“MURMURING” was born from the impacts of COVID on the performing arts industry and particularly, the desire to nurture the mental health, spirit and connection of dancers and audiences alike, who were struggling through the prolonged 2020 COVID lockdown in Victoria, Australia.

The film Murmuring includes artists from The Australian Ballet (TAB) plus the 2020 Graduating year of The Australian Ballet School (ABS) (normally the graduate year level performs at State and National venues and accompanies The Australian Ballet on a regional tour). The Australian Ballet had not performed since March 2020, and whilst all dancers had undertaken some form of remote classes from their living rooms, the extensive COVID lockdown resulted in isolation and lack of connection as all performance opportunities and collaborations disappeared in the wake of back-to-back lockdowns. Amidst a sense of despondency, the collaborative Project Starling evolved. It aimed to work within the COVID restrictions with the mission that artists, volunteers and audience members would feel a sense of achievement and connection, despite the year which challenged those very things. Project Starling was a plan to work towards producing a film of a large group choreographed piece in a public location which would involve artists and students mentoring, learning and rehearsing remotely until they could meet in person.

The inspiration for the piece is the murmuration of starlings – a formidable sight to behold. The aerial formations change in an instant, creating a fluid mesmerizing dance in the sky. But it is more than just movement. Murmuration is an innate collective behavior essentially protecting the vulnerable individuals in the community, from danger. Whilst humans have lost this innate behavior, the pandemic has forced us to collectively behave a certain way to protect our vulnerable. Starling murmuration is about sustaining the flock. Project Starling and the piece “Murmuring” is about sustaining a sense of purpose, motivation and connection in a disheartening situation and realizing a positive outcome. The project is a result of the support and goodwill of many - and the film pays testament to the admirable qualities of humanity and our solace in the arts.