North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) has unveiled a major new creative project for the remote township of Benambra, commissioning award winning Albury production studio Parallel Wilds to transform the original 2016 book Released from the Wild into a next generation 2026 3D immersive experience.
The project launches with two original singles composed and performed by young North East Victorian musicians Patrick Thurtell (Yackandandah) and Mallee Damm (Eskdale). Both artists were commissioned to adapt verses from the 2016 publication into contemporary songs. The tracks Released from the Wild and Snowflake on a Wedding Dress were recorded in January at David Wilson Recording Studios in Wagga Wagga. The title track is released today through Oscar FM and Benambra Neighbourhood House, with a lyric video for the second single to premiere on 15 April.
The two songs act as bookends to Released from the Wild: Exploring Benambra in Virtual Reality, a cinematic 3D experience featuring whip cracking sequences by Aleshia Sievers who is known for her performance in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony alongside emerging talents Jake Pendergast and Sylvia Connley.
Narration for the 3D project is delivered by key members of the Benambra community, whose stories and recollections formed the heart of the 2016 book. Their voices return in this 2026 reimagining, paired with new high definition visual captures of Lake Omeo, Minute Creek and the Morass Plain, showcasing Benambra’s unique landscape.
The production is crafted by Parallel Wilds, an Albury-based creative team that began at Outdoor School Bogong in 2021. Since then, the studio has delivered more than forty 3D projects across Australia and the UK, including the Young Somerset collaboration that won Best Group Project at the 2024 Creative Freedom Awards in the UK.
The official launch of Released from the Wild 3D will take place on Friday 1 May 2026 at Benambra Airport. The event will feature live whip cracking demonstrations, music performances by Thurtell and Damm, and the first public screening of the new 3D experience for the Benambra community.
From May onwards, the project will be available online at www.parallelwild.com.