‘Tit for tat, butter for fat, if you kick my dog, ill kick your cat’ Nick Zeki, Student 1987. Textbook Otis brought back to life the creaky halls of the Collingwood Technical College (1912-1987) for a final school time lunch. A gym bag full of 80’s ozzy quirk, school kid buggery and industry inspirations. The curriculum clanged together food, art and music of the era. A meal riddled with enjoyment, employment and education.
Under school motto banners reading ‘Mens Sana in Corpore Sang” (a healthy mind in a healthy body) we encouraged our cohort to play within an old school hall and leafy courtyard. Like good pupils they were all wilfully obliging.
We welcomed guests into the yard with bountiful lunch boxes brimming with hand crafted snacks by Pete Cooksley and Matthew Binney, our two head chefs. To wash it all down 'Just Juice' bottles were spiked with a skin contact Pinot Gris created by Jordy Kay for the event. After some sun and play our class of 2017 looked to be fading so with a ring of the lunch bell they were ushered into the canteen to begin feasting. Baine-maries bubbled with a school lunch of a terribly low rent yet utterly high distinction: house made cured meats, prawn cocktail, roast chicken, eggplant parmigiana, waldorf salad and crudités bulked up our the tuck shop. Funnily enough, horseplay ensued with the next beverage (Patrick Sullivan) coming out of wonderfully generous goon bags, poured direct into glasses not mouths of course.
Plied full of hard working food and drink, the class were then released back out into the courtyard to the hiccuping sounds of the junior Darebin City Brass Band, led by Jack Kelly a former student, teacher and alum of Collingwood Tech. Amongst swaying felt banners created with Gabriel Cole, guests collected on long tables sprawling where rude messages had seen some scrawling. School cook Pete Cooksley who earnt his colours in fire play at Embla threw down lovely pieces of beef flank, whole squid and half cos lettuces in line for the burnt caesar salad. Then a marching band of cauliflower steaks, chimichurri, horseradish butter, hearby beans and leafy salads ascend before the proteins were plucked off the grill and dispersed accordingly. The class saw out the year with great jest, humming along to a soundtrack collaged by Guy Blackman of Chapter Records. A quick school snap and they were sent on there way with no dilly dallying.
Details
Collingwood Technical College
35 Johnston St, Collingwood
This event was supported by the Collingwood Arts Precinct (CAP).
Music
Guy Blackman Chapter Music
Darebin City Brass Band (live) led by Jack Kelly
Contributors
Campaign photography: Ben Clement
Event photography: Ben Clement, Lauren Dunn
Brand identity: Gabriel Cole
Felt banners: Gabriel Cole, Matilda Rutherford
Aprons: Jayden Trifunovic
Custom table legs: Steelotto
Custom table tops: Cosmo Feltham, Ben Jones, Elle Ross, Flossy, PSP
Refreshments: Jordy Kay, Capi, Assembly Coffee
Menu prints: Dawn Press