From 4 to 20 March 2016, Bleach* organisers will unleash the most ambitious and audacious program in the Festival’s five-year history as the annual cultural celebration spreads its artistic wings far and wide across the Gold Coast.
“Beaches, parks and waterways will become ‘unconventional’ outdoor stages for performances, in a celebration of everything there is to love about the Gold Coast’s iconic beaches and outdoor lifestyle,” announced Louise Bezzina, artistic director of Bleach* Festival.
“Our aim for Bleach* Festival 2016 is to create incredible and artistic moments in time, in the most unlikely places,” said Louise. “We will be challenging people’s perceptions of what art is and where it should be performed or displayed, with the Gold Coast’s natural environment and some of its best known landscapes having ‘starring roles’ in many of the Bleach* events in 2016.”
Set around the Evandale Lake in the heart of the Gold Coast’s cultural precinct by the Nerang River, Horizons with Angels will be swathed in intensely beautiful music, and heightened by a mixture of physical daring and spell-binding light and projection.
Horizon with Angels has been commissioned by Bleach* Festival and The Arts Centre Gold Coast and has been created by ‘Preposterous’. Preposterous is the brand new creative division of critically acclaimed Brisbane contemporary circus company and their visionary artistic director Yaron Lifschitz, co-director Ben Knapton, choreographer Alice Lee Holland and musical director Scott Saunders.
Louise said Horizons with Angels signifies a new direction for Circa and Yaron Lifschitz, who was recently appointed the Cultural Lead of the Arts and Cultural Program for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“Yaron’s work is exemplary, and has already been seen by more than half a million people in 33 countries around the world,” said Louise.
Juxtaposed against the bright lights of Surfers Paradise and driven by the scale of multiple stages, Horizons with Angels will mirror the avant-garde style of previous Circa works, incorporating an innovative, genre-melding blend of acrobatics and movements.
Along with Circa’s ‘Preposterous’ crew, Horizons with Angels will feature the voices of more than 200-strong choir of local Gold Coast school children, who will perform some of the haunting songs from legendary singer, Leonard Cohen.
“The opportunity for these kids to perform in a world premiere, alongside a world-famous performance company such as Circa’s and music director Scott Saunders, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them and one they will never forget,” she said.
The past year has been a whirlwind journey of growth and transition for Bleach* Festival. In late 2014, Bleach* Festival received endorsement by the City of Gold Coast as a significant component of the City’s cultural strategy and preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
To manage the burgeoning scale of Bleach* Festival, an independent operating company, Bleached Arts Ltd, has been created and new headquarters at Currumbin established to house the small but busy Bleach* Festival team.
An enthusiastic and experienced board of directors led by former Arts Queensland head, Leigh Tabrett, was appointed, and general manager, Matt Wilson, now oversees the administration of the company.
Louise said that Bleach* Festival is moving into a new era, now recognised on a national level for its role in building and enhancing the City’s reputation as a key cultural destination.
Over the past year, Louise and the team have engaged with nationally acclaimed producers, artists and musicians, along with an army of local talent, to feature as part of the visionary program for Bleach* Festival 2016.
The three-week festival will include eight world premieres, which Louise hopes will leave Gold Coasters captivated, inspired and immensely proud of their annual arts and culture festival, held right here in their own backyard.
Louise declared, “Bleach* Festival is designed to be a platform for expression and curated to encourage community ownership and participation.”
Please visit www.bleachfestival.com.au or www.theartscentregc.com.au for tickets and latest event information.
