Stick a fork in it! We’re COOKED!
We were speaking in tongs for most of 2024, and this is why! For almost two years our sweat, sausages, and tears poured into this project. Introducing: ‘COOKED–The Hot Plate Stage’ a public participatory artwork for the 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival Civic Commission.
A smoulderingly antipodean BBQ and performance space rethinking the public barbeque space into an arena for communal cooking, entertainment, and cross-cultural exchange. A place to gather and grill, with food, performance, and conversation on the menu.
The public BBQ space was conceived and designed along with @msrp with a big, big BBQ made by Mike Hewson and will be housed in the Fed Square Amphitheatre from 1-20 October 2024.
The program folds together various saucy elements; hotty design, bratty bratwursts, spoonfuls of collaborators, chefs we crush on, food we adore, artists that make us blush; including @ari___angkasa, @dw_projects, @deepsoulfulsweats, @earthangelsbar, @ecstasy_cookbook, @funkshuizyand @steakfilm.
COOKED wouldn’t have been possible without the ideas, input and support from @amrita_moves, @lmtvv, @i.am.georg.gia, Simon, Eilysh and the whole team at Fringe.
PROGRAM:
An overview of COOKED as part of @melbfringe. Long Prawn and Friends presented a plateful of programming. Twenty days of sizzling public grilling or events! Housed in the handsome Public BBQ area designed by @yummdogmillionaire sits a three tonne communal grill plate by @mikehewson at @fed.square.
💨SEASONING THE GRILL: A First Nation’s focussed light up of the BBQ for a night of smoke, dance, art & food. Curated by @p33ta ft @_playte and @mabu_mabu_aus
🌭OPEN GRILL: Join around the public grill for free grilling and hourly drops of sausages and veg sticks. Heady in the air, onions, conversation amongst the clacks of tongs ft @hagensorganics @ultraculturecommunity @chappyschips +++++
🍴 GRILL PRIVÉ – HOONS AND BUGGERS: Utterly absurd, entirely rewarding dinner bent on perfect hosting and guesting ft @ecstasy_cookbook and @funkshuizy
🎬 HOT NIGHTS – INDECISIVE CINEMA: Underground Korean and Australian films paired with surf (@long_prawn) and turf (@steakfilm).
🐟HOT NIGHTS – ARI ANGKASA’S SUSPICIOUS FISH: A variety show of Indonesian primetime television lore by @ari___angkasa with snacks made by angels @hotnoodlecoldwine
🥩HOT NIGHTS – DEEP SOULFUL SWEATS: The BBQ becomes the stage in a night of experimental performance, raw and well done @deepsoulfulsweats
🗳️HOT NIGHTS – DEMOCRACY SAUSAGE: Tasty democracy snacks and bespoke site-responsive theatre for the right here, right now @dw_projects
COOKED is presented by @melbfringe and @fed.square. A special thanks to our COOKED partners @cookersbulkoil and @hagensorganics.