POSSESSIONS of people who have lost their homes will form the basis of an upcoming exhibition and musical performance.
Donations are being sought from those who have lost their homes to bushfires, floods, storms, other natural disasters and from refugees, for the Another Future project.
Composer, musician and academic Eve Klein is searching for keepsakes for the project, which was inspired by ethicist Elaine Kelly's book Dwelling in the Age of Climate Change.
In addition to donating keepsakes, 12 people will also take part in video interviews sharing stories about their lost homes and objects and reflecting on the nature of climate change.
A one of a kind performance
Eve will join forces with innovative Sydney-based group Ensemble Offspring for the musical component of the project.
"What makes this project so exciting is that the donated objects will be played, literally, as percussion instruments in the musical performance," Eve said.
Donations can range from treasured items such as stuffed toys and photo albums to house keys, pressed leaves or coins.
"In addition, we will want to hear of the stories surrounding those salvaged keepsakes. We want to know their specific meaning to the owners."
Eve's loss
Eve knows what it is like to be a victim of nature, having lost her most prized possession - a 1959 Broadwood piano, to flood damage late last year.
She said she managed to salvage the piano's pedals and wheels as keepsakes.
Eve said it was difficult to describe the grief of losing something so precious to her.
"Forty excruciating minutes, that's how long it took two strong men to smash the piano with a hammer," she said.
"We are still finding remnants of the strings, cut off one by one, on the ground outside."
How to take part
Those who wish to participate in the project without donating an item are invited to take a photograph of an item and send it in with an accompanying story.
The exhibition will initially take place online, with hopes it will be developed into a touring exhibition, visiting various regional galleries.
The musical performance will take place both online and in a yet to be determined venue.
Organisers hope both events will take place early next year.
To donate or for more information, click here.
