Brisbane Festival 2021 Launched

The winter sun beamed on Brisbane's South Bank as the Brisbane Festival team and a crowd of (masked and socially distanced) arts supporters enjoyed a sneak preview of entertainment to come, as Queensland's Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch and Brisbane's Deputy Mayor Cr Krista Adams joined Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina (pictured above) to officially launch the 2021 program at the BOQ Festival Garden, South Bank, Brisbane on July 14. Building on its role as a beacon of hope in 2020, the theme for Brisbane Festival 2021 is 'Brightly Brisbane'.

Image: Naomi Price.

The multi-talented Naomi Price (Little Red Company) hosted the event from a mini-stage at South Bank's BOQ Festival Green, which will be one of the performing hub spaces for the festival. After a pop-up music set by DJ Dameeeela and Welcome to Country by Shannon Ruska, the stage was taken over by cast members from Casus Circus’s Auntie’s Fiafia Night for a music-dance-acrobatic combo, a fabulous performance of 'Skyfall' by Ms Price (what a fabulous voice!), star pooches from the festival's Let’s Be Friends Furever event, before a gem of a performance very special guests, local superstars Kate Miller-Heidke and her guitarist (and husband) Keir Nuttall.  

Image: Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. 

The festival began in the 1960s as 'Warana' – an Aboriginal word for 'blue skies' – and has always involved celebrating local character. As the capital's traditional springtime festival, Brisbane Festival runs for the first three weeks in September, with performances in mainstream and indie venues, as well as pop-ups and neighbourhoods across Brisbane's 190 suburbs, and on the Brisbane river. The diverse programming this year feels like a further blossoming of the creativity of Louise Bezzina and her team in her inaugural year as Artistic Director in 2020, as pivoting became de rigueur and unleashed some festival strengths. Louise announced that new sponsors were joining the ranks of steady supporters, and she acknowledged the ongoing support provided by the Brisbane City Council and Queensland Government. The festival's collaborations are creating 15 world premieres and nearly 140 productions, employing more than 1000 local artists at a critical time for the arts and its workers.

With something for every audience demographic, the Brightly Brisbane programming includes indie arts and comedy to LGBTQ+ events, a huge variety of dance and movement, song and cabaret to laser light shows, and there's even a dog show, and large installations that won the hearts of the public in 2020. As well as a welcome return of the Messengers of Brisbane – Florentijn Hoffman's Gouldian Finches – there will also be magical dreamscapes courtesy of Airship Orchestra and Sky Castle by art and technology experts, Eness. World-class performers will include an opening night party hosted by David Campbell, with further showcase events featuring Anthony Warlow, Kate Miller-Heidke, LIttle Red Company's Skyfall collection of songs from James Bond, and performances by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Camerata – Queensland's Chamber Orchestra. Large-scale and much-anticipated theatre events include world premieres of the stage adaptation of Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe, and Ishmael, the Dead Puppet Society's adaptation of Moby Dick.

Image: Sky Castle by ENESS. Photographer: Zhu Rui.

Drawing on its strength of showcasing our local indigenous talent, Brisbane Festival's varied programming incorporates an indigenous advisory group who have curated nearly 170 works by First Nations creators. Some of the jewels to look forward to include Walking in Two Worlds – a First Nations fashion runway event, Considerable Sexual License – new dance by Joel Bray, a performance by Kamilaroi elder Uncle Bob Weatherall with Brisbane rock band Halfway, and Bungul, a celebration of the unique talents of the sadly missed singer Gurrumul.

Image: Considerable Sexual License. Photographer: Bryony Jackson

One of the highlights of 2020 was the Street Serenades. This year, the festival continues to embrace that community spirit. Festival CEO Charlie Cush told Stage Whispers: "In 2020, the festival had about 50 performances in cul de sacs. We've grown that this year – asking for hosts for all 190 suburbs."

I spoke to Brisbane resident Eira Moroney from Carindale who had put in a winning bid with her neighbours for their street to be involved. With performers including Christine Anu, Camerata, Emma Dean, Queensland Ballet and Montaigne, the cul de sac participants are eagerly awaiting their allotted talent. Eira told me "I'm a nurse and there's a very large community at the hospital where I work who are excited to participate too. There is a real buzz of anticipation about the upcoming performances and my neighbours and I are all looking forward to hearing which artist we will be welcoming to our neighbourhood."

Image: Eira Moroney

Find out more: brisbanefestival.com.au