Brisbane Powerhouse is getting ready to welcome artists from Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, UK and USA to present a program of contemporary performance at WTF16. Taking place from 18 – 27 February, WTF16 runs alongside the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) for the second time, following their initial pairing in 2014.
Brisbane Powerhouse Artistic Director Kris Stewart says WTF16 is a home for exhilarating contemporary performance that challenges the definitions of traditional theatre. “WTF celebrates the personal and the political,” says Stewart. “Yes, it’s theatre, but it’s also an invitation for audiences to challenge the way they think about, see and experience the world.”
Highlights of 2016 program include: New York’s undisputed queen of the underground Penny Arcade delivering a rousing rumination inspired by four decades of pop culture in the multi-award winning, Longing Lasts Longer. Companion pieces BigMoutH and SmallWaR will also take audiences on a virtuosic journey through history.
Lovers of technology and the arts will get to see the two combine in innovative dance production, Huang Yi & KUKA and New Zealand’s Okareka Dance present Mana Wahine, a powerful work that combines dance, film and theatre. Rising UK performer Chris Thorpe presents a powerful analysis of beliefs in Confirmation, while Nicola Gunn’s Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster also calls in to question society’s decision making processes.
Those looking for colourful stories and musical adventures will enjoy the world premiere of Motherboard Productions’ [Shimchong]: Daughter Overboard! and Club WTF’s free late night shows: Hanuman Spaceman by The Cambodian Space Project, The Lepidopters: A Space Opera and HH: Syn-Infection.
“This year we’re also launching a new program of free club nights; Club WTF features a series of wild and wonderful international music artists over three nights and will give people the chance to hang around, grab a drink and really soak up the festival vibe,” adds Stewart.
APAM is the premier biennial industry event for contemporary performing arts in the Asia Pacific region. Over 600 artists, presenters and producers from around the globe will discover Australia and New Zealand’s best creative works, find new collaborators, network with fellow professionals, and meet key arts funding and development agencies to build and negotiate international and national tours.
WTF16 runs 18 – 27 February. APAM runs 22 – 26 February 2016. For more information, visit: www.brisbanepowerhouse.org or www.performingartsmarket.com.au for details.
Image: Mana Wahine (supplied)