International Artists take to the stage for the 2019 OzAsia Festival

OzAsia 2019 The VillageWorld-class contemporary music, theatre, dance, film, literature and visual art from across Asia and beyond will be showcased at Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival 2019 from today until Sunday 3 November.

The 60 events being held across 18 days include 35 Adelaide exclusives, five world-first performances and 22 Australian premieres. OzAsia Festival is Australia’s leading contemporary arts festival engaging with Asia and will this year feature 850 artists from more than 20 countries.

Tonight’s performances include award-winning musician Nitin Sawhney with the Australian premiere of Beyond SkinRevisited in the Festival Theatre for one night only. World-leading choreographer Anne Nguyen’s unique blend of street dance and martial arts will be set against an original percussive backdrop when Kata is presented in the Space Theatre today and tomorrow.

Rounding out the opening night line-up is the world premiere of Light – a dramatic retelling of the history of Adelaide’s founder, Colonel William Light, and the establishment of Penang by his father Francis.

“OzAsia Festival continues to push the boundaries of how contemporary art is being interpreted by leading artists from countries ranging from Japan across to Lebanon,” says Artistic Director Joseph Mitchell. “We have some of the best in the business – from world-renowned choreographers and legendary playwrights to emerging artists who are presenting exciting new works that redefine their genres and provide an immersive experience for audience members.”

Tonight also marks the opening of Lucky Dumpling Market (17 October to 3 November) at the Adelaide Riverbank and will include live music and community performances along with a variety of Asian cuisine from countries such as The Philippines, India, Vietnam and China.

The ever-popular Moon Lantern Parade will once again be a feature event of OzAsia Festival’s opening weekend, with performances and workshops from 3.00pm before more than 50 giant lanterns descend on Elder Park from 8pm this Saturday 19 October.

“There’s nothing quite like our OzAsia Festival in the way it celebrates cultural diversity in our state while also being at the forefront of artistic excellence – as evidenced by our fantastic line-up of Adelaide exclusives, world premieres and Australian debut performances,” said Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM.

Visual art exhibitions open from today will see Still by Taiwan’s Joyce Ho presented in Adelaide Festival Centre’s Artspace Gallery along with Samsung Loves Us All by Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries (South Korea/US) and Sorry for Real by French Guiana’s Tabita Rezaire in Adelaide Festival Centre’s QBE Galleries. At nearby Nexus Gallery, The Glamourous Boys of Tang by Taiwan’s Su Hui-Yu will make its Australian debut.

Next week’s performances include Ghost Gamelan by British-Indian musician Susheela Raman and epic play The Village by legendary playwright and director Stan Lai. Sisters Sangam – an exhibition of 14 artists from India and South Australia, will open at the SASA Gallery on Thursday 31 October.

The inaugural Asia-Pacific Creative Cities Conference will be held to coincide with OzAsia Festival from 23 – 26 October. The event will see 200 delegates from more than 40 cities in 15 countries converge on Adelaide to discuss ways of fostering valuable new working relationships through the Asia-Pacific UNESCO Creative City Network.

The third and final week of OzAsia Festival will include Australia’s only satellite edition of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) – JLF Adelaide (1 – 3 November). Compelling panel discussions will be presented to live audiences at Adelaide Festival Centre venues, where 40 free events will feature more than 60 writers, thought leaders, activists and artists from around the world.

For more information and to view the full OzAsia Festival program, visit: www.ozasiafestival.com.au for details.

Image: The Village – courtesy of OzAsia Festival