Speaking Pantomimes: Notes on The Calling to Come

The Calling to Come, a stereo-mix sound installation commissioned by the Museum of Sydney, represents an innovative approach to the performance of primary historical sources. The script, derived from the William Dawes language notebooks (1790–1792), explores the ambiguities of cross-cultural communication under colonialism. The work exploits the echoic mimicry characteristic of such situations. The technique of scripting, style of direction and use of environmental sound in The Calling to Come are described and located theoretically and biographically in terms of sound artist Paul Carter’s previous work. The political implications of the work and public reaction to the installation are briefly summarized.