“Post-genre means equity and inclusivity: every genre, every discipline, every community, has something valid to share.”
Looking at it this way, the most important aspects therefore weren’t just the pieces we programmed, or the particular genres involved, but how, and why, we do what we do. This realisation has given us so many more possibilities artistically, but also resulted in us curating using our values of social equity, non-hierarchical artistic collaboration, and celebrating community first.
Spooktacular | Brisbaret
The night’s hosts Sophie Banister and Thien Pham have been running this event for three years now and so know their comedic style and their audience very well, and it shows.
An Unquiet Grave | Blue Stockings
The full moon in Taurus shines bright over the city as I make way to The Station for An Unquiet Grave and the chaos of the early morning’s lunar eclipse still vibrates through the air. The ambience is perfect; low light, candles lit, witchy music, and witchy people in witchy outfits.
“Gives us space to laugh while we consider the enormity of this crisis.” Celia White on latest Vulcana production ‘IMPACT’
Our favourite medium is circus so it was important to tackle this subject and how we tell these kind of stories through this modality. It will be really interesting to see how the audience responds a series of images, a series of tipping points.
West End Stories | West End Community House + Guest Artists
It was on that note of hope and healing where a group of women took their spots on the stage and sang ‘Meanjin Sunrise’ for themselves, their babies, and the betterment of their communities
Yirinda | Fred Leone & Samuel Pankhurst
Between songs Leone told us the translated stories and I was in awe of the huge amount of knowledge he had and how deeply he held it within himself.
The Poets Club | Hope One
It was a magical night indeed to be entertained by a group of multi-talented brown and black artists from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and ranging in ages. These aunties and their contemporaries were brave enough to share their journey of language, loss, love, community, hope and more.
Brisbaret at Queensland Cabaret Festival
I can see why Brisbaret is a popular feature in the Brisbane arts scene, as a firmly local platform for a wide variety of music, comedy, drag, and cabaret artists. Variety is a tried and tested format—at its finest when hosted by talented MC’s, who program an eclectic collection of invited artists and keep the evening on track.
La Serenata | Opera Queensland
Wang himself is charming in the humblest of ways. He captures us with his talent and endears himself to us immediately after with his sweet demeanour. This charm is enhanced immensely by his technical prowess. Wang sings with every fibre of his being.
The David Bentley Trio | Restrung Festival
Led by Brisbane’s accomplished jazz/blues pianist and composer David Bentley and joined by Brisbane musicians Andrew Shaw (bass) and Nathan Goldman (drums), the trio played a number of jazz standards and original songs; all which left the audience gleefully tapping their feet.
Restless Dream | Bob Weatherall, Halfway, Digi Youth Arts & Alethea Beetson
It’s through Uncle Bob Weatherall where the reality hits that we are experiencing more than art and performance - it’s truth telling performed with rawness and honesty. Restless Dream tells the real-life journey of Uncle Bob’s efforts of repatriation and bringing back the ancestral remains of those who have died to be buried back on their country, back to Kamilaroi. Bringing peace and ensuring a real passing can happen.
Street Serenades | Brisbane Festival
I seem to have spent quite a bit of the last week lurking around Brisbane parks (and even a council pool). Don’t worry; I was waiting to see circus, dance, theatre, sword-swallowing, and to catch some local bands. And I wasn’t alone, as I was in the company of a few other hardy souls, as we waited for the latest Brisbane Festival Street Serenade.
For Honeyman Street | Sean Sennett & Band
Having six female vocalists to call upon meant that Sennett was able to craft a set that touched on a different aspects of love, and embraced a variety of musical styles. From country to rock, from Bowie influences through to a Beatles vibe, and from funkier pieces through to soft rock. Not at all bad for just one hour.
Pink Martini Pop-up Cabaret | Evoke Dance & Theatre Company
Showcasing a range of dance styles including salsa, tango, samba, the cancan, contemporary, jazz and even a conga line, gorgeous costuming and backed by a stellar eight piece band, the cabaret hit all the right places. As someone who got swept up in learning Latin dance years back, it made for great night of nostalgia, leaving me smiling and humming along. The local audience seemed to agreed, as they clapped and stamped their feet throughout.
Vibrations | Dots+Loops
I am greeted by the delightfully odd, creatively fruity and ASMR-inspired sounds of Provocative Vibrations. Clearly extremely well thought and articulated and AT THE SAME TIME an unnerving chaotic mash-up of sound, action, noise and voice, this is a cool weird experience. There is something so delightful to think that right now, in Brisbane, there are people making such a fabulously strange mash-up of noises, and rehearsing them perfectly, and there are eager audiences out there braying to get a hold of it. It’s heart-warming, it really is.
High Fi - Jazz Lounge - Feat. Bobby Singh & Na Moja
The intimate venue of The Sideshow in West End played host to High Fi, a Jazz Lounge like setting featuring four talented musicians: Bobby Singh beating away on the tabla, Matt Ottignon’s breathtaking display of the sax and clarinet, Benjamin Walsh adding in the drums and percussion and Shenzo Gregorio dazzling us with the beauty of the viola, guitar, and custom stringed instruments.
Family friendly fun at Wynnum Fringe
What strikes me is how great this spot is for a Festival and the audience diversity completely representative of the Wynnum community. The street is filled with lots of families, young and old, great access provision for the prams and wheelchair users. There is enough shade, an abundance of helpful local-community volunteers who are easily located wearing Wynnum Festival Fringe shirts.
Nautical but Nice | Ruckus Slam
Yo ho ho and a barrel of fun. Ruckus Slam, purveyors of poetry, cabaret and alt-arts for the indie kids of Brisbane, have delivered another sterling production in their most ambitious venue to date.