As part of the Midsumma Festival (Australia’s premier queer arts and culture festival celebrating LGBTQIA+ voices through film, performance, and participatory art), audiences in Melbourne were invited to experience John Waters’ cult classic Hairspray (1988) through scent.

In collaboration with Snivure, Scented Storytelling, and the Brimbank City Council, a series of youth workshops explored the role of smell in cinema and co-designed the olfactory track. This culminated in a set of free sensory screenings at the Bowery Theatre, where the film’s infectious energy was matched by its scents, treats, and interactive surprises, as well as Minh Mei co-designing the scratch-and-sniff cards.

Armed with bespoke scratch-and-sniff cards, audiences followed Tracy Turnblad (a big-hearted teen with even bigger hair) as she danced her way onto the Corny Collins Show. Each numbered scent brought the 1960s to life, from the sweet hairspray clouds and soda shop delights to the sweaty thrill of the dance floor. Guided by enthusiastic young hosts, fans laughed, sniffed, and swayed together in a celebration of John Waters’ vision of inclusivity and rebellion.

Production Year: 2024
Effects: 9 (6 scents and 3 edibles)
Scent Direction by: Tammy Burnstock, Jas Brooks, Brimbank City Council Youth Members
Card Designed by: Minh Mei, Jas Brooks

This experience has appeared at:

• Bowery Theatre, Melbourne, Australia (Midsumma Festival, presented by Brimbank City Council)

• Cinema Nova, Melbourne, Australia (Whiffy Waters Weekend)