OzAsia Festival, Australia’s leading contemporary arts festival engaging with Asia, presents 60 events as part of their 2019 programme, including 5 world-first performances and 22 Australian premieres.
In a vivid and vibrant melting pot of music, theatre, dance, film, literature and visual art, Adelaide Festival Centre’s 13th annual OzAsia Festival features 850 artists from more than 20 countries in an engaging line-up of boundary-pushing works across 18 days of performances, screenings, exhibitions and free events.
Audiences can expect compelling contemporary dance from Akram Khan and his latest work ‘Outwitting The Devil’, Damien Jalet and his collaboration with sculptor Kohei Nawa ‘Vessel’, Hervé Koubi with acrobatic piece ‘What The Day Owes To The Night’ and Anne Nguyen with martial art-inspired street dance ‘Kata’.
“The 2019 OzAsia Festival will be our largest, most adventurous and fun-filled festival to date,” OzAsia Festival Artistic Director Joseph Mitchell says.
“There really is something for everyone – from free events through to thought-provoking theatre and visually stunning dance. We’re excited to see some of the most-loved artists from previous OzAsia Festivals returning with new works, while our more adventurous audience members can indulge in our more immersive events.”
'Outwitting The Devil' – Image © Jean Louis Hernandez
An award-winning choreographer, Akram Khan continues his passion for exploring old and new myths in the context of modern times in ‘Outwitting The Devil’, featuring six international artists.
In ‘Vessel’, celebrated Belgian choreographer Damien Jalet and Japanese sculptor Kohei Nawa have created a profound performance experience using faceless, headless choreography to conceal gender and identity in a visual new work.
Vietnamese-French choreographer Anne Nguyen challenges the form and imagery associated with hip hop dance in ‘Kata’, assembling a multicultural cast employing brutal moves against an original percussive backdrop by composer Sébastien Lété.
Major events being staged in the Festival Theatre include South East Asia's biggest pop star and the ‘number one singer of Malaysia’ Siti Nurhaliza, music icon Nitin Sawhney and Stan Lai’s epic theatre production ‘The Village’.
Captivating singer Susheela Raman is a highlight of the world music line-up, which also includes Lebanese producer Hadi Zeidan with the electronic soundscapes of ‘Beirut Electro Parade’ and vinyl vibes of ‘Shik Shak Shok’.
'Surpassing The Beeline'
Internationally-acclaimed theatre-makers presenting their work in Australia for the first time include India’s Abhishek Thapar with ‘My Home At The Intersection’ and ‘Surpassing The Beeline’, along with South Korea’s Jaha Koo with ‘Cuckoo’ – a reflection on his country’s recent history with help from three ‘talking’ rice cookers.
This year’s OzAsia Festival will also see the return of the ever-popular Moon Lantern Parade (19 October) and Lucky Dumpling Market (17 October 17-3 November), along with the second annual JLF Adelaide (November 1-3) – a contemporary literature festival featuring panels, debates, readings and music performances. Now in its second year, JLF Adelaide is a satellite event of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival and will feature a transnational celebration of cultural connections and new perspectives.
Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre, OzAsia Festival champions the contributions of contemporary artists from across Asia and the Asian-Pacific regions, while celebrating the wealth and diversity of Asian arts and culture throughout history.
