First created in 1994 in a tiny classroom in a London college as a means of engaging students in a reflection on their relationship to the city around them, City of Dreams has since been performed in various London venues (including the South London Gallery and the National Theatre Studio) and has been presented in Germany, Singapore and Australia. City of Dreams was shown at Bremer Weltspiel in Bremen, Germany, November 2005.

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ABC Radio, Brisbane

Venue: Brisbane Powerhouse

City of Dreams is perhaps more a piece of performance art than a performance piece in its own right. It blurs the boundaries between performance and installation and is a very subtle story revealing a very intimate and personal living map of a city in this case Brisbane. It is a collaborative work and has been realized in both London and Singapore, with different participants in each city.

The four participants in the Brisbane performance/installation are Lana Sneyd, a volunteer worker who grew up at Nudgee Orphanage; Sonia Fletcher who is a dancer, singer and natural therapist; Bernie Naher, a sculptor; and Bill Ash, a lawyer. Each brings their personal and highly unique view of Brisbane to this project.

Essentially the project involved installing a living art piece on the floor of the Visy Theatre, before a live audience, that traces the history and development of Brisbane from before the dawn of time through to the present. The journey itself is a highly personal one, as I said, involving the hopes and dreams of the people of our city and uses found objects, sand, sticks, wood and so on to creative a most wonderful piece.

I found the experience which lasts only about an hour and fifteen minutes to be very moving and highly spiritual. Perhaps it is because I am more closely in tune with things spiritual that it is from this perspective that I saw the piece, but I feel that it is unlikely that anyone could experience this beautiful event without being moved in some way.

City of Dreams is not something that you can just watch and walk away from. It will, and must, effect you in some way.

Obviously those who like fast-paced action and a clear plot are not necessarily going to find this piece to their liking. However, if you can turn off (or at least quieten) that thirst for constant stimulation and find an hour or so to take this work in then I thoroughly recommend you do. I doubt you will be sorry.