Forged by Fire

Forged by Fire – A free interactive event that explores our different relationships with fire!

Join Lithgow City Council for the Forged by Fire festival on Saturday, January 27th, starting at 4pm at The Foundations in Portland. This event features a variety of displays, workshops, and activities that delve into the fascinating story of fire and how we adapt our landscapes and homes to coexist with it. Bring your family and friends for an evening filled with fun, art, food stalls and entertainment.

The festival will commence with a traditional smoking ceremony and a welcome to country, followed by a range of interactive activities, informative stalls, films, and workshops suitable for the entire family.

Witness daring acts by local stuntman, Captain Finhead, enjoy a fire performance by Wolf Ifritah, inspired by Rosie the Riveter and immerse yourself in the musical journey of local musician James Daley, a talented guitarist playing a diverse range of genres from early blues, Celtic, folk, original compositions, and classical guitar.

Attendees are invited to explore fire-related works by Jacquelene Drinkall, including beautiful woven sculptures made from telecommunication wire. Jacquelene will also be hosting a sculpture workshop for all ages.  Unleash your creativity with pottery and charcoal drawing workshops conducted by the Old Pottery. The fun continues with a Poi Workshop, a Māori form of dance, where weights on the ends of tethers are swung through rhythmical patterns perfect for kids and grownups.

Planetary Health Initiative will be screening a selection of short films featuring local community members sharing their experiences with fire. The community is also invited to share their own stories about fire at a story booth hosted by Planetary Health Initiative.

The event will also feature a screening of “Love Letter”, a poignant artistic collaboration between Trybal Productions’ Peter Kennard and Sue Daly. This film explores the emotional impact of fire on our local landscape through evocative imagery and music.

As the sun sets, local project art pioneers Illuminart will light up the night with large-scale architectural projections that explore the imagery of our relationship with fire. These projections will illuminate the massive wall and windows of The Foundation.