Gross); Clare Mendes ‘Rhapsody in Purple’ (Pondering Coralie Ling); Alison Knight ‘Logan’s Run’ (Reliving Peter Logan); Brooke Fairley ‘The True Imaginings of Melisand Box’ (Exploring Melisand Box); and Adele Shelley ‘The Singing Butcher’ (Celebrating Tony Manago).

Beachside  Stories is a heartwarming and entertaining showcase about real community activists; their loves, ambitions, desires, insecurities and courage.