The Go Show

Sons of the West Kick Goals for the Arts;

In November 2006, the Footscray Community Arts Centre partnered with the Western Bulldogs Football Club to present The GO Show, a multi site event incorporating performance and media and community workshops, centred on the concept of uniting communities.

According to Becky Hilton, Artistic Director of The GO Show, the project was designed to be inclusive, the only criteria for participation being living in the western suburbs and having a passion for something - be it dancing, skateboarding or football.

In addition to the primary performance piece, The GO Show incorporated the Digital Quilt Project, as well as a series of participatory workshops in areas such as voice, hip hop, manga, and performance studies.

The breadth and scope of the piece meant that participants in the project benefited from the opportunity to work with practising artists, providing pathways into further industry training as well as working collaboratively, as a number of Vic Uni students involved in the project discovered.

The piece also had the flow on effect of inspiring a greater sense of civic and cultural pride especially in the young people of Footscray, commenting;

• "I learned heaps of stuff about Footscray"
• "Its cool to get people involved in activities like these"

The project created networks and linkages between practising artists also - involving locals Kevin Harrington, Dyung Nyuyen, David Wells and John Howard. Also, community 'legends' such as Larry Walsh, Peter Somerville, Steven Milne became performers in The GO Show.

The GO Show project brought together the best of the west in both sports and the arts.