A combination of poetry, storytelling and a good old sing-a-long
Mackay Libraries and 4CRM hosted Mackay and District writers from U3A Creative Writers Group, Mackay Writers Group and independent writers to take us to a time before the advent of electronic entertainment, when the mind conjured the imagines of a tale. A musician had us reminiscing and sharing with the younger generation songs that made nearly every voice sound good.
The lost art of telling poems and short stories to audiences may easily disappear, Utterfusion, hoped to start a trend, to make it entertaining and to make the dreams of the writer be heard. Through her weekly community radio program “Who Wrote That? 4CRM presenter Leanne Simpson encourages people to start writing. The popularity of the once a month Unplugged! show highlighted the need for writers to publicly perform their works, as a result Utterfusion was created.
The day saw the launch of the CD Who Wrote That? Unplugged! In The Beginning, a compilation of recorded ‘live to air’ presentations from the writer’s themselves. This was accompanied by a booklet about the writers involved that documents their thoughts on “Why creative write?” The CD and booklet were launched and were available for purchase on this day.
Mackay Libraries were proud to support Leanne Simpson (4CRM) with Utterfusion. The entire concept of ‘Who Wrote That’, ‘Who Wrote That – Unplugged’ and ‘Utterfusion’ linked community groups, supported lifelong learning and literacy, and utilised libraries as community space to enhance leisure and recreational experiences.
Groups involved with this project:
4crm who wrote that
U3A creative Writing Group
Mackay Writers Group
Mackay Cinematic Group
Mackay Choral Society
Independent writers
Supporters:
4CRM
Mackay Libraries
Mackay City Council
Arts Queensland
RADF
Department of Education, Training and the Arts
Adult Learners Week
Approximately 70 people attended the event and consisted of the writers, friends and family and the general community. Positive feedback was received throughout the day and continues to be received. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all attending. The attending musician at the event created a relaxed, interactive atmosphere.
Approximately 85 CDs and booklets were sold.
Further requests for inclusion in the 4CRM ‘Who Wrote That’ and ‘Who Wrote That – Unplugged’ radio interviews continue.
A reunion of Utterfusion presenters was held at Mackay City Library on 24 November. This event was by request of the individual authors and groups who made Utterfusion possible and welcomed the opportunity to discuss writing with other authors. The informal morning included writers presenting poetry and stories with a Christmas theme.
