Audience and lanterns. Photo: Andrew Parker.

Uralla Arts and Leapfish combined to devise and stage the finale show at the Uralla Lantern Parade for Earth Hour, March 2012. Funded through Festivals Australia, ThorBlomfield of Leapfish visited Uralla in the week leading up the event after a period of liaising with the community by Skype, phone and email. The event attracted an audience of around 1200 people who lined the streets to watch the Parade and then squeezed into the very picturesque Alma Park for the finale performance.

Held annually on Earth Hour, the show told the story of Uralla’s invasion by plastic bag monsters who chased off various bands of wholesome performers until they all planned and conspired to rid the town of the scourge of the plastic bag. The show featured multi-media and shadow projections and 60 local live performers including school children, local dance troupes, fire twirlers, a choir and live music. The lantern making was coordinated by LightnUp lantern makers from Lismore.