It’s been years since I used the word hegemony. Back at university, I used it in essays all the time, because it was how smart people said ‘power or rule over others’. There was at least an extra half mark in going on and on about ‘hegemony’ and another half mark if you found room for ‘paradigm’. But out of university, I dropped hegemony from the vocab. It’s been easier to keep friends that way.

But this week, hegemony is back in a literal hedgy way. In the forecourt of Melbourne Museum on 26 March 2006, 400 artists will be dressing up as hedges. http://2006festival.nextwave.org.au/?pageid=4148 We spoke to hedge organiser Zita Whalley who allowed Sam, Fee and I to become hedges for a time.

Inside the hedge, I couldn’t help thinking how people not dressed as hedges tend to rule over people dressed as hedges. But on Sunday, when the hedges outnumber the non hedges, it’s entirely possible that the clippers will be in the other hand, and it will be the hedges that rule over the non hedges. Stay tuned.