Brisbane Festival is a goer but Sunsuper Riverfire decision is pending
The question of whether or not there will be a Brisbane Festival can now be answered in the affirmative, although it is still not known if there will be a Sunsuper Riverfire this year but we have our fingers and toes and everything else crossed.
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EXCLUSIVE
BRISBANE FESTIVAL will go ahead this year although no decision has been made yet as to whether or not it will include Sunsuper Riverfire. For some that’s the big attraction so stay tuned and we will let you know as soon as we can.
Meanwhile Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina, who has been thrown in the deep end for her first festival, hopes Brisbane embrace a new look festival which will be held from September 4 to 26.
She points out that it will be one of the first major events held in Queensland since the outbreak of COVID-19 and will celebrate the reawakening of the city.
“It will be a dramatically different festival but I’m confident people will love it,” Ms Bezzina says.
“We had some big international blockbusters and commissions planned but that was all just thrown out the window and I had to start all over again. It has been a real baptism of fire.”
Ms Bezzina says it will be a real festival not a virtual one but that performances will be more intimate and will all feature local artists.
“We have extraordinary talent here,” she says. “‘My passion has always been to present a festival that was boldly Brisbane and we will bring out the best of what we have here.”
The program, which will be announced in late July, has been reimagined and redesigned to meet social distancing rules and will bring the personal and human connection back to everyday life.
“Creating an international arts Festival when borders are closed, the economy is devastated, and mass gatherings are prohibited presents some enormous challenges,” Ms Bezzina says. “However, rather than be encumbered by them, we have used our imagination to create something really special this year.
“A commitment to delivering a truly local Festival and playing a role in revitalising the city with art this spring is the most uplifting response and one that we are thrilled to deliver. Spring is traditionally a time of awakening and rebirth, there’s a sense that we’re coming out of our autumn and winter hibernations with renewed enthusiasm and vigour.
“Brisbane Festival has always been an artistic adventure taking audiences to new corners of the globe and experiencing new and unexpected performances. This year may be different, however, it will certainly remain an artistic adventure. We will bring the unexpected to the people of Brisbane and fill the city with art, employing as many artists as possible in these troubled times. We want to provide a gift to Brisbane in a year that has been so difficult for so many.”
The program will feature the largest number of local artists ever included in a Brisbane Festival program, providing vital employment to those who have been deeply impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, the program will continue to nurture and encourage creativity and help 10 Queensland artists develop new work through its inaugural Working Title creative residency program.
Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch said the 10 creative residencies would provide employment and creative development opportunities for more than 100 Queensland artists and arts workers at a time when COVID-19 restrictions were impacting the arts sector.
“The Palaszczuk Government funding of $220 000 and in-kind venue hire at the Judith Wright Arts Centre up to the value of $259 200, to be used when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, will deliver bold new work for the Working Title creative residencies program,” Minister Enoch says.
“Working Title is a new initiative, co-ordinated through Brisbane Festival, which showcases uniquely Queensland work, and invites audiences to discover new ideas and participate in exciting performance experiences.”
“With the wide impact of COVID-19 on the arts sector, Working Title is a reminder that resilience, strength and creativity are at the very foundation of this local industry.”
The performers participating in the inaugural residency include Casus Circus, Polytoxic and Alethea Beetson, among others.
A dedicated First Nations program will also be created to honour and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
From today (June 22), residents of the Brisbane City Council area who live in a cul-de-sac, will be able to nominate their street for a once-in-a-lifetime exclusive experience.
During September, Brisbane Festival will bring some of the city’s biggest names in music to suburbs all over Brisbane; an opportunity for you and your neighbours to be serenaded in your own backyard. To nominate your street, visit the Brisbane Festival website brisbanefestival.com.au .
The program will be adjusted to meet the evolving restrictions and requirements of Queensland’s Chief Health Officer.
Brisbane Festival’s 2020 program will launch on Tuesday July 28. For more information, including updates and announcements, visit brisbanefestival.com.au or follow Brisbane Festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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