A statue of Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Wisdom and Poetry, graces the top façade of the prominent three story Mechanics Institute building in central Ballarat. Minerva Speaks was a project that involves her speaking to the people in the street below.
Minerva came to life under lights, inspiring those who gathered at street level with a broadcast of stories written by people of Ballarat. She spoke our words, the words of local writers. She spoke about characters in a mixture of moral tales of fiction and fantasy. Minerva Speaks entertained and provoked interest in literature and the Mechanics Institute whilst also promoting moral values in this time of woe in the world.
Photography by Paul Lambeth