Little Operations with Rae Howell

Composer, performer and director Rae Howell is our 2025 Little Operations artist.

Rae will present work from her project The Piano: Hook, Line and Tinker which is a creative research project in-the-making; a unique insight into a piano’s modus operandi, and its complex mechanical beauty, where the components of a retired acoustic upright are turned inside-out and upside-down.

Imagine a slow-motion, semi-exploded view of the many parts that make up a piano, from the inside action mechanism – the levers, dampers and hammers – to the keys, strings, and cabinetry.

Honouring the treasured family heirlooms and countless neglected pianos that may be haphazardly discarded and unserviceable, The Piano:Hook, Line and Tinker invites audiences to pause for thought at a piano’s journey and its lifetime of musical stories.

Photos and stop motion video by Rae Howell, during the initial creative development of this project, supported by Punctum Inc, in partnership with Creative Ballarat and the Ballarat SeedPod.