Les Petites Annonces

Arts Tasmania Residency funding recipients from Hobart, lutruwita/Tasmania

French-Tasmanian duo Les Petites Annonces blend sound, visual art, cabaret and absurdist performance to explore strangeness and climate emergency.

During their two-part residency at Poatina Arts they investigated local swimming culture and emergency water protocols in the context of climate change. Positioned as absurd "emergency instructors" equipped with fictional safety gear, they used the abandoned Poatina Pool complex as the stage for a surreal emergency preparedness drill.

Supported by Poatina Arts with access to facilities and community, the duo created sound works, safety devices from recycled materials, and hand-stitched pictograms. Their work culminated in a participatory village-wide emergency drill — a wry yet caring performance that reflected on humanity's slow response to environmental collapse.

Final message:
"This is not a drill. Water is rising. Get ready for the plunge of your life."