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Celebrating Ethos, Spirit of the Community
Civic Square, Canberra 5.30 - 7.15pm Thursday 15 December 2011
All Canberrans are welcome at our next event, which will include a ceremony, stories and songs to renew the meaning of Ethos as the spirit of our community. Click here for a printable invitation.
This spirit has already touched the Legislative Assembly with ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher among the MLAs from all three parties who are joining to co-sponsor the celebration.
Created at a time when Canberra was more plan than metropolis, the future spirit that master sculptor Tom Bass dreamed into the form of Ethos is our city's first and best loved artwork. Along with words he heard her speak during his 90th year in 2005, she continues to inspire our citizens' chorus. We often include her in our community events for peace and caring for the Earth.
If you attended one of our performances of The Gifts of the Furies -- Glenda's mythic story-song about relations between people and Earth -- you will have heard the 'I am Ethos' song and seen Ethos come to life as an embodiment of community wisdom. On 15 December, Ethos will again be sung by Judith Clingan, our gloriously voiced musician-composer who has taught thousands of Canberrans to love singing.
Tom Bass regarded Ethos as the most significant of all his public sculptures. In his autobiography, he wrote: "I saw my task as being to create an emblem that would express the real possibilities of a place like Canberra. I began with a saucer-like base ... In that bowl you can see the Burley Griffin plan and the topographical features of Canberra. The figure rises up out of this. She wears a garment and its fabric is the people of Canberra, the ever-changing community... She is winged, which expresses the spirit of the place."
Click here to read Ethos's substantial citation in the ACT Heritage Register, including more notes on her symbolism, and quotes from newspapers of 1959 - 61 at. For more information about Ethos read Glenda Cloughley's paper Looking at Ethos.
Anzac Eve Peace Vigil 2012
On 24 April 2012 we will hold the second Anzac Eve Peace Vigil, following last year's inaugural event where around 150 people gathered on top of Mount Ainslie at sunset of Anzac eve for a ceremony, followed by a procession of lanterns down Mount Ainslie. This was followed by singing at the foot of Mount Ainslie and a lantern walk down Anzac Parade.
A particularly moving aspect of the Peace Vigil was the connection with members of the local Aboriginal community who participated in the event in the spirit of reconciliation. Click here to read Annie Didcott's account of last year's event written for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
More information about next year's Anzac Eve Peace Vigil will be posted soon.