What is Place des Anges?
Place des Anges (“Place of Angels”), is a spectacular outdoor performance by the French aerial circus company Gratte Ciel (“Skyscraper”) which brings together climbers, circus performers and dancers who create performances of unique high-altitude aerial circus.
The show has been performed many times around the world including London, Stockholm & Montreal and the performance will take place high above the audience. We don’t want to give too much away, but the show involves angels (who like to have fun), fabulous music, feathers, and aerial theatrics creating a playful, visual, and inspiring spectacle that will enchant audiences of all ages.
When and where will the show take place?
Place Des Anges will be performed after dark each night at WOMADelaide and will take place predominantly in the area in front of the Foundation Stage. The show duration is around 40 minutes and the full festival timetable will list the exact show times when it is released.
Where do the feathers used in the show come from?
No animal was killed to make this show.
The duck feathers used in Place des Anges are sourced from farms that meet strict European regulations regarding animal welfare which humanely farm the birds for the production of meat - the feathers being a by-product.
The feathers used for the show Place des Anges come from SUPPLIERS OF DOWN USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF winter clothing, natural quilts and duvets. Feathers are not taken from animals for the purposes of the show – they are feathers which were already destined for use in MANUFACTURED CLOTHING, MATRESSES, PILLOWS AND DUVET MATERIALS.
The company supplying the feathers has been awarded the DOWNPASS certification (http://www.downpass.com/en/homepage.html) for stringent traceability and quality standards. This certification requires that feathers are not sourced from any live animals. In addition, IDFL (http://www.idfl.com/), the world’s largest down and feather testing laboratory, has completed a further independent Supply Chain Traceability Audit of the companies feather supply, and passed them in accordance with the requirements of the EDFA Codex and EDFA Traceability Standard. The supply chain has additionally been further certified to exclude any feathers sourced from force-fed animals.
The feathers used in Place des Anges are also clean and safe in accordance with strict European regulations. They have been washed, sterilised and dusted, and provided for the manufacture of down quilts, mattresses and clothing and certified free from allergens and contagious diseases.
Are the feathers used in Place des Anges hypoallergenic?
The feathers used in the show are washed, sterilised and dusted, and have undergone antibacterial treatment to prevent allergens.
How will the feathers be cleared after the show?
The festival will employ extra staff for significant clean-up following each performance evening, with a final clean-up taking place after the festival and all feathers will be composted along with other festival compostable waste.
Clean feathers are used for each of the four performances.
Many people will take feathers home with them and some feathers will gradually find their way across the city leaving their mark as a memory of this magical spectacle.
Why do the company use feathers?
“Through this show, Grate Ciel present a peaceful allegory. Through the symbolic Angel characters, we move away from their religious identification, developing a burlesque and spectacular show.
Influenced by the romanticism of our culture, it is essential to echo the dehumanisation of modern society, creating a real poetic « shock » to live and to share fraternity and the peace which are at the roots of the development of our modern societies. And because we have grown up in natural and spectacular surroundings, and because we believe that humour and derision are serious matters.
To promote these beliefs, our vocabulary is acrobatic and our stage is the sky. The feather is undoubtedly the most pertinent object to engulf the public in this joyful gentleness that we defend.” - Gratte Ciel
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