Up again, down again

Up again, down again. This is how I can best describe an intense week of testing that challenged many of us both physically and emotionally.

The week started on a major high with the delivery of the newly fabricated exhibition and its purpose built trailer. Our task was, first to test the exhibition’s physical construction and its versatility then test its virtue as an engaging exhibition.

Our first tester was a group of 60 school kids visiting the Museum of Australian Democracy from Tasmania. The second tester was a road trip taking the exhibition out to a school in the Southern suburbs of Canberra, replicated by our third tester which was a school in the Northern suburbs.

The verdict – excellent, engaging, smooth and fast installation, great fabrication and best of all the kids loved it.

One of the best parts of the week was finally getting to see and hear the excitement from the kids “wow” and “awesome”. They wandered throughout the triangular modules like they were in a forest gawking up at these overwhelming and massive panels that towered above them. I even got lost at one stage trying to find Tobi. “Where are you?” I called out as I darted between the modules. “Over here” was the reply. “Where?”, “over here”. A few twists and turns and eventually we found each other.

The other major high was Friday afternoon after we packed the vehicle and trailer ready for its 10 day journey to the rendezvous point in Port Hedland. The Marnti warajanga project team all came out and wished the consignment a cheerful bon voyage and good luck.

The downs? Well I won’t dwell on them too much but let’s just say the trailer no longer leaks. So by the end of the week we had tested the photographic workshop process, our timing, the cameras, our stamina, our skills and of course the trailer’s roadworthiness.

We were exhausted but excited everything was ready, and despite the few downs we had, I had to look at the big picture and remind myself just how amazing it is to be a part of this unique, worthy and unprecedented project.