"The House (of Alexander) has actually shown me that the world is my oyster and the possibilities are endless." Aniita Maka on power of chosen family in Ballroom.
Seeing women like mama Ella … She was the first openly transwoman who worked in the airlines, and she’s worked in many different industries and how she has navigated through that lifestyle is something we don’t envisage for ourselves, because we feel its out of our reach. To see someone overcome that and negotiate through that stuff, is what inspires me and keeps me going as a person.
500 Pieces of Arts Criticism
Arts criticism is cultural criticism. Our artists reflect the world around them, they choose a toothy issue or a personal one, one that affects millions or one that breaks a single heart, and they climb right in amongst it and thresh it out. It’s a vital service, it’s how a culture breathes, how it rebirths, how it discards the rotten and the dead weight, how it dances.
Eight shows to dive into in the final week of BrisFest22
The final week of the festival is absolutely chockas full of sexy art to bring the fun, feels and frivolity that a post COVID Meanjin needs. For our final series of recommendations as taken from our latest monthly newsletter, the team brings you eight shows to dive into in the final week of the festival. Show’s are selling out fast, so get your tickets soon or be prepared for a serious case of FOMO.
Six shows and events you shouldn't miss in Week Two of BrisFest22
Not sure what to check out during week two of BrisFest? Don’t worry, NEHIB’s got your back and bring you six shows your shouldn’t miss during week two of the festival, as recommended in our latest monthly newsletter. Get into it, Meanjin!
Five shows to sink your teeth into in the first week of the 2022 Brisbane Festival
Being spoit for choice, it can be hard to figure out what to see in such a dense program. Luckily the team from NEHIB is on hand to help you choose. Each month, we release a newsletter to give you our recommendations of what you simply MUST see, and we’re giving you a sneak peak of some of recommendations each week of the Brisbane Festival this year, so you can get a taste of what to expect if you subscribe.
Five Shows for Teens and young adults to check out at Brisfest this year!
For Brisvegas residents, Brisbane Festival is the most wonderful time of the year. It is a time when art is celebrated and rejuvenated. A time when theatregoers roam the streets; a glass of red wine in hand, hopping from one show to the next. If you have a teen that is itching to get into theatre or maybe you have a teen that’s never been exposed to theatre before, here are your must sees of this years season.
5 reasons to get your mates together and head to Jungle Love this weekend
Well here at Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane we don’t often cross the river - but when we do, we go all the way into the mountains and dance all weekend. That’s right, that gorgeous collective of arts lovers and boho dreamers is gathering for the next instalment of Jungle Love.
Five Emerging Playwrights to Keep Your Eyes On…
That’s why it has been so reassuring to see a plethora of new playwrights emerging in the Brisbane independent arts scene, who have such a gorgeous control over their texts. If you haven’t heard of these indie playwrights before, jot their names down and follow their socials, as I can guarantee that you will be blown away their artistry.
Raising funds for the Support Act ‘Roadie fund’ with loud music and good times
The pandemic hit many industries very hard, and one that was almost impossibly decimated was the arts. But while the artists at the front of house made a lot of headlines, one of the industries that didn’t get so much attention was behind-the-scenes… the crew who get our stages and venues bumped in, lit, rigged, bumped out, and transported. On Sunday, August 7, starting from 5pm at The Zoo Brisbane, COUNT ME IN: Fundraiser will be taking the stage to raise a donation for CrewCare’s ‘Roadie Fund’.
Best Cafes to Stay All Day and Write in Brisbane
One of my favourite past times is to sit in a café and write – whether that be writing plays, short stories, poetry… you name it. So, I thought I’d make a list of the cafes that I frequent the most with a notebook and/or laptop in hand, ready to get those creative juices flowing.
"Every possible aspect of what the audience may experience must be thought through." Kirsten Siddle dishes on 'Love Lust Lost'.
The work has been in creative development for almost three years, so we’re pretty thrilled that it’s finally premiered. Creating immersive theatre is challenging! There is an infinite amount of detail involved, everything must be layered and layered over each other and absolutely every possible touchpoint and aspect of what the audience may (or may not) experience must be thought through, carefully curated and dramaturgically analysed. There’s a team of more than 100 superstars behind this show, so there’s a lot of moving parts, but the team is a true powerhouse and every problem is tackled with creativity, flair and determination.
West End Film Festival promises a wildly innovative program for 2022
This year’s Festival is hyper local yet national featuring flicks from chilly Melbs to humid Darwin covering content on hot topics, music videos, animation, dramas, youth, other cultures and a wonderfully inspiring, provocative, yet diverse program from our own homegrown 4101 and SEQ filmmakers. Audiences will get to view an amazing talent of multimedia events across West End plus find unexpected popup film events in non-traditional film settings.
"I don’t want pain to be my legacy." Tristan Niemi on subverting the expectations of theatre
The artists that I’m close with, when we talk about our practice, we often come to a place of discussing this pressure we feel to be in pain in order to making art of value. But when a layer of othering, as you put it, is added to that the pressure becomes intensified and localised to the “otherness” we are branded with. I, personally, plan on being a working artist for the rest of my life and I don’t want pain to be my legacy. I don’t want the next generation of artist to have to inherit that from me and feel that same pressure. So, I’m using ASK to point out the despicable nature of this pressure.
"It is up to the individual to draw from their own wellspring of self-belief." Overcoming writers block with Ad Astra
We chose this play for several reasons. Firstly, the overarching theme of a playwright who is struggling with writers’ block is a metaphor for anyone who has struggled with the creative process. No matter what drives you as a human being, we all have a creative muscle and at times, it needs massaging!
Tell us about the first time you saw a circus show….
We love the circus here at Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane, and it turns out, so do all the circus artists we know! We’re so excited for CIRCFest 22 Meanjin, so we went to all the circus performers and asked them to tell us about the first time they saw a circus show, or glimpsed a clown, or found the magic of the circus stage…
Karen Lee Roberts is a creative Chameleon
For a show about a subject as serious as mental health/ mental wellness, Chameleon is quite light- hearted throughout. There are darker moments, and people do shed tears, but you will definitely get your fair share of belly laughs and giggles in this cabaret. It has been written to not take one’s self too seriously, and has some absolutely hilarious scenes unfold.
What does circus mean to you?
If you haven’t heard, Brisneyland is getting it’s very own circus festival - thehighly anticipated CIRCFest22 Meanjin. Circus for young folk, for those looking for an extravagant night on the town, for lively teens, for sweet and shy people, for those with a sick sense of humour, circus for everyone! We’ve gone out to some of the incredible artists that will be performing across the festival from April 21 to May 1, and we asked them, what does circus mean to you?
“We give a platform to the best improv and comedy shows.” Rosa Sottile on Big Fork Theatre’s dedicated comedy theatre
There are so many great shows on. Every week we have totally new improv shows and also regular stand-up and variety shows! If you want to see improv for the first time I would recommend our classic improv format, ‘Cool Story Bro’ on Friday nights. It’s Big Fork’s flagship show. True stories inspire hilarious improv scenes! Some other particularly exciting shows coming up are the BrisAsia Festival shows – ‘BrisAsia Stands Up’ and ‘Wer Ya From’. We also have some great Brisbane regular shows coming to the theatre like ‘Stand Up vs Improviser’ and ‘Freak Box’, and our first show making a comeback ‘Get It Inya’, an experimental comedy show!
A fundamental guide to bullet proofing your grant process
Grants are something that are not for the faint of heart. They take grit, commitment, self-confidence, honesty and passion. I was not expecting it to become something that I really enjoy doing, like I love the learning, the process, the people and the projects and that’s why many writers do it. Although we are few and far between, we share commonalities and have similar experiences. There are definitely dos and don’ts along the way – for how we engage with you and how you engage with us.
"If you're looking for a bit of an escape, Cab Suave is the place to go!" Abby Kelso on Sparkle Society's reimagining of film noir with a circus twist
Cab Suave isn't just a cabaret, it has a full storyline that will have you engaged and wanting to know what happens next, and interesting characters with personality and charm. Combining circus with live music and theatre, it's cheesy and funny and doesn't take itself too seriously. If you're looking for a bit of an escape after the last few years, Cab Suave is the place to go!