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The curator's guide to New Annual : weekend two
There's so many great events programmed around each weekend, with the ability to stack a few great shows on top of each other to maximise your weekends.
Epoch Wars : Pony Express
01 Oct
This one is an experience you won't forget! It's quite a political work and addresses the environment and those thorny issues under the guide of a conference. Infiltrating Newcastle City Hall, Epoch Wars enlists you and a Live Art army of Australia’s most exciting artists and speakers. In a series of subversive keynote speeches and performances, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities, we will battle it out for the naming rights of our shared future.
There are several academics and scientists involved and Newcastle City Hall is the most fantastic venue because it has such 'old world' Civic vibes. This will really appeal to university students and anyone who cares about our environment and loves live art.
Aftermath : Amy Hollingsworth & Jack Lister
01 – 02 Oct
A rousing aural, visual, and sensory trip, created by Amy Hollingsworth and Jack Lister, Aftermath is an electric collaboration performed by Australasian Dance Collective to a blistering original score performed live by the award-winning Danny Harley of The Kite String Tangle.
Music is the driving force of this performance and it’s a perfect festival piece, part gig, part dance show, part concert with amazing visuals, incredible music, and it’s an exhilarating show to close the performances on the Civic Park Stage.
Radial : Back to Back Theatre
02 Oct
Back to Back Theatre work with neuro diverse artists in incredible ways and this very special film-making project is no exception. The ensemble will film in various locations through Newcastle during the festival, resulting in a portrait of a community in motion. They edit the film throughout the festival and then on the final day invite the participants, their families, and the community, to watch the completed film at the Civic Theatre.
RADIAL the Newcastle edition is a collaboration with the Civic Theatre, Back to Back Theatre and Newcastle's own Tantrum Youth Arts.
Ex Machina : Omega Ensemble
30 Sept – 01 Oct
I love classical music and I knew I wanted to present something in an unexpected location. Hailed as “one of Australia’s most exciting and forward-thinking ensembles", Omega Ensemble will perform a thrilling program of complex and driving music from important contemporary voices.
Showcasing the Ensemble as a well-oiled virtuosic machine, this special presentation for New Annual departs from the traditional concert hall and arrives at Newcastle Museum for a stellar performance in front of the collections prized 150-year-old steam locomotive ‘The Buck’. This is a contemporary take on classical music that will appeal to all.
Deejay x Dancer : Nick Power feat DJ Total Eclipse
29 Sept – 01 Oct
I have been following choreographer Nick Power for many years after seeing his work in Berlin and I'm thrilled to be able to bring his new work to Newcastle. Presented in the Newcastle Museum, Deejay x Dancer is a brand-new work.
It features world champion turntablist DJ Total Eclipse with 3 of Australia’s most respected Breakers. Deejay x Dancer walks the tightrope of live performance in a thrilling call and response showdown, highlighting the skill, playfulness, and connection between these two traditional hip hop forms.
Its experiential and immersive and you'll be up close and personal with the performers as they battle it out on the dance floor.
Lightyears From Home - The Sci Fi Spectacular Extended Universe Pt III
29 – 30 Sept
Zackari Watt is a Newcastle favourite, and his new show 'Lightyears from Home' will be one of the hottest tickets in the Civic Park line-up. It features a smattering of high impact elements & fun interactive moments of the 'Intergalacular Sci Fi' show with silent disco DJ sets, highly skilled physical performance acts & projection mapped performances set in & on a life-sized spaceship!
Created by XYZ Dimensions from upcycled industrial waste materials, the spaceship has only been seen twice before in Australia. This event embodies what we want the whole festival to be about, and that’s getting out, enjoying live performance, and having fun. Sci Fi outfits are most definitely encouraged!
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